MLB Player News

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Rangers.

Vogelbach got off to a slow start this spring, but he has picked up the pace lately, going 4-for-12 (.333) over his past five games. Hoping he would be able to see regular at-bats as the designated hitter, the Brewers re-signed Vogelbach over the offseason. With the NL not adopting the DH, though, he will be able to work in that role only in AL parks and is on track to serve as the backup first baseman behind Keston Hiura.

Dickerson is 2-for-12 with two runs, three walks and one stolen base through six spring games.

The 30-year-old is still seeing the ball well as the three walks suggest, but he otherwise hasn't found much success early in camp. Dickerson posted an impressive .298/.371/.576 slash line with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 27 RBI in 52 games last season, though he had only 12 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He could open 2021 working on the strong side of a platoon in left field, which would still afford him plenty of opportunities.

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored in Saturday's game against the Tigers.

The strong showing means the veteran outfielder has now gone 6-for-18 with three extra-base hits through seven Grapefruit League games. Entering the season healthy is what's most important for the former MVP, who posted a career-low 103 wRC+ last season in his first year back from a torn ACL. Any boost he gets from a healthy offseason could be offset by the effects of aging for the 34-year-old, though he should still be a respectable cross-category contributor this season unless age hits particularly hard.

Miller suffered a ribcage injury Saturday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's not yet clear how much time Miller is expected to miss, but the Phillies should have a better idea soon as he's been sent for tests. Miller signed a major-league deal in February and should fill an important role off the bench if healthy, but even a minor setback at this stage of spring could send him to the injured list to start the year.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Saturday that Choi (knee) will be shut down for 7-to-10 days, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Choi has dealt with right knee soreness throughout most of spring training and was checked out by a team doctor Saturday. Cash reiterated that he isn't overly concerned about the injury, but he said that the team should have a better idea after his week of rest as to whether his absence will affect his availability for Opening Day.

Belt (heel) battled COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt at least feels good in his recovery from October heel surgery, but it's been a brutal winter for the veteran first baseman. He hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day, but he's yet to get into game action this spring, so he appears to be running out of time. Even if he does make the Opening Day roster, he'll likely need frequent rest to start the season, as his conditioning presumably isn't where he'd want it to be after battling a pair of long-term illnesses. At-bats could be freed up early in the season for some combination of Wilmer Flores, Darin Ruf or Austin Slater.

Choi is dealing with soreness in his right knee again, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi was bothered by a sore right knee earlier in camp, and it appears that is an issue again. The Rays "are not overly concerned" about Choi, according to manager Kevin Cash, but he will be checked out by a team doctor Saturday and an update on his status figures to be released after that.

Alvarez (knee) is scheduled to start at designated hitter in Sunday's spring game against the Cardinals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The 23-year-old will make his spring debut after being limited to two games last season and ramping up his rehab work through the first few weeks of camp. Alvarez isn't expected to see any work in the outfield this season due to the knee issues, so he could operate exclusively as a designated hitter.

Jimenez went 2-for-3 with a triple and a solo home run in Thursday's spring game against the Reds.

The two extra-base hits were Jimenez's first of the Cactus League. Chicago's starting left fielder is 5-for-19 with three runs scored through seven spring games. Jimenez has established himself has one of the game's best sluggers and could put up monster counting numbers in 2021, the first year he'll have a chance to play a full 162-game schedule at the MLB level.

Stanton indicated Wednesday that he plans to spend some time playing in the outfield before the end of spring training, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

Stanton has been tabbed the Yankees' everyday DH for the coming campaign, but the veteran nonetheless hopes to get a chance to play the field during Grapefruit League play. Manager Aaron Boone was noncommittal when discussing such a scenario, saying that those discussions have yet to take place and that Stanton could "possibly" get some outfield reps. Given the slugger's recent injury history, it wouldn't be surprising for the organization to play it safe in spite of Stanton's wishes.