MLB Player News

Carpenter (back), who struck out in his only at-bat during a Grapefruit League win over the Marlins on Sunday, will lead off in every inning during a game at minor-league camp Monday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The goal is to get Carpenter as many reps at the plate as possible before Thursday's season opener versus the Brewers, considering he missed the last week of Grapefruit League action due to his back issue. In addition to the work he'll get Monday, Carpenter is also set to face Luke Gregerson in a simulated game Tuesday prior to joining his teammates in Milwaukee.

Pederson is starting in left field and leading off in Sunday's exhibition game against the Angels, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Pederson was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to hamstring tightness but makes his return Sunday, as expected. Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that the 26-year-old is scheduled to play all three games against the Angels leading into Thursday's season opener.

Choi went 3-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and two RBI overall in an 8-7 Grapefruit League loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Choi vaulted his spring average to .378 with Saturday's perfect day at the plate. The 27-year-old is already slated to log plenty of time at designated hitter, but he's also set to fill in at first base early in the season as part of the domino effect of Matt Duffy's absence due to a hamstring injury. Starting first baseman Yandy Diaz is slated to occasionally fill in for Duffy at the hot corner, which will leave Choi poised for some starts in the field.

Miller signed a major-league contract with the Indians on Sunday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Miller opted out of his minor-league deal with the Dodgers on Thursday and was able to find a better opportunity with the Indians. Jason Kipnis (calf) and Francisco Lindor (calf) are ticketed to begin the season on the injured list, so Miller should have early opportunities for playing time. The 29-year-old had 254 major-league plate appearances between the Rays and Brewers in 2018 and slashed .248/.311/.413 with seven home runs and 82 strikeouts.

Carpenter (back) will hit leadoff and start at third base in Sunday's Grapefruit League finale against the Marlins.

It appeared earlier Sunday that Carpenter was out of the lineup for the spring finale, but it turns out he will return to action after missing the last week. The 33-year-old has been battling a tight back, but his return to the field Sunday should alleviate concerns about his status for Opening Day.

Carpenter (back) is not in the lineup for Sunday's Grapefruit League finale.

The Cardinals announced earlier in the week that Carpenter would not return to the lineup before Sunday, but it turns out he will not be able to take the field Sunday, either. He will have one more chance to see action before the regular season begins with the Cardinals still playing an exhibition game Monday in Memphis, but the club has not revealed its plan of action, and at this point, Carpenter is less than certain to be ready for Opening Day.

Jimenez went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and walked once in Saturday's game against the Dodgers.

As if on cue, the club's top prospect put up his best hitting effort of the spring hours after he signed a six-year contract, and general manager Rick Hahn suggested to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that he'll break camp on the major-league roster. Jimenez returned from minor-league spring training for the game and looks like he might stay. Chicago cleared a spot on the Opening Day roster when it optioned Nicky Delmonico to Triple-A Charlotte.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a sacrifice fly, a walk and two runs in a 15-5 Grapefruit League win over the Mets on Friday.

Ozuna's second homer of spring opened the scoring in the eighth for the Cardinals in the rout. The veteran outfielder is reportedly as healthy as he's been years following shoulder surgery this offseason, and he's been working on getting his timing down at the plate after a late start to spring.

Lewis, who finished Cactus League play with a .423 average (11-for-26), three home runs and five RBI over 12 games, benefited significantly from the first healthy offseason of his professional baseball career, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "Last year I didn't really have much of an offseason because I had a knee scope in February, missed Spring Training and was thrown right into the season," Lewis said, crediting training two months with the Mariners in Arizona and another two months in Florida for his big jump in production from last season to this spring. "I just focused on my overall strength, body control, balance."

Lewis' batting average was just shy of Jay Bruce's team-leading .433, a sign of just how successful his first exposure to big-league arms was. The 23-year-old has been besieged by injuries since Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto made him the initial first-round pick of his tenure, but the clean bill of health Lewis has enjoyed since the latter portion of last season clearly paid dividends this spring. Lewis will still open the season at Double-A Arkansas, but an ascension to Triple-A Tacoma is very likely at some point in the coming campaign if he's able to replicate a similar caliber of play.

Buxton (face) will start in center field and bat ninth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Buxton was diagnosed with a facial contusion after exiting Friday's 10-6 loss to the Red Sox, but manager Rocco Baldelli suggested the outfielder's removal was merely precautionary, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The 25-year-old's ability to check back into the lineup a day later supports Baldelli's comments and suggests Buxton is in no danger of missing Opening Day.