MLB Player News

Reed has a chance to win a roster spot to start the season, the Astros official site reports.

Reed hit .261/.358/.525 at Triple-A Fresno last season but received just six plate appearances for the big-league club. With Yuli Gurriel starting the season with a five-game suspension, a spot could be open for Reed, at least for the first few games of the year. The Astros have Evan Gattis holding down the designated hitter spot and Marwin Gonzalez perfectly capable of filling in at first base, though, so Reed will have to impress to stick on the roster.

Miller is expected to split time at first base with C.J. Cron in 2018, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Miller was expected to open the season as the Rays' primary first baseman, but the recent acquisition of Cron has pushed him into a timeshare. Considering Miller and Cron both hit better against right-handed pitching, it's still somewhat unclear how manager Kevin Cash intends to divvy up at-bats, but their playing time will likely be fluid throughout the season. Either way, it'll be tough to count on Miller from a fantasy standpoint in 2018 given his new position and reduced playing time.

Choi is getting his wisdom teeth removed and is absent from the Brewers' first full-squad workout Tuesday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Choi is the only absentee for Milwaukee. It's unclear how long the issue will keep him sidelined, but he isn't expected to break camp with the big club with Eric Thames and Jesus Aguilar both settled in ahead of him at first base. Barring an injury or two, the 26-year-old should spend the majority of this season with Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Brantley (ankle) took part in batting practice Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley, who underwent ankle surgery in October, is still behind other outfielders as spring camp starts up, but he continues to progress through his rehab with hopes of being ready for the start of the season. For the time being, however, his status for Opening Day remains up in the air, as the Indians are looking to proceed cautiously with the 30-year-old outfielder in an attempt to increase his longevity. Cleveland will continue to evaluate Brantley as he tests out his ankle during camp, so his status will be worth monitoring throughout spring.

General Manager Jerry Dipoto said Lewis had a scope on his right knee, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

This is another tough break for Lewis, who just can't seem to stay healthy. In two seasons as a pro, the 22-year-old has appeared in just 81 games due to recurring knee issues stemming from ACL surgery he underwent in July of 2016. The hope is that Lewis, who underwent the procedure some 10 days ago, will be back on the field near the end of April, though the team will obviously proceed cautiously with the injury-prone outfielder.

Martinez signed with Boston on Monday, Pedro Gomez of ESPN reports.

The long-rumored deal has finally been signed, and Boston now has the power bat they've coveted all offseason. Moving from Chase Field to anywhere other than Colorado represents a downgrade in terms of park factors, but the move should still be a fine one for Martinez's fantasy value. While the Green Monster may depress Martinez's home run total a bit, his overall production should remain quite strong in a solid Red Sox lineup. Expect big things from the 30-year-old slugger in Boston this year.

Cespedes (hamstring) said he has attempted to improve his flexibility in the offseason by doing yoga, increasing his running and reducing his weight-lifting routine, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports."[Cespedes] has had a great offseason -- a lot more running he has done than in the past," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "Everybody identified that he needed that and he has gone to yoga classes for flexibility and he wants to play every day."

Lower-body injuries forced Cespedes to miss half of last season, though he was productive as usual when able to take the field, slashing .292/.352/.540 with 17 home runs before being shut down in late August with a right hamstring strain. Cespedes is hopeful that an increased emphasis on flexibility will address the leg problems that plagued him last season and help him withstand the rigors of a 162-game schedule. Callaway seems to believe that Cespedes is up to the task, as the skipper indicated Monday that he isn't mapping out any pre-planned rest days for the outfielder, something that previous manager Terry Collins often chose to implement the past two seasons.

The Reds view Winker as major-league ready and plan to use a four-man rotation in the outfield this season, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports. "I believe he's a major-league-ready player," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Some guys have to prove me wrong and others have to prove me right. I just really believe he is ready to get some regular playing time in the big leagues."

Winker has strong on-base skills but had frustrated the Reds by his inability to hit for power in the high minors, but then slugged .487 in his brief big-league trial last season. The Reds had dabbled in trade talks regarding Billy Hamilton during the offseason but nothing came to fruition. That still could come back up midseason, opening the door for regular time for Winker.

Cabrera arrived at the Tigers' spring-training facility Sunday and said he feels healthy after focusing his offseason workouts on strengthening his core and back muscles, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Injuries to the two muscle groups not only played a role in limiting Cabrera to 130 games last season, but more significantly, they hampered him greatly at the plate. While playing with two herniated discs in his back in 2017, Cabrera struggled to a .249/.329/.399 slash line in 529 plate appearances, amounting to a 228-point drop in OPS from the season prior. It's likely that some of the 34-year-old's performance dip was also a byproduct of aging, but with a modicum of better health entering the upcoming season, Cabrera seems capable of bouncing back on some level, though to what extent is difficult to predict.

Brantley (ankle) is behind other outfielders and is questionable for Opening Day, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley, who underwent surgery on his ankle in October, has taken part in loss toss and some limited hitting in the cages, but is limited to straight-ahead jogging for now. The Indians will continue to evaluate Brantley as he tests out the ankle during training camp, so he could still be ready for the start of the season, but president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said the team is taking a longer-view approach, one that gets Cleveland "the best version of Michael Brantley for as much of the season as possible."