MLB Player News

The Angels still plan to keep Ohtani in the major leagues to begin the season despite the rookie's poor results in spring training, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. "Pitching wise, absent a couple pitches each outing completely getting away from him, losing grip or feel, [Ohtani has] been around the strike zone with the majority of his pitches," general manager Billy Eppler said Saturday. "We look at walk rate and strike throwing and the ability to get hitters to swing and miss. As we look at those things, those are the foundation of our evaluative methodologies, and those things are in place."

Ohtani was shelled for seven hits in 1.1 innings in his last start Friday against the Rockies and has surrendered 15 runs against 8.1 total frames this spring, but the Angels remain encouraged by his velocity readings and the 19:3 K:BB he has posted during that span. According to Fletcher, Ohtani is scheduled to take the mound Saturday in what will most likely be a minor-league game, which would make it easier for the Angels to ensure he gets 90-plus pitches. With Ohtani inducing plenty of strikeouts this spring and the Angels seemingly committed to keeping him in the majors as a member of the rotation and part-time designated hitter, he could be worth buying at a discount while his spring ERA has deflated his draft stock.

Miller (toe) started at first base Saturday in the Rays' 4-3 loss to the Red Sox in Grapefruit League play. He finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a run.

It was just Miller's second appearance of the spring and his first since Feb. 23 while he remained sidelined with a fractured right pinkie toe. Due to the three-week absence, Miller will be held out of the lineup Sunday against the Tigers, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, but the 28-year-old remains on track to open the season in a strong-side platoon role at either first base, second base or designated hitter.

Carpenter will bat third and man third base in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

A back issue delayed Carpenter's spring debut until last week, but the veteran hasn't missed a beat in his three Grapefruit League games to date, going 3-for-5 with a home run and two walks in those contests. The Cardinals had used him as a designated hitter or first baseman in all of those contests, so Carpenter's move to the hot corner Sunday offers another indication that the club isn't too concerned about his health. What's less clear is how frequently Carpenter will be deployed at third base once the season begins, as the 32-year-old battled an injury to his throwing shoulder for a good portion of 2017. In an attempt to limit the strain on the shoulder, Carpenter has been working to alter his throwing motion during camp, so how he performs defensively in the Cardinals' remaining spring games could determine his usage at the position in 2018.

Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, his first of the spring, in Saturday's Grapefruit League win over the Yankees.

The veteran first baseman has been racking up the hits this spring, hitting .342 over 38 at-bats, though it's good to finally see one of them leave the yard after Cabrera hit a career-low 16 home runs last season. The 34-year-old reported to camp feeling healthy after injuries limited him in 2017, and he could be a decent bounceback candidate in 2018.

Cespedes (wrist) will get at-bats in a minor-league game Saturday, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

He expects to get into the lineup for a big-league game Monday, so it sounds like Cespedes' wrist is almost back to normal. Meanwhile, Michael Conforto (shoulder) has also been playing on the minor-league side, and is on track to beat his initial May 1 timetable, so the Mets will soon have a pretty crowded outfield. Cespedes should obviously be in the lineup most days when healthy.

Ohtani gave up seven runs and six hits, including two home runs, and was lifted in the second inning of Friday's spring training game against Colorado. Ohtani is not assured of making the 25-man roster, general manager Billy Eppler told Los Angeles Times. "It's too early to make a judgment right now," he said.

Given Ohtani's struggles on the mound (15 earned runs and 18 hits in 8.1 innings) and as a hitter (2-for-20) this spring, it increasingly looks like he could begin the season at Triple-A. Ohtani has likely just two more starts on the mound in spring training to show he's ready for MLB action. Another factor that may keep Ohtani in the minors initially is that his free agency would be pushed back a year if he is in the minors for the first 15 days of the MLB season.

Winker went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI in the Reds' 16-13 loss to the Brewers in Cactus League play Friday.

The three-hit performance raised Winker's spring line to .406/.459/.656, with the outfielder contributing six extra-base knocks in 32 at-bats. Power wasn't a major component of Winker's game as he rose through the Reds' farm system, but the 24-year-old displayed more pop than expected during his multiple stints in the big leagues in 2017, homering seven times in just 137 plate appearances. With the organization viewing Winker as major-league ready, it's expected that he'll see at least semi-regular starts during the upcoming campaign while rotating in with established regulars in Scott Schebler, Adam Duvall and Billy Hamilton. Given Hamilton's questionable on-base skills, it wouldn't be an especially surprising development if manager Bryan Price eventually tabs Winker as the leadoff man for an extended period.

Vogelbach has a good chance to make the active roster out of spring training even if Ryon Healy (hand) is healthy enough to play on Opening Day, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

"Vogey" initially seemed like a fill-in option in case Healy wasn't ready for the season opener, but the big 25-year-old has turned heads this spring with a 1.262 OPS in 33 plate appearances. More importantly, he has a 6:9 K:BB in Cactus League play after striking out 29 percent of the time during his time in Seattle last season. There's a chance Vogelbach could start the season as the primary designated hitter, but that is entirely dependent on Nelson Cruz's (quad) health. Regardless, manager Scott Servais said "Vogey deserves to be on this club."

Vargas was designated for assignment Friday.

The signing of Logan Morrison already made Vargas a roster redundancy, so when the Twins needed a 40-man roster spot for Jake Cave, Vargas was a relatively easy choice. Assuming the team can't find a trade partner, the switch-hitting slugger will now either be released or clear waivers and spend his time with Triple-A Rochester after batting .252 with 35 homers in the majors over the past four years.

Cespedes (wrist) expects to play Monday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Cespedes was scratched from Tuesday's game against the Astros with wrist soreness. Whil his X-rays came back negative, he received a cortisone shot Wednesday and has yet to resume hitting or throwing. His status for Opening Day is uncertain, and there's some chance this issue lingers and affects his power. It will be important to see how his wrist reacts upon his return to the lineup.