MLB Player News

Carpenter (back) is 1-for-4 in the two games he's played since returning to the lineup after missing Thursday's contest.

The Cardinals' starting first baseman's back appears to be back at full health after he was able to play both Friday and Saturday. Carpenter should be considered a full go moving forward and is now slashing .273/.333/.545 over 11 spring at-bats.

Colon (hand) will start at shortstop and bat seventh in the order for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Colon was removed from a game Wednesday after jamming his right middle finger, but after going 2-of-2 at the dish Friday and Saturday and remaining in the lineup again Sunday, it appears he's feeling just fine. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a strong spring, but with his competitors for the starting second base job, Raul Mondesi and Whit Merrifield, also performing well in Cactus League play, he hasn't created much separation in the job battle.

The Tigers received MRI results on Martinez's sprained right foot, but won't disclose the details until the outfielder receives a second opinion from a specialist, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Martinez first suffered the mid-foot sprain while making a catch in the outfield during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. While X-rays on the foot have already come back negative, the Tigers aren't likely to issue an update on a potential return date until the results of the MRI are announced. With Opening Day still a little over two weeks away, Martinez will still have some time to heal up before the season begins, but if he's forced to hit the DL, some combination of Steven Moya, Mikie Mahtook and JaCoby Jones would likely make starts in his stead.

Brantley (shoulder) is expected to start in left field Monday against the Dodgers

Coming off an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, Brantley has spent this year's spring training stint rehabbing his injured shoulder. Monday's return to action will mark Brantley's major league spring training debut and puts him in line to be ready for Opening Day.

Stanton crushed a mammoth, game-winning two-run home run in the fourth inning of Team USA's 6-3 victory Saturday over the Dominican Republic.

The homer not only put the USA through to the semifinals of the WBC, it left Stanton's bat at an unfathomable 117.3 mph, the fourth-hardest-hit home run since Statcast began tracking exit velocity in 2015. He's struggled to stay healthy throughout his big league career, playing more than 140 games only twice in six seasons as a full-time Marlin, but when he's in top form, the 27-year-old possesses more raw power than anybody else in MLB.

Vargas went 2-for-5 with a home run for Puerto Rico in Sunday's win over Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Vargas hadn't played much before Sunday with just three at-bats in the WBC. He was just 1-for-13 in MLB spring training before leaving for the tournament. Vargas was the leading candidate for the starting DH job in Minnesota as spring training began, but he's struggled while Byungho Park has been hot (hitting .357 with three home runs). The battle for Minnesota's starting DH job will likely be decided late in spring training once Vargas returns from the WBC. Vargas' homer shows he won't be easily unseated.

Martinez (foot) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Martinez was an early exit from Saturday's exhibition matchup after he appeared to suffer a leg injury while playing the field, which was later classified as a right foot sprain. The Tigers aren't taking any chances with the 29-year-old outfielder, who has tallied 83 home runs over the last three seasons. Look for more information to follow once the results come in, but don't expect Martinez to return to a regular workload for at least a few days.

The Cubs "seem optimistic" that Jimenez's shoulder injury won't require more than a rest period and re-strengthening program to resolve, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Jimenez, the Cubs' top prospect, aggravated an already sore shoulder on an errant throw from left field Tuesday. While it seems the Cubs are not overly concerned, they did send Jimenez for both an MRI and a CT scan to get a proper read on the issue. It sounds like the team will await more clarity on the matter before commenting publicly on Jimenez's status.

Jimenez recently underwent tests on his sore right shoulder, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports.

The results of those tests have not been disclosed and thus the extent of the issue remains uncertain. Apparently, Jimenez made an awkward throw from the outfield earlier this week in Mesa, which led to some discomfort. The Cubs formally reassigned their top prospect to minor league camp Friday.

Martinez has been diagnosed with a mid right foot sprain and is set to be reevaluated Sunday.

X-rays came back negative on Martinez's foot, but there won't be an offical timetable for his return until team doctors re-examine him later in the weekend. Martinez exited Saturday's game after making a running catch and was seen favoring his right leg on his way into the dugout. Tyler Collins and Steven Moya stand to see more playing time in right field while Martinez is sidelined.