MLB Player News

Carpenter was removed from the starting lineup of Thursday's spring game because of lower back stiffness and is day-to-day.

He'll be reevaluated Friday. This looks like a precaution for the versatile infielder, who's lined up to play first base on Opening Day. Keep an eye on this issue, but early indications don't provide a reason to panic in fantasy leagues.

Dickerson (back) played catch for the first time since the opening week of camp, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Dickerson said he was feeling good after the light throwing session, a small but important step on the road to recovery. Nonetheless, expect the Padres to be apprehensive with putting him back in game lineups before he feels completely healthy. A clearer timetable should be available as he progresses towards regular workouts.

Ozuna (shoulder) is included in the lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

A sore shoulder cost Ozuna a few days of action, but he'll be back in left field and hit sixth in the order Tuesday, which could be his regular lineup spot once the regular season arrives. A second-half collapse ended up depressing Ozuna's final numbers in 2016, but he still brought value for those who drafted him with 23 homers, 76 RBI and a .266 batting average.

Brantley (shoulder) took batting practice on the field Monday, Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 in Cleveland reports.

Brantley took batting practice indoors over the weekend, marking a milestone is his rehab after he'd been previously restricted to playing soft toss. This is another small step in the right direction for Brantley, though his availability for Opening Day still remains in jeopardy.

Martinez (pectoral) will man right field and bat in the cleanup spot in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves.

Martinez was only sidelined a couple of days with pectoral tightness, and his reentry into the lineup indicates he's fully recovered from the issue. Even though an injury-plagued 2016 season dinged his final numbers, Martinez still profiles as one of the game's top power bats. His .908 OPS last season was actually superior to what he provided in 2015, when he smacked a career-high 38 homers.

Canha went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and walk in Sunday's 5-3 Cactus League loss to the Angels.

Canha brought home Eric Young, Jr. and Alejandro De Aza in the third with a double to left, drawing the A's even with the Angels at 1-1 at the time. The right fielder, who'll platoon with offseason acquisition Matt Joyce this season, hit out of the two-hole Sunday and has looked strong this spring after missing the majority of 2016 with a hip injury.

Vogelbach went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles in Saturday's 13-3 Cactus League victory over the Padres.

The 24-year-old is vying to platoon with lefty masher Danny Valencia at first base this season, and got his spring off to a strong start with Saturday's effort. Vogelbach packs plenty of power on his 6-foot, 250-pound frame, and worked all offseason to sharpen his defensive skills in anticipation of his expected role in 2017.

Turner reached base in both of his plate appearances Saturday, collecting a hit, a walk, an RBI and a run scored in a spring training win over the White Sox.

Fresh off a big contract extension, Turner is looking to repeat the career marks he set at the plate last season. The 27 homers seems like an outlier when you consider his previous totals and his age, but the third baseman looks like a safe source of batting average, runs and RBI while batting in the the heart of the Dodgers' lineup this season.

Carpenter had a first-inning sacrifice fly and blasted a two-run homer in Saturday's 8-7 Grapefruit League loss the Marlins.

Hitting out of the three-hole with the newly-acquired Dexter Fowler now batting leadoff, Carpenter blasted a two-run homer in the third that scored his new teammate. He'd also driven Fowler home in the first with a sacrifice fly, giving the new Cardinals starting first baseman an auspicious start to the exhibition slate.

Harper launched a tape-measure home run on the first pitch he saw as part of a 2-for-2 day in Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Mets.

The no-doubt shot, which nearly cleared the second fence at the back of the hill overlooking Tradition Field in right-center, announced as clearly as anything could that Harper is 100 percent healthy to begin the spring. Last year's struggles have knocked his ADP down a peg in early drafts, but don't be surprised if it starts creeping back up if he continues to light up opposition pitchers through March.