MLB Player News

Canha went 2-for-3 with an RBI single and double in Sunday's 5-4 Cactus League win over the Mariners.

Canha's solid spring continued Sunday, with the outfielder driving home Ryon Healy with a single to deep right center in the first for his second RBI of spring. Factoring in Sunday's production, the 28-year-old is slashing .333/.375/.533 with three doubles over 15 at-bats across six games. With platoon mate Matt Joyce (.400/.500/1.000 over 10 at-bats) also thriving thus far, the A's appear to be in excellent shape in right field for the coming campaign.

Cespedes left Sunday's Grapefruit League game with tightness in his hip and quad muscles, The New York Daily News reports. "He thought his quad, hip was starting to tighten up a little bit, I am sure due to the wind," manager Terry Collins said. "We did baserunning stuff this morning, might have tightened up. So I got him out of there. Doctors looked at him and said he's just fine."

This likely won't be an issue for Cespedes come Opening Day, but expect the Mets to hold him out Monday as a precaution, as he missed 14 games last season with quad issues.

Buxton is hitting just 2-for-12 this spring, but he has just two strikeouts and two walks.

Buxton appears set to begin the season as the starter in center field, but it's not clear where he'll bat in the order. He hit leadoff in Saturday's game that featured most regulars, but the young outfielder hit ninth much of last season. His September power surge (10 homers and a 1.011 OPS) may indicate he's a better fit for the middle of the lineup despite his speed. Despite his slow start to the spring, there's a silver lining with his strikeout rate, as he whiffed in 35.6 percent of his plate appearances last season. Buxton will need to command the strike zone better to finally have a breakout season.

Brantley (shoulder) took batting practice on back-to-back days for the first time this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Brantley has yet to hit live pitching, but his increased activity is promising. The Indians haven't set an estimated return for Brantley, who played in just 11 games during the 2016 season, as they're aiming to keep him from feeling pressured to rush his rehab. However, the club has remained optimistic that he should be able to play in a Cactus League game at some point this spring.

McCutchen (back) went 1-for-2 with a single, sacrifice fly and a stolen base during his return to action Saturday against the Red Sox.

The back issue was clearly never anything to worry about, as the 30-year-old felt good enough to play Saturday after dealing with some tightness earlier in the day. He'll head to the World Baseball Classic soon and shouldn't have any lingering issues moving forward.

Dickerson (back) is running at full speed and is closer to playing in games, Bill Center of Padres.com reports.

Although Dickerson continues to progress, Manager Andy Green remained cautious as to his return. "We don't want to hurry him into another setback," he said. The young slugger has been steadily participating in more baseball activities this spring and should see plenty of Cactus League action before the season begins. Dickerson is coming off a strong rookie campaign and is expected to be the everyday left fielder for the Padres going forward.

Ozuna went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

He's 3-for-10 to begin the spring, but Friday's shot was his first spring homer. Ozuna tied his career high with 23 home runs in 2016, but the Marlins will be looking for a little more from their 26-year-old left fielder this season.

McCutchen is nursing a tight back but expects to play Saturday against the Red Sox, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The outfielder said his back was "a little tight when [he] woke up this morning."

He wore a heat wrap on his lower back before Saturday's game. McCutchen has dealt with chronic knee issues throughout his career, but has never made mention of back problems. The Pirates have little incentive to play him during a meaningless exhibition game, so if there's any question about his injury, he'll likely sit out. Otherwise, the tight back may simply indicate that the former MVP is now 30 years old.

Manager Mike Matheny said that Carpenter (back) has informed Team USA he will skip the World Baseball Classic, Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Evidently, the injury has progressed to a point where Carpenter has become concerned for his long-term health. Matheny mentioned that the infielder has been holding back from hitting drills over the past week while dealing with the ailment. In addition, Carpenter is concerned the back soreness could impact his oblique, something that kept him out for a month last season. Fantasy owners can rest assured that the three-time All-Star is committed to getting back to full strength by Opening Day.

Carpenter (back) may skip the World Baseball Classic, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The versatile infielder's workouts are being "slowed down" because of his lingering back soreness, which likely means increased caution by the organization to preserve him before the 2017 season. There's still time for Carpenter to improve before suiting up on Opening Day, though the WBC may get in the way of that.