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  • Mariners' Dan Vogelbach: Ropes pair of singles in Cactus League opener

    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.

  • Justin Turner DH | CHC

    Dodgers' Justin Turner: Looks good in spring debut

    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.

  • Matt Carpenter DH | STL

    Cardinals' Matt Carpenter: Blasts two-run homer in Grapefruit League opener

    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.

  • Bryce Harper 1B | PHI

    Nationals' Bryce Harper: Blasts long homer to kick off spring

    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.

  • Brandon Belt DH | TOR

    Giants' Brandon Belt: Collects hit in first spring game

    Belt started and went 1-for-2 in his Cactus League debut Friday.

    The extremely patient Belt is looking to repeat last year's career-best .394 on-base percentage and .868 OPS. While his power never developed to the 25-homer level many pegged him for as a prospect, he has turned into a consistent option at first base and should finish with solid counting stats batting in the heart of the Giants' order. Leagues that use on-base percentage should value Belt higher than standard formats, but he will still hold value in other formats given how shallow the first base position is this year.

  • Miguel Cabrera DH | DET

    Tigers' Miguel Cabrera: Hit by pitch Saturday

    Cabrera was hit by a pitch in the arm during Saturday's spring training game against Houston but stayed in the contest, MLive.com reports.

    If there were even a hint of an injury, Cabrera would have likely been pulled, so there doesn't seem to be any cause for concern here. Cabrera will continue to work in camp with the Tigers until he plays for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic next month.

  • Joc Pederson DH | TEX

    Dodgers' Joc Pederson: Potential candidate to lead off

    Pederson was named as one of several options manager Dave Roberts is considering batting leadoff, according to SB Nation.

    Logan Forsythe makes the most sense and has to be the early favorite to lead off most nights, but Pederson isn't a terrible option despite his power. His .246 batting average in 2016 doesn't scream "leadoff hitter," but he did get on base at a .352 clip, which is top-of-the-order material. That being said, it would be surprising if Roberts moved Pederson's .847 OPS out of the heart of the lineup.

  • Alex Dickerson DH | ATL

    Padres' Alex Dickerson: Won't play in games this week

    Manager Andy Green says Dickerson (back) will not see game action this week, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

    Green cautioned that the injury is a "little bit of a slow process," so there's still no definitive timetable for his return. However, the Padres likely won't rush the young slugger back into activities until he feels completely healthy. Dickerson emerged as a power threat for San Diego last season, finishing the year with a .455 slugging percentage and a .788 OPS.

  • Marcell Ozuna DH | PIT

    Marlins' Marcell Ozuna: Expects to play Sunday

    Ozuna (shoulder) is expected to play Sunday against the Cardinals, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

    The Marlins still have plenty of time to scratch Ozuna if his shoulder acts up over the next 24 hours, but it looks like the issue won't significantly delay the start of his Grapefruit League campaign.

  • J.D. Martinez DH | NYM

    Tigers' J.D. Martinez: Dealing with pectoral tightness

    Martinez was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League game with pectoral tightness, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

    The move is likely precautionary. Martinez is expected to once again be a big part of the offense, so the Tigers won't risk any health issues in spring training. Juan Perez will take over in right field. Consider Martinez day-to-day unless something changes.

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