MLB Player News

Brantley (shoulder) took part in fielding drills on Tuesday, Tom Withers reports.

The good news is that Brantley is increasing his activity level, but the bad news is that his status remains "week to week." Before working in the outfield on Tuesday, he stepped into the batter's box Monday, although he never took a swing as he just worked on tracking pitches. Seeing Brantley up his participation is encouraging, but the outfielder remains a high-risk pick until a timetable for his return is established.

Reed will need to hit his way onto the Astros Opening Day roster, according to manager A.J. HInch, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Reed's prospect status took a big hit last season when he batted just .164 with three home runs, three doubles and a .532 OPS in 141 plate appearances for the Astros. The bat is the skill that got him to the majors, so if he's not hitting, then Reed isn't "relevant on our team," in the words of Hinch. The big-bodied first baseman gained some weight over the course of last season and, in addition to finding his hitting stroke, will need to maintain mobility to stay on the field. At 23, it's a bit early in the career to be a one-dimensional, DH-only player -- especially in today's MLB where roster flexibility is paramount. We expect him to start the season at Triple-A Fresno.

Vargas enters spring training as the leading candidate to win the starting DH job, ESPN 1500 am Twin Cities reports.

Minnesota's DH spot is an open competition as Byungho Park and Robbie Grossman could also figure into the mix. Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano also figure to get time at DH as the Twins may regularly use the DH spot to give them days off from being in the field. Vargas had 10 home runs in 47 games last season, along with a .833 OPS and 13.6 percent walk rate. However, he'll need to make better contact (63 percent contact rate). It's also possible the switch hitter could platoon against lefties since he's shown sharp platoon splits (a MLB career 1.262 OPS vs. lefties, .654 OPS vs. righties).

Dickerson was held out of workouts on Monday due to back stiffness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Manager Andy Green added that he didn't expect it to be a long term thing, but only time will tell at this point. The 26-year-old is looking to build on a strong rookie campaign where he slashed .257/.333/.455 while knocking 10 home runs.

Brantley (shoulder) has advanced to the soft-toss stage of his hitting program, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

It's another step in the long recovery journey for Brantley, who still hopes to be ready for Opening Day. The coaching staff is being precautionary with the rehabilitation process and there haven't appeared to be any setbacks at this point in time. However, until there's a firmer timetable in place, it's hard to pinpoint when he'll return to live game action.

Winker faces an uphill battle to make the Reds' Opening Day roster, though manager Bryan Price didn't rule out the possibility. "I'd like Jesse and anyone that is close to or ready for the big leagues to press us to make a tough decision late in camp, to keep themselves in camp as late as they can," Price said. "Things happen. You can't ignore performance sometimes."

This is nearly boilerplate spring training talk from the manager -- Winker currently is slated to go back to Triple-A Louisville, where he can play every day. It's unlikely that he would stick with the big club unless he wins a starting job over Scott Schebler.

Blackmon will serve as the Rockies' leadoff hitter this season, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

New manager Bud Black will not shake things up at the top of the order in 2017, as Blackmon will set the table once again for Colorado. Out of the leadoff spot last season, Blackmon slashed .325/.380/.555 with 110 runs and 82 RBI.

Rays manager Kevin Cash plans on Miller starting at second base to replace Logan Forsythe, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's confirming the assumed direction Tampa Bay would head after trading Logan Forsythe. Miller likely won't play much at first base after the Rays brought back Logan Morrison. Miller's lack of batting average and stolen base help deplete what he can offer fantasy players, but his credible power and run production remain useful, and he'll eventually add the keystone to his first base-outfield fantasy eligibility.

Ruf signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Korea Baseball Organization's Samsung Lions on Friday, Yonhap News Agency reports.

Ruf's impending departure opens up a spot on the Dodgers' 40-man roster. He'll make about double what he would've in the majors this year. Ruf holds a career .246/.305/.423 line in 833 MLB plate appearances, and will see if he can raise his future stock by playing overseas.

Lewis (knee) ran on flat ground for the first time since knee surgery Thursday, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

The top prospect had previously only ran on an anti-gravity treadmill, so this is a big point in his recovery process. With this development, Lewis appears to still be on track to a return to the field sometime in mid-July.