MLB Player News
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Masataka Yoshida LF | BOS
Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida: Throwing, but not ready for field
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Yoshida (shoulder) threw out to 90 feet Tuesday but still has "a long way to go" before he's ready to play the corner outfield, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Coming off October surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, Yoshida is operating with no restrictions at the plate this spring, as he's made nine starts in Grapefruit League play as a designated hitter while producing a .321 average and .785 OPS over 28 plate appearances. However, because Rafael Devers (shoulders) won't be cleared to play third base before the end of the spring and appears set to open the season as Boston's primary DH, the Red Sox are unlikely to make room on the active roster for Yoshida if he's not an option in the outfield. Yoshida will likely continue to extend his throwing distance over the final week of the spring, but he appears ticketed for a stint on the injured list to begin the season. He'll presumably need to play left field in a few minor-league rehab games before the Red Sox are comfortable activating him.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Launches first homer of 2025
Ohtani went 1-for-3 with solo home run and two walks during Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Cubs in Tokyo.
After hitting a career-high 54 homers during the regular season in his first year as a Dodger in 2024, Ohtani didn't take long to deliver his first long ball of this season. The three-time MVP reached multiple times in each of the first two games of the season and has gone 3-for-8 with two walks, a double, a homer and three runs scored.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Scratched with sore thumb
Alvarez was scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Nationals due to right thumb soreness, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Alvarez banged up the thumb during batting practice Sunday, and while he played in the game that day, he arrived at the park Tuesday with some discomfort. Astros manager Joe Espada expects Alvarez to be ready to play Wednesday against the Mets.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Scores twice Opening Day
Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and a strikeout in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Cubs in Tokyo.
The Japanese superstar was unable to deliver a home run in the first official game back in his home country, but he still produced as a leadoff man in the season opener. Ohtani recently slowed his pitching progression in order to ramp up his preparations as a hitter for Opening Day, but he's still expected to join the starting rotation sometime in May. For now, the 30-year-old will continue to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter as he works his way back from November shoulder surgery.
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Jesse Winker DH | NYM
Mets' Jesse Winker: Nursing calf cramp
Winker exited Monday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Rays due to a calf cramp, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Winker's removal was precautionary, adding that the 31-year-old "should be OK." Winker -- who was retired in his lone plate appearance Monday -- is sporting an .805 OPS this spring and projects to open the season as the Mets' primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching.
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Yohel Pozo C | STL
Cardinals' Yohel Pozo: Sent to minor-league camp
The Cardinals reassigned Pozo to minor-league camp Monday.
Pozo received a late invitation to big-league camp but never made much of a push for a spot on the Opening Day roster with the Cardinals likely to begin the season with Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera as their catching tandem. The 27-year-old Pozo hasn't seen MLB action since 2021 with the Rangers and will likely spend the majority of the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Memphis.
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Joey Meneses DH | NYM
Mets' Joey Meneses: Dispatched to minor-league camp
The Mets reassigned Meneses to minor-league camp Monday.
Meneses has produced at a near-league-average level at the plate over parts of three seasons in the majors with the Nationals, slashing .274/.322/.408 with a 101 wRC+ across 1,210 plate appearances. The 32-year-old's power production dropped considerably in 2024, however, with Meneses slugging just three home runs in 313 plate appearances before the Nationals demoted him to Triple-A last July and kept him in the minors for the remainder of the season. He caught on with the Mets on a minor-league deal in the offseason, but Meneses' declining production and lack of defensive flexibility made it unlikely that he would win a bench role on the Opening Day roster. Meneses will likely open the season at Triple-A Syracuse, and it may take a Pete Alonso injury in order for him to get a look with the big club.
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Heston Kjerstad DH | BAL
Orioles' Heston Kjerstad: Pushing to maintain roster spot
Kjerstad went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit and is now batting .257 (9-for-35) with one home run, six RBI and one stolen base this spring.
The 2020 first-rounder appears to be on track for a bench role to begin 2025, but Kjerstad's most likely pathway to regular at-bats looks to be blocked at the moment by veteran slugger Ryan O'Hearn at designated hitter. With that said, O'Hearn has gone just 4-for-30 with a lone extra-base hit during spring training, and he could start to feel Kjerstad nipping at his heels for work at some point if his struggles carry into the regular season. Kjerstad could be hard-pressed to find reps in the outfield early on, with Colton Cowser going 12-for-31 with two homers, six RBI and two steals in exhibition action.
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Mitch Garver DH | SEA
Mariners' Mitch Garver: Back in action Saturday
Garver (hand/wrist) went 0-for-2 with one walk in his return to the lineup during Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres.
After being hit in the hand by a pitch in Monday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Garver was back in action Saturday as the cleanup hitter. The veteran slugger has excelled this spring, batting .400 (8-for-20) with three home runs and six RBI. With Mitch Haniger dealing with a shoulder injury, Garver is mainly competing with Donovan Solano for at-bats as Seattle's primary designated hitter.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Now working through calf issue
Manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday that Stanton is working through a calf injury in addition to tennis elbow in both arms, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.
Stanton has returned to Yankees' spring training camp after traveling to New York on Monday to receive a third round of platelet-rich plasma injections in his elbows. His most recent calf injury was called "fairly minor" by Boone, but it's yet another issue that Stanton will need to rehab through. The tennis elbows are the more pressing and severe issue, and it's possible that Stanton undergoes surgery and miss the entire 2025 season.