MLB Player News

Cabrera may play third base during the Tigers' interleague games at the start of the season if Victor Martinez can play first base, reports Jason Beck of MLB.com.

It's an interesting option for manager Brad Ausmus, but we need to see how VMart's knee holds up during spring training. Cabrera may quickly get one- and five-game eligibility -- the Tigers have six games against National League foes in the first 10 days of the season.

Belt will not play much - if any - left field during spring training, CSN Bay Area reports.

The fact that the Giants aren't having Belt work on his outfield defense during spring training indicates they no longer view him as a viable backup option. While he is the club's starting first baseman, he logged 13 starts in left field last season with Buster Posey sliding over to first, usually against lefties. The signing of veteran outfielder Denard Span and the emergence of Jarrett Parker are presumably the reasons the club feels comfortable keeping Belt at his natural position. This news - if it sticks for the regular season - is a positive for San Francisco's defense, but a negative for any Belt owners in fantasy, as he will likely see 10-15 less games started this year.

Turner (knee) will be a full participant in the team's workouts, manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday, SB Nation's Eric Stephen reports.

While Roberts said Turner would be a full participant, he noted that the intensity might be tempered a bit as the Dodgers' third baseman works his way back from a offseason microfracture procedure. As spring training gets underway it should become clearer what limitations Turner faces initially, if any, but so far all of the news out of camp has been positive and he remains on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Reed, who was overweight when he arrived to spring training in 2015, looked noticeably slimmer when he arrived to Astros camp Monday, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports.

"I'm in a lot better shape this year than I was last year," Reed said. "I just don't think I really understood what I needed to do. It was my first offseason alone. You know, I wasn't at school (at the University of Kentucky) where they're kind of walking you through everything. I don't think I was really ready for that. It was something I had to learn from. This year, I had a really good idea of where I needed to be to be successful for the year." The 22-year-old will try to beat out Jonathan Singleton, Tyler White, Preston Tucker, Marwin Gonzalez and Luis Valbuena for the Astros' first base job during camp.

Brantley (shoulder) hopes to take some swings against live pitching soon, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. "There's a whole schedule laid out and I know we've got to go over it and kind of see how each day lines up. I'm not sure where we're going from here right now, but we should be starting to hit some baseballs here soon," Brantley said Monday.

Brantley remains optimistic about his chances of getting ready for Opening Day but the Indians are still preparing to open the season with him on the DL following November shoulder surgery. Taking some swings against live pitching is the next hurdle to clear as he works his way back.

Brantley (shoulder) has graduated to hitting off of a tee, and is still targeting Opening Day for his return, Jordan Bastain of MLB.com

While Brantley may still insist Opening Day is a possibility, WTAM 1100's Nick Camino notes that it's probably not a realistic goal. A breakout star in 2014, Brantley backed that up with another well-rounded 2015 campaign, derailed only by an injuries that limited him to just 137 games. Timetables for Brantley have generally ranged from mid-April to early May, but more clarity on the situation should come as the regular season approaches.

Winker is under consideration for the Reds' left field job this spring, though he's not the favorite. "I would not say he can't make the team," manager Bryan Price said Friday. "We know right now that we've got some guys competing for left field. I would say Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler and Yorman [Rodriguez] are probably -- I hate to say the favorites -- but they're guys we're looking at. They've done what they needed to do at the Triple-A level."

It's still very unlikely that Winker will win the job, even with a monster spring, because he's not on the 40-man roster yet and hasn't played at all in Triple-A. Given the Reds' presumed status as a non-contender this year, there's little reason to rush Winker's progression until he's absolutely beating the door down in front of him.

Brantley (shoulder) took the day off Thursday after his first day of non-contact swings Thursday, MLB.com reports. "He's doing really well, which is not a surprise. I hate to say he's ahead of schedule, because I don't think that's fair to him. He's got a lot of hurdles," manager Terry Francona said.

Brantley's timetable still has a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding it but it's encouraging to see that he's already taking some dry swings. Expect the Indians to take it slow with Brantley in the early weeks of spring training.

Cabrera went through a normal offseason this winter, starting his workouts following a three-week vacation at the end of the 2015 season, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Offseason ankle surgery entering 2015 and a calf injury during the year ultimately sapped Cabrera's power last season, holding him to just 18 home runs while he played at less than full health. As it stands, 2016 will mark the first time since 2013 that Cabrera enters spring training without an ailment to recover from. This winter, Cabrera focused his workouts on strengthening his legs, with the hope that he can return his power to a level more in line with his previous career norms.

Brantley (shoulder) took non-contact swings at the team's spring training facility Wednesday, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

This will probably be standard for Brantley over the coming weeks, as he is not expected to return from labrum surgery until late April or early May. That timetable is far from precise, and if he misses too much time, a fourth straight double-double season would be tough to accomplish. That said, he has hit above .284 in four straight seasons, so his reasonable floor is four months of a high average hitter who is hitting near the top of Cleveland's lineup.