MLB Player News

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen played four innings and went 0 for 2 on Tuesday against the Orioles in his return from a lower-body injury. 

"There was no sense pushing it," McCutchen said on Tuesday following his first game action since March 12, per MLB.com. "I'll make it worse when it counts. I wasn't worried about being ready for the season. That was never an issue."

McCutchen has made just 15 plate appearances this spring. He said he will play in minor-league games if he has to in order to be ready for the season.

"He's in a good place," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He said he felt good today. If he needs at-bats, we can get him six-to-eight a day in Pirate City. I don't have any concerns about him at all."

The Blue Jays have several unsettled roles on the roster and some, like the battle to start at second base, won't be decided until the end of spring training, MLB.com reports.

"There are some things we have a pretty good idea of right now," manager John Gibbons said Tuesday. "But yeah, for the most part, to be fair to some of the guys still involved and things like that, there will be a lot of things we won't announce until the end."

At second base, prospect Devon Travis has battled Ryan Goins and Steve Tolleson to start, but the team may favor Tolleson in a close battle with the infielder out of minor-league options.

"You like to keep guys around if you can," said Gibbons, speaking generally about options. "If two guys are equal and one is out of options, there's a good chance he's gonna stay. But that's not the overriding factor. You always weigh it, because everyone runs into depth problems."

Travis has impressed this spring, going 14 for 38 at the plate and smacking six doubles this spring.

"Every scout that's watched him play, and the guys in the Detroit organization that we've talked to, they all say this kid can flat-out play," Gibbons said. "You just watch. He's getting great results right now, but you just watch him in the box, this kid's got a great swing, a short stroke. He's got an idea up there. He's not just swinging, just letting it fly. You watch his defence, he looks great there, too. You've got to weigh all that."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is entering his fourth season in the majors at just 22 years old. He at times has shown the potential baseball folks have been raving about since he was a teenager, but he's also failed to fully live up to the hype. Although, durability issues have been a contributing problem for Harper, who has missed 106 games the last two seasons due to injuries.

Nationals manager Matt Williams talked Tuesday about what Harper needs to do to take his game to the next level.

"I want to see from Bryce a lot of consistency," Williams said, per MASNsports.com. "He shows that. He shows consistency. He's got the ability to walk. He's a good on-base guy -- traditionally, in his young career, he's been that.

"At the same time, I don't want him to feel pressure to do too much. If he can just be him, then it will be a great year for him. We are working on collectively his pitch recognition at the plate, making sure that we give him all the information we can possibly give him about the opponent. And just let him play. Year 4 is one thing but we have to also understand that he's only 22. He's still young, very young."

Andrew McCutchen returned to the lineup and is hitting third for the Pirates against the Orioles in Grapefruit League play on Tuesday, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. McCutchen was sidelined since March 13 due to lower body soreness. He has two hits in 12 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen will return to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Orioles, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Manager Clint Hurdle and general manager Neal Huntington have said they fully anticipate McCutchen being ready to play by Opening Day, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

"Andrew is at the point in his career he knows what he needs," Huntington said. "We've continued to make good progress, and we fully expect he'll be ready for Opening Day, barring any setbacks."

McCutchen has been sidelined since March 13 due to lower body soreness and has taken just 12 at-bats this spring. The center fielder is batting third Monday.

Miguel Cabrera made his spring debut in the Tigers lineup on Sunday, batting third and playing DH. 

Cabrera has missed most of the spring, rehabbing from ankle surgery. He went one for three on Sunday, with two strikeouts and a fly ball single to left. 

Afterward, manager Brad Ausmus said that Cabrera had a "better than 50 percent chance" of being ready by Opening Day, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press.

All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who has been out of action since March 13 with a lower-body injury is expected to return to action this week, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Manager Clint Hurdle said the Pirates "anticipate" McCutchen's return, which would be a welcome sight since the star has just 12 at-bats in five games this spring. 

Tigers first basemen Miguel Cabrera (ankle) and Victor Martinez (knee) will serve as the designated hitters for the team's two split-squad Grapefruit League games Sunday.

Neither player has seen Grapefruit League action this spring, though both were able to play on the minor-league side Saturday. Cabrera is returning from ankle surgery, while Martinez is working his way back from knee surgery. If they don't encounter a setback over spring training's final two weeks, both look headed for the team's Opening Day lineup.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said outfielder Andrew McCutchen (lower body) will go through baserunning progression on Sunday, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. 

"He's feeling better," Hurdle said.

McCutchen has been out since March 13. He has taken just 12 at-bats in five games this spring.

After getting three hits and a walk in five plate appearances in a minor league game, Miguel Cabrera is ready to play for the Tigers.

Cabrera returned to game action on Saturday after recovering from ankle surgery. 

Afterward, he said everything felt good and began campaigning for manager Brad Ausmus to put him in the starting lineup on Sunday, according to Detroit Free Press beat writer Anthony Fenech. 

After hitting and running the bases in the minor league game, Cabrera said he'd prefer to play first base on Sunday to keep his ankle loose.