MLB Player News

Martinez could consent to being optioned to Triple-A Syracuse until the Mets decide he's ready to take over as their everyday designated hitter, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

While Martinez has options remaining, because he has accrued so much service time he would have to consent to being sent down to the minors. It sounds like he would be willing to do that in an effort to get up to speed after missing most (if not all) of spring training. Mark Vientos -- who appears out of a job once Martinez is ready -- could be used as the Mets' DH initially.

Vientos is likely to have a diminished role to begin the season after the Mets agreed to a contract with J.D. Martinez on Thursday, which was reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The 24-year-old appeared poised to open the season as a lineup regular between designated hitter and third base, but Martinez's signing a week before Opening Day significantly alters that outlook. Vientos has clubbed four homers during spring training but hit just .217 and struck out 17 times in 54 plate appearances. The right-handed bat of Vientos may now begin the campaign in the short side of a platoon at the hot corner with the lefty-hitting Brett Baty, but starting the season in the minors is also possible.

Ford went 2-for-3 with a walk and two solo home runs in Thursday's spring game against the Mariners.

Ford extended his hit streak to seven games, during which he's 13-for-24 with three homers and seven RBI. He's hit safely in nine of 10 Cactus League games and struck out just three times over 33 at-bats. That's he's still around in camp is a positive sign for his chances of making the 26-man roster. Ford is limited to first base defensively, but the Reds are down a corner infielder while third baseman Noelvi Marte serves an 80-game suspension, with Jeimer Candelario expected to replace Marte at the hot corner. Cincinnati manager David Bell typically makes a point to have multiple utility players on his roster, but with a third of the projected Opening Day roster sidelined -- in addition to Marte, Matt McLain (shoulder) and TJ Friedl (wrist) will not be available -- Ford could provide experience behind Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base, leaving Jonathan India and Spencer Steer to shuffle around to other positions.

Martinez signed a one-year deal worth $12 million with the Mets on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The Mets have reportedly been in talks with Martinez for much of spring training, and he'll now join the team on a short-term deal. He should serve as the team's primary designated hitter, cutting into the playing time of Mark Vientos and potentially Brett Baty. Martinez is entering his age-36 season, but he has maintained a wRC+ of at least 119 in each of the last three campaigns and adds another quality bat to the middle of the Mets' lineup.

Jimenez was diagnosed with a right foot contusion Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez fouled a ball off his foot during Wednesday's spring training game but is officially listed as day-to-day, so his foot is unlikely to impact his availability for Opening Day. Jimenez has looked solid during Cactus League action, slashing .348/.375/.500 with 12 RBI through 48 plate appearances.

Stanton went 3-for-3 with three home runs and eight RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

After slimming down over the winter, Stanton got off to a rather slow start to spring training, but he flipped the narrative with one huge offensive performance. He hit a grand slam among his three homers, and with three swings of the bat, he improved his Grapefruit League line from .250/.314/.406 to .314/.359/.714. It's nice to see his trademark power is still there, but durability remains a major concern given Stanton has fallen short of 400 plate appearances each of the past two seasons.

The Tigers reassigned Madris to minor-league camp Thursday.

Madris had a 1.219 OPS with two home runs this spring, but there's no room for him in the Tigers' outfield picture. He'll give them some depth at Toledo with major-league experience.

Ohtani is not currently facing discipline nor is he believed to be under active investigation by the league in relation to his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, being fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following accusations of "massive theft," Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani's camp is accusing Mizuhara of using the player's money to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker under federal investigation. It's a strange and developing situation -- one that could affect Ohtani's fantasy draft position this weekend -- though Ohtani is playing Thursday in the second game of the Seoul Series against the Padres as expected. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declined to comment on the matter before the game.

Rooker went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and an additional run in a Cactus League tie with the Rangers on Tuesday.

The taste of offensive success, which was highlighted by a sixth-inning homer with Zack Gelof and JJ Bleday aboard, was a much-needed respite from Rooker's spring struggles. The 29-year-old's round tripper was his first since Feb. 27, and he now has back-to-back two-hit efforts after a 2-for-21 funk that had encompassed his previous eight games.

Ohtani went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base in the Dodgers' 5-2 victory over San Diego in South Korea on Wednesday.

Ohtani's first plate appearance as a Dodger ended anticlimactically with a fielder's choice grounder, but the team's free-agent prize made an impact later in the contest, singling and stealing a base in the third inning and driving home a run with another single in the eighth. There should be plenty of opportunities for the slugger to produce this season while batting second in the order between Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and Wednesday's game suggested that he won't be held back on the bases when he gets onboard. Ohtani swiped 20 or more bags in two of the past three seasons and is a good candidate to reach that mark again this year.