MLB Player News

McCutchen (Achilles) will make his spring debut Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The veteran has been slow-played this spring after a partial tear of his left Achilles' tendon ended his 2023 season. McCutchen said that he thinks his modified program in camp has helped get his body into a great spot. While he's not the player he once was, McCutchen showed early on last year that he still has something in the tank, posting an .823 OPS over the first two months.

While Canario may push for a reserve outfield role in camp, he's likely to start the season with Triple-A Iowa, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Canario gives the Cubs a potential option to mash against lefties, but he's still likely to begin the year in the minors. The 23-year-old made his MLB debut last season and appeared in six games, recording a double, a triple and a home run during that limited run. If Canario impresses at Triple-A, he may force his way into Chicago's plans at some point this summer.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said in an interview on MLB Network Radio on Monday that while he's been pleased with Morel's defensive work, the third base job is "not going to be solved in spring training."

Morel is going to get an extended look at the hot corner and may very well be the long-term answer there, but Counsell doesn't plan to make that decision based on what happens in spring training. Worth noting is that Morel's chief competitors at the hot corner, Nick Madrigal (leg) and Patrick Wisdom (quad), are both banged up. Ultimately, Morel figures to garner plenty of at-bats, whether that's mostly at third base, designated hitter or bouncing around to many positions.

Soler has gone 5-for-10 over four Cactus League games.

Soler was a little delayed getting into game action after signing with the Giants in mid-February. It hasn't slowed him down so far, as he looks to be the reliable middle-of-the-order bat the Giants expected. Soler hasn't logged an extra-base hit yet in the spring, but he's making good contact.

The Mariners reassigned Ravelo to minor-league camp Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

After signing an NRI deal with Seattle in the offseason, Ravelo appeared in just two games and logged one hit in four trips to the plate. Ravelo slashed .310/.428/.473 with 35 RBI with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate last year, and he may see time in the big leagues this season if his bat stays hot in the minors.

Vientos went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Starting at third base and batting fifth, the 24-year-old took Matthew Liberatore deep in the second inning for his first long ball of the spring. The Mets are looking for Vientos to take a step forward this season after he stumbled to a .211/.253/.367 slash line over 233 plate appearances in 2023 with a 30.5 percent strikeout rate, but it's not yet clear if he'll have a consistent spot in the lineup or split his time between third base and DH while also occasionally spelling Pete Alonso at first base.

Kjerstad has gone 2-for-14 over his first five Grapefruit League games.

That's not a good sign for Kjerstad, who is in the midst of a tough battle for a roster spot. The Orioles' starting outfield is set with Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander, and while the team could carry two extra outfielders, Jorge Mateo includes outfield in his portfolio as a utility player. Kjerstad will need to get his bat going to separate himself from competition like Colton Cowser and Kyle Stowers.

Buxton started in center field and went 0-for-2 with a walk in Friday's Grapefruit League win over Boston.

Buxton played center field for the second time in four days without issue, which is a sign the Twins are confident he's healthy as the regular season approaches. The plan is for the talented 30-year-old to be the team's primary center fielder in 2024 after he was a full-time designated hitter in 2023. Buxton underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in October in order to limit the chances of future flareups of the patella tendinitis that has kept him from playing in the field.

Jimenez is entering the 2024 season healthy and could occasionally play in right field, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Jimenez played 120 games in 2023, his highest mark since the 2019 season. However, he posted a career-worst .169 ISO while swatting only 18 home runs. Jimenez is set to hit free agency at the close of the season, so adding some defensive value back into his profile could help his cause on the open market.

McCutchen (Achilles) took swings and participated in defensive drills Friday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

McCutchen is coming off a partial Achilles tear and has yet to see action in Grapefruit League games, but it appears he's closing in on his spring debut. The 37-year-old re-signed with the Pirates after he posted a .775 OPS in 112 games last season and is poised to serve as the club's primary designated hitter in 2024.