MLB Player News

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.

Pederson (personal) will start in left field and bat fifth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

Pederson was scratched from the lineup Tuesday against the Rangers after he left the team to attend to a personal matter, but he missed just a couple of days before returning to camp. Though he'll be drawing the start in left field Thursday, Pederson is expected to primarily serve as a designated hitter versus right-handed pitching once the regular season gets underway.

Carpenter (wrist) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The veteran was hit by a pitch in his spring debut, but he escaped with only a contusion and is now ready to return after a few days off. While he made three All-Star appearances with the Cardinals earlier in his career, at this stage Carpenter is in the twilight of his playing days and hoping to stick around throughout the season as a bench bat.

The Padres reassigned Seagle to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Seagle got the chance to make his MLB debut for the Padres in the final week of the 2023 season, with the 27-year-old logging one plate appearance as a backup catcher. He was outrighted off the 40-man roster following the season but remained in the San Diego organization and attended big-league spring training, though he was never a serious threat to crack the Padres' Opening Day roster. He'll likely open the 2024 campaign at Triple-A El Paso.

Garver went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in the Mariners' Cactus League tie with the Giants on Tuesday.

The offseason addition belted a Jordan Hicks offering in the first inning into the left field seats with Dylan Moore aboard to give Seattle an early 2-0 lead. The hit marked Garver's first in what was his second Cactus League game, and making it all the more impressive was it came off one of Hicks' signature triple-digit sinkers, per Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle. Garver drew the start at designated hitter, where he's expected to log nearly all his playing time in 2024.

Ohtani went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 9-6 Cactus League win against the White Sox.

Ohtani logged his first appearance as a Dodger and his first game action since undergoing elbow surgery last September. The two-way star's first at-bat was anticlimactic, as he struck out looking on three pitches, and he subsequently grounded into a double play in his second trip to the plate. However, Ohtani didn't disappoint in his final plate appearance, lofting an opposite-field homer off Dominic Leone in the fifth frame. With Ohtani now taking part in Cactus League contests, there should be no doubt that he'll be ready to play when the Dodgers kick off the regular season in South Korea on March 20 versus the Padres.

Pederson was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers due to personal reasons and will be away from the team for a couple days, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The specifics of the situation remain unclear, but Pederson isn't expected to be away for long. At this point, there's no reason to expect his availability to begin the season will be affected by the absence.