MLB Player News

Turner went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's spring game against Atlanta.

Turner returned to action earlier this week after recovering from facial injury. He's played in three games and appears to be ready to go for Opening Day.

Ramirez (finger) is in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

A pitch off his left pinkie finger forced Ramirez from Wednesday's exhibition game. However, the Rays said his removal was precautionary and Ramirez's quick return to action confirms that it was a relatively minor issue. Ramirez, who is 5-for-16 this spring without an extra-base hit, projects to be in the middle of the lineup on a regular basis for Tampa Bay.

Ohtani struck out eight over four innings in a minor-league start against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Ohtani allowed four hits in the contest, with one of those being a homer by Gavin Conticello. He threw 78 pitches in the contest while issuing one walk along with the aforementioned eight strikeouts. Ohtani is scheduled to start Opening Day against the Athletics on Thursday, and the 2021 AL MVP should again be a two-way stalwart for the 2023 season.

The Mariners reassigned Ford to minor-league camp Friday.

Ford put together a decent spring training, going 5-for-25 at the plate with six RBI. He will likely return to Triple-A for 2023, where he slashed .248/.380/.363 over 137 plate appearances last season with four different organizations.

Ohtani is set to start Opening Day against the Athletics on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Although many of his fellow World Baseball Classic participants are taking their time ramping up their activities ahead of the regular season, Ohtani will toe the rubber in the season opener fresh off a WBC championship win with Japan. The uber-talented 28-year-old produced a impressive 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 219 strikeouts over 166 innings in 28 starts with the Angels last season, in addition to his exploits as a hitter.

Blackmon (back) will get at-bats in a minor-league game Friday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon has dealt with a back issue for the last two weeks but it doesn't seem to be a major concern. The veteran figures to try to get into another Cactus League game or two before camp breaks and is expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Alvarez went 0-for-3 in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Alvarez took his first official at-bats of the exhibition season after dealing with a hand injury for much of camp, which was similar to the hand issues he played through last year. While he was hitless, he managed to make loud contact on a few balls that traveled deep to center field. Most importantly, Alvarez made it out of the game healthy and will turn his focus toward Opening Day.

Alvarez (hand) is in left field and batting leadoff for the Astros in Thursday's Grapefruit League game versus the Nationals, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It will be the spring debut for Alvarez, who has been slowed by nagging soreness in his left hand. He's in the leadoff spot presumably in hopes that he can get in an extra plate appearance before calling it a day. Alvarez is working with a tight window to knock the rust off, but the expectation is that he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Morel hit his second home run in as many days and fourth of the spring in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics.

Morel is batting only .244 in Cactus League action, though the power display has been impressive in 41 at-bats. The 23-year-old hit 16 home runs across 379 at-bats as a rookie last season, but he again struggled to make consistent contact with a .235 batting average. Morel could be a utility option for the Cubs this year, and while the playing time might not always be there, his combination of power and speed could make him interesting at some point.

Ramirez said he's fine after taking a pitch off his left pinkie in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ramirez was pulled from the contest, but he managed to avoid any sort of significant injury. The 28-year-old is set to once again fill a semi-everyday role for the Rays in 2023 between designated hitter, first base and the corner outfield. He slashed .300/.343/.404 over 435 plate appearances in 2022 but finished with only six homers and three steals.