MLB Player News

After Texas manager Bruce Bochy named Robbie Grossman's the team's primary left fielder, Miller appears destined for a platoon at designated hitter, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The lefty-hitting Miller, who had an .831 OPS against right-handed pitching from 2018-21, looks like an ideal complement to the right-handed hitting Grossman (career .698 OPS against righties), but that will not materialize early on. That leaves Miller to pick up any spare at-bats in left field when Grossman isn't in the lineup or sharing DH with catchers Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim. Miller battled a hip injury in 2022, posting a career-worst .590 OPS in 81 games. He could also get squeezed for playing time from Josh Smith, who offers similar positional versatility.

Lewis went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Sunday's spring game against Kansas City.

Lewis, who was delayed from playing Cactus League games while working to strengthen his legs, ran well while scoring from second base on a double to left field. "It was pretty much a full stride. He looked good. He looks like he's feeling good," manager Torey Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Lewis is in the mix for a final bench spot with Pavin Smith considered his most likely competitor.

Turner (face) will serve as the Red Sox's designated hitter and No. 3 batter in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Mac Cerullo of The North Andover Eagle-Tribune reports.

Turner is checking back into the Red Sox's starting nine for the first time since taking a pitch to the face in a March 6 game. Fortunately for Turner, he able to avoid any facial fractures, though he sustained a laceration that required several stitches and caused him to pause baseball activities for a few days. He was able to resume activity just over a week ago and made it through batting practice Friday without incident, so the Red Sox will be comfortable easing him back into the lineup in a non-defensive role. Turner is expected to see the majority of his starts out of the DH spot this season so long as Rafael Devers is healthy.

Beer was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Beer clubbed two home runs in 10 spring training games but hit just .231 and was unable to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 26-year-old played in 38 contests for Arizona last season and had a .189/.278/.243 slash line.

Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters Sunday that Alvarez (hand) could play in a Grapefruit League game next week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Baker said that Alvarez is currently ahead of Michael Brantley (shoulder) in terms of getting into a game. The Astros have a day off Monday before playing six games in the Grapefruit League, and Baker believes that the slugger could get into action in the middle of that stretch. There are still some obstacles to climb, but there's a very good chance that Alvarez will be ready for the start of the regular season.

Buxton went 3-for-3 with a double and a walk in a minor-league game Saturday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Buxton underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in late September, and the Twins are being very careful about easing him into action this spring. Twins management has said Buxton hasn't had any issues, but it's still encouraging to see him play in two games, even if they're just minor-league contests, in the past week. He'll likely play in a few major-league spring games before Opening Day.

Morel went 0-for-2 with a walk while striking out twice Saturday in a Cactus League game against the Giants.

Morel has gotten off to a rough start in Arizona, as the hitless game now has him slashing .216/.293/.418. The 23-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie campaign with 16 home runs and a .741 OPS over 379 at-bats, but he is likely to serve in a utility role for the 2023 campaign and isn't expected to provide fantasy significance to begin the year.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters that Jimenez will start Sunday in right field, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Jimenez is expected to primarily play as the designated hitter for the White Sox, but Grifol will give the slugger a chance to play in the outfield on occasion. The 26-year-old has gotten some reps in the field this spring even while away from the team, as he was able to play right field for Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic before they were eliminated.

Pederson went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's Cactus League loss to the Athletics.

Pederson struggled at the World Baseball Classic, going 1-for-9 with a double over three games with Israel. He's now back in Giants camp, and he's continuing with learning first base after starting there Friday. The 30-year-old is also likely to start primarily against right-handers while seeing time in the outfield and at designated hitter this season. Pederson is hitting .278 (5-for-18) across seven Cactus League games.

Turner (face) is set to return to the lineup as the designated hitter Monday against the Pirates, Mike Monaco of ESPN reports.

He will take batting practice on the field Saturday in advance of his return to Grapefruit League play. It will end up being exactly two weeks in between when Turner first suffered the hit-by-pitch to his face and when he makes his return. As a veteran and Boston's presumptive designated hitter, Turner won't need much spring action to get tuned up before Opening Day.