MLB Player News

Manager John Schneider said Thursday that Belt (knee) is about a week away from making his Grapefruit League debut, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Belt is considered fully recovered from last September's knee surgery but is still being eased into things this spring. The Blue Jays don't believe he needs many Grapefruit League at-bats to prepare for the season, so he remains on track for Opening Day.

Choi (elbow) will serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth against the Yankees on Thursday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

The 31-year-old will be making his first start of the spring and his Pirates debut after undergoing surgery in November to remove a bone fragment from his right elbow. Choi was traded in the offseason after slashing .233/.341/.388 with 11 homers in 113 games with the Rays last season. Health permitting, he should start against most right-handed pitchers to begin 2023.

Ohtani is in Japan to prepare for the World Baseball Classic, Ben Verlander of Fox Sports reports.

Ohtani made his spring pitching debut for the Angels on Tuesday, hurling 2.1 scoreless innings against Oakland and allowing no hits and two walks while striking out two batters. He made his way back to his native country soon thereafter, and he'll now shift his focus to helping Japan vie for the WBC title. The tournament will take place from March 8 to March 21, so Ohtani will likely be away from the Angels for the next several weeks.

Alvarez (hand) "should definitely be back for Opening Day," Astros general manager Dana Brown told the ESPN broadcast Tuesday, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle.

"We feel totally confident that he'll be in games sometimes midway through (spring training)," Brown added. Alvarez is currently shut down from swinging a bat due to renewed soreness in his left hand similar to what he dealt with in both hands last season. While it sounds like he won't get into any Grapefruit League games for a couple weeks, it does not appear the nagging injury will prevent him from being available come Opening Day.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Lewis (legs) is expected to make his spring training debut "by the weekend," Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The manager said Lewis has been dealing with leg fatigue, likely the result of numerous knee problems during his major-league career. The outfielder was the AL Rookie of the Year while with the Mariners in 2020 but has done little since.

Horwitz (undisclosed) will start at first base and bat second in Monday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Horwitz came off the bench and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League opener Saturday, but he'll now get the chance to make his first start of the spring. The 25-year-old concluded the 2022 campaign on injured list at Triple-A Buffalo due to an unspecified injury, but he looks like he's back to full health following the offseason. Horwitz slashed .246/.361/.363 across 202 plate appearances in his first taste of Triple-A following his midseason call-up from Double-A New Hampshire in 2022.

Ruf (wrist) took batting practice in an indoor cage over the weekend and is expected to move up to live batting practice in the next couple days, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 36-year-old slugger got a cortisone shot in his right wrist last week after reporting some soreness as he was ramping up his activity level. Ruf is expected to be fully healthy by Opening Day, but he'll likely be limited to a platoon role this year, getting some starts at DH and being used as a pinch hitter against left-handed pitching.

Brantley (shoulder) will take batting practice on the field Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It's a significant step for the 35-year-old, as it will be his first session of batting practice since he underwent surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder back in August. Brantley still has some work to do in his rehab program before progressing to game action, but barring any setbacks he appears on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that Alvarez (hand) has yet to start swinging a bat, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 25-year-old was plagued by soreness in both his hands throughout last season and continues to have issues with his left hand early in spring training. It's unclear when Alvarez is expected to be cleared for swings, and he'll likely need at least a couple days of using a bat before being cleared for game action.

Blackmon (knee) is batting leadoff as the designated hitter in Sunday's spring game against the Brewers, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Blackmon ended the 2022 campaign on the injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee, but he's ready to go early in spring training for the Rockies. The 36-year-old had a .264/.314/.419 slash line with 16 home runs and 78 RBI in 135 games last season, and he should serve as Colorado's primary designated hitter this year, which is the final season of his contract.