MLB Player News

McCutchen (elbow) made throws to bases over the weekend in Pirates camp, CJ Haddad of MLB.com reports.

McCutchen was limited to DH duties over the final stretch of the Grapefruit League schedule because of soreness in his right elbow, but he told reporters Monday that he expects to be able to play some outfield when the regular season gets underway. "It's all good," McCutchen said. "I'm fine. I'll be good. No worries."

Manager Mark Kotsay said Monday that Rooker earned a spot on Oakland's Opening Day roster, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 28-year-old bounced around from the Twins to the Padres to the Royals last season before being claimed off waivers by the A's in November, and he's now claimed a spot on Oakland's Opening Day roster after he finished spring training with a .906 OPS. Rooker has a .668 OPS in 81 career big-league games, and he's likely to begin the campaign on the short side of a platoon in left field with Conner Capel.

General manager Dana Brown stated Monday that Brantley (shoulder) isn't expected to make his 2023 debut until mid-to-late-April, Michael Connor of Sports Talk 790 reports.

Brown noted that the club's initial expectation was for Brantley to take the field in mid-April, but he's already a week or so behind that target date. The GM mentioned that the veteran outfielder has been hitting and getting his necessary days off, and the squad has no intention of rushing him back before he's ready. An update on Brantley's timeline should arrive as he gets closer to seeing live at-bats, likely in a minor-league setting.

Reyes is likely to make the Opening Day roster for the Royals out of spring training, Anne Rogers of MLB.com notes.

Reyes was brought in on a minor-league contract in February by the Royals after struggling mightily in 2022 with both the Guardians and Cubs. The 27-year-old has hit well in the Cactus League as seen in a 1.112 OPS and three homers over 43 plate appearances with the club. Reyes will likely see reps as a designated hitter if/when he does become a part of the big-league roster to open 2023 with an occasional start or two in the outfield as well.

Hummel is part of the Mariners' Opening Day roster, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old Hummel finished spring training with walks across each of his last three plate appearances Sunday and Monday, capping a strong body of work in Cactus League play that included a .275/.420/.675 line across 50 plate appearances. Kramer notes Hummel's versatility -- he's capable of filling in at catcher and the corner outfield spots -- helped seal his spot on the Opening Day roster, although his offensive contributions certainly may have put him over the top.

Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters before Monday's exhibition against Triple-A Sugar Land, Michael Connor of Sports Talk 790 in Houston reports.

While Alvarez is scheduled to play the whole game, Baker cautions that might change because the team did not get back to Houston on Monday until after 3am. Whether he plays the full game or not, Alvarez looks like he's a full-go for the regular season which begins Thursday against the White Sox.

Morel was optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Morel hit four home runs but also struck out at a rate in excess of 40 percent this spring, perfectly encapsulating the good and bad parts of the 23-year-old's game. He remains talented and will be given a chance to play every day at Iowa, but Morel will probably have to start making more contact in order to get another long look with the Cubs.

Torrens is expected to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes will be 1B and 1B at catcher for the Cubs, but the team wants to keep Torrens around as a third catcher and designated hitter option. The 26-year-old has a 1.172 OPS with two homers this spring but has just a career .642 OPS over parts of five major-league seasons.

Belt (illness) will serve as Toronto's designated hitter and cleanup batter in Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Phillies.

Belt is back in the lineup after being scratched from the starting nine in both of the past two days due to a non-COVID-19-related illness that has been described as a stomach bug. Though the 34-year-old is likely to see limited action against left-handed pitching this season and may frequently sit out day games after night games, he's expected to be the Blue Jays' preferred cleanup hitter versus right-handed pitching when healthy.

The Mets will designate Ruf for assignment Monday, a source tells Joel Sherman of The New York Post.

Ruf's removal from the 40-man roster comes after he mustered a lowly .413 OPS in 74 plate appearances for the Mets last season upon coming over in a deadline deal with the Giants. He then continued to struggle in Grapefruit League play this spring, batting just .167 in 35 plate appearances while also managing a wrist issue. Though Ruf has been an above-average contributor at the plate over parts of eight seasons in the majors (110 wRC+), his prolonged slump and lack of defensive flexibility may be enough to deter teams from putting in a waiver claim for the 36-year-old, who has $3.25 million remaining on his contract. With Ruf moving off the 40-man roster, the Mets are now likely to include outfielder Tim Locastro on their Opening Day squad.