MLB Player News

Carpenter said Sunday that he plans to report to Triple-A Round Rock with the hope of earning a call-up to the Rangers down the road, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

After his production at the plate declined considerably over his final three seasons in St. Louis, Carpenter was forced to settle for a minor-league deal when he reached an agreement with the Rangers in March. The 36-year-old reworked his swing in the offseason with the hope of re-emerging as a big-league-caliber player, and though he wasn't rewarded with a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, he's optimistic that he'll eventually force the organization's hand by performing well at Round Rock. The affiliate is only a few hours away from Carpenter's offseason home in Fort Worth, which likely explains why the three-time All-Star is willing to slum it in the minors at this point in his career.

The Rangers informed Carpenter on Sunday that he won't be included on their Opening Day roster, independent baseball journalist Jeff Wilson reports.

Texas will likely formally reassign Carpenter to minor-league camp in the coming days, but it's unclear if a player with his level of experience in the majors will be willing to report to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the season. Since he swatted a career-high 36 home runs in 2018, the longtime Cardinals infielder's production fell off swiftly during his final three seasons in St. Louis, with Carpenter submitting a .671 OPS and 87 wRC+ over that stretch. Now 36 years old and with little defensive utility to offer at this stage of his career, Carpenter may struggle to get another look in the majors.

Belt (knee) struck out swinging in his two plate appearances Saturday and said it may take a few weeks for him to find his rhythm at the plate, Evan Webeck of the San Jose Mercury News reports.

He will have played at most three exhibitions games before Opening Day, and Belt hopes to play both Monday and Tuesday before determining his status for Opening Day. Belt only played in four spring training games last year and still set a career high with 29 home runs in 97 games, but he admitted that he's not where he'd like to be yet at the dish. The Giants are shorthanded, as LaMonte Wade and Evan Longoria are set to open the year on the injured list, so Darin Ruf, Wilmer Flores and Austin Slater could be set for more regular playing time early in the year.

Harper has crushed the ball this spring, hitting .346/.393/.846 with four homers in 10 games.

The only blemish on Harper's Grapefruit League line is a 42.9 percent strikeout rate, but he looks ready to go in every other way. Harper is coming off a season in which he won the NL MVP, hitting .309/.429/.615 with 35 homers and 13 steals. He should have even more chances for runs and RBI this season after the Phillies added Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber in free agency.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier this spring that Stanton is expected to play a "decent amount" of outfield this season, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Stanton didn't play the outfield at all in 2020 but logged 26 games there last season, so he's fantasy-eligible as an outfielder in most leagues. The slugger is almost certain to spend most of his time at DH again this season, which is a decision largely centered on keeping him healthy. From a fantasy perspective, the optimal scenario includes Stanton playing just enough games to retain outfield eligibility for 2023 while maintaining his health by working mostly as the team's designated hitter.

With Spencer Torkelson making the Opening Day roster, per Jason Beck of MLB.com, Cabrera will likely serve as the team's primary designated hitter this season.

Cabrera made 44 appearances at first base last season versus 83 starts at DH, and that split could get even more extreme in 2022 with Torkelson on board and set to play first most days. Cabrera may still fill in at first when Torkelson rests, but the veteran looks like he won't play the field very much unless injuries change the team's plans.

Miller started in left field and went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and a run scored in Friday's spring training game against the Giants.

Miller led off the game with a single then promptly stole two bases and scored on a throwing error. He's not expected to lead off for the Rangers -- that's Marcus Semien's job -- but Miller is expected to be the team's primary left fielder. He's also played some third base this spring, but Andy Ibanez is seen as the primary glove at the hot corner. The 32-year-old Miller has hit safely in all eight Cactus League contests, going 10-for-24 with three home runs, two doubles, six RBI, two stolen bases at six runs scored.

Rooker (shoulder) is starting Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Rooker will be back in action following a brief absence due to a right shoulder strain. It doesn't appear as though his injury will affect his status for Opening Day.

Buxton went 3-for-3 with two home runs in Friday's spring training win over Atlanta. He's hitting .407 (11-for-27) with four home runs this spring.

Buxton appears to be picking up right where he left off last season when he had a .647 SLG and a 1.005 OPS in 61 games. More importantly, he's fully healthy (he's played over 100 games just once in his career) as the regular season begins. He could be primed for a MVP-caliber season if he can figure out how to stay on the field.

Belt (knee) is starting Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt will make his first appearance in a spring game Saturday after dealing with knee inflammation to begin camp. It's not yet clear whether the 33-year-old will be ready to play by Opening Day, but it's encouraging that he's returning to game action late in spring training.