MLB Player News

Aranda has three extra-base hits and three walks across 17 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.

Aranda is in competition for a bench spot on the Rays' Opening Day roster, and he's made a solid case with his performance this spring. In addition to a .924 OPS, he's struck out only four times. Aranda struggled in limited playing time during his MLB debut in 2022, posting a .192/.276/.321 line across 87 plate appearances.

Noda is hitting .161 (5-for-31) with three doubles, one home run, four RBI, eight walks, a stolen base and five runs over 15 Cactus League games.

The Rule 5 pickup is being given a long look by the Athletics in spring training, and the results have been somewhat mixed. While the .161 batting average leaves plenty to be desired, four of Noda's five hits have gone for extra bases, and his eight walks are a positive. However, the 26-year-old has also struck out 17 times in his 39 plate appearances, an extension of the sub-par contact rates he's generated through the majority of a minor-league career that dates back to 2017. Noda does offer some welcome defensive versatility in addition to his power -- he has experience at first base and all three outfield spots -- so a rebuilding squad such as Oakland could potentially see value in keeping him on the Opening Day roster.

Vaughn is not in the lineup Friday versus the Cubs as he deals with general soreness, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Vaughn is considered day-to-day and said that he would have played in Friday's game if the contest counted. There appears to be little concern for his Opening Day status.

O'Hearn (knee) went through full baseball activities Friday and could be back in the Orioles' Grapefruit League lineup Saturday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

If he returns Saturday, he will have missed about a week of action with right knee soreness. O'Hearn has made a positive impression this spring when healthy and is still in the running for a roster spot.

O'Hearn's right knee MRI has come back negative, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.

The swelling and fluid in O'Hearn's knee has subsided and he was able to run on a treadmill Thursday. He considers himself ready to return to game action but will leave that decision up to the Orioles.

Naylor has gone 6-for-26 (.231) through 10 Cactus League games.

Naylor opted out of representing Canada at the World Baseball Classic to avoid aggravating his ankle, but he's seen plenty of playing time in spring training. The 25-year-old established himself with a .256/.319/.452 slash line, 20 home runs, 79 RBI, 47 runs scored and six stolen bases over 122 games last season. He's the Guardians' top first baseman this season, though Naylor and Josh Bell will likely share the duties at first base and designated hitter for much of the campaign.

Guerrero went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Making his return to the lineup after dealing with some knee soreness, Guerrero crushed a JT Brubaker pitch off the wall in left field to bring home Whit Merrifield in the third inning. Guerrero's minor injury cost him a chance to play in the WBC, but he doesn't seem to need much more work to be ready for Opening Day -- he's gone 4-for-13 this spring with two homers, plus Wednesday's double.

Pasquantino has gone 4-for-17 across four games for Italy at the World Baseball Classic.

Those are adequate numbers for Pasquantino, who is projected to be the Royals' primary first baseman this season. The 25-year-old was a bit better in four Cactus League games before leaving for the WBC, going 4-for-9 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and two walks. Overall, there's nothing to discourage fantasy managers from selecting Pasquantino in the later rounds of drafts after he slashed .295/.383/.450 with 10 home runs, 26 RBI and 25 runs scored across 72 games as a rookie a year ago.

Lester went 3-for-4 with two triples, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.

Lester had struggled earlier in the spring, but he's now hitting .387 (12-for-31) with four extra-base hits and nine RBI through 13 contests. He's gotten a long look so far, but the fact that the 28-year-old is on a minor-league deal and has just two major-league games under his belt presents a tough path to the majors.

Guerrero said Wednesday that with his recent knee injury behind him, he's open to rejoining Team Dominican Republic should they advance in the World Baseball Classic, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

A decision will be made after Guerrero has a conversation with Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider. It seems unlikely Toronto would clear their star to leave camp given he just returned from a knee injury which cost him nearly two weeks of action. It could also be a moot point, as the Dominican Republic needs to defeat Puerto Rico on Wednesday in order to advance.