MLB Player News

Torkelson went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Torkelson got off to a 3-for-18 start at the plate in spring training. Since then, however, he's gone 7-for-19 with two doubles, and Saturday's home run was his first in Grapefruit League action. Torkelson struggled as a rookie in 2022, but the talent is there for him to take a big step forward in his second MLB season, and he seems to be building some momentum as the team approaches Opening Day.

Calhoun is playing first base and hitting sixth for Saturday's Cactus League contest against the Guardians, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

As Brock notes, Calhoun has not played first base in an MLB game since 2015 when he was with the Angels. The veteran outfielder is trying to win a spot on the Seattle bench after signing as a non-roster invitee this winter, and the ability to play multiple positions would go a long way toward achieving that goal.

Kirilloff (wrist) played four innings at first base Saturday and went 0-for-2 in a minor-league game, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Kirilloff continues to make progress as he ramps up following surgery last August to shorten the ulnar bone in his right wrist and clean up scar tissue. His return to game action is a significant step and gives hope he'll be ready for the start of the regular season. Kirilloff has a minor-league option remaining, so the Twins could have him report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season in order to continue his ramp-up process rather than stashing him on the injured list if he needs more time.

Manzardo was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Rays on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manzardo was strong in his time in camp with the Rays, with a .280/.357/.600 slash along with two home runs over 28 plate appearances. Considered among the top prospects at the first base position, Manzardo will start 2023 in the upper levels -- possibly with Triple-A Durham -- and has a realistic path to playing for the Rays in 2023.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters Saturday that Vaughn is going to be out a few more days with lower back soreness, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Vaughn has been out of the lineup with what has been described as "general soreness," but Grifol offered more specifics Saturday. It sounds like the White Sox are taking precautions with the right-handed hitter, but it's obviously a situation to monitor for managers who have rostered or are considering a draft pick on the 24-year-old.

Dalbec will make his fourth consecutive start at shortstop Saturday, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

Dalbec is producing this spring but doesn't have an everyday home on the diamond. When a player goes 11-for-34 (.324) with three doubles, two triples and a home run, a manager will try to find spots. Dalbec has experience at first and third base and played some shortstop before. "Bobby's a great athlete," manager Alex Cora told Abraham. "He understands what he can do with his body and his internal clock is great. Off-balance throws, double plays... he understands the game and he's a good defender." The biggest question about Dalbec is if he can hit enough to maintain a steady role in the regular season. Over the last two seasons, Dalbec hit a combined .229 over 250 games.

O'Hearn (knee) is starting at first base and batting sixth Saturday against the Red Sox.

He missed a week with knee soreness but an MRI came back clean and this won't impact O'Hearn's ability to get a fair look at a roster spot as a non-roster invitee. O'Hearn is hitting .474 with one home run, three strikeouts and three walks in 19 at-bats this spring.

Abreu has gone 8-for-31 (.258) with two home runs and three doubles during Cactus League action.

Per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Abreu asked managed Dusty Baker to give him plenty of playing time this spring, and the skipper has obliged. As a result, the veteran first baseman looks just about ready for Opening Day. Abreu posted a .304/.378/.446 line across 679 plate appearances in 2022 and will be entering his first campaign not in a White Sox uniform.

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.