MLB Player News

Naylor went 1-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's split-squad game against the Athletics.

After going hitless in his Cactus League debut, Naylor has hit in eight consecutive games and is 11-for-24 (.458) with four doubles and three RBI on the spring. He may not be able to replicate the defense of three-time Gold Glove winner Christian Walker, Arizona's starting first baseman in 2024, but Naylor's bat is expected to replace the production lost when Walker signed with Houston this offseason.

The Giants reassigned Eldridge to minor-league camp Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He was one of a host of cuts the Giants made Wednesday. Eldridge managed to make it all the way to Triple-A Sacramento in 2024 as a 19-year-old (he's 20 now), so he's just a step away from the big leagues. However, it's not a surprise that he's a relatively early cut from major-league camp, as the top prospect could still use a little development. A debut at some point in 2025 is in play for Eldridge.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Horwitz (wrist) is expected to progress to hitting off a tee by this weekend or early next week, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Horwitz is currently taking dry swings as he works his way back from right wrist surgery and will take another step forward in his progression soon. He will not be ready for Opening Day, but a return sometime in April is possible. Once healthy, Horwitz is projected to serve as the Pirates' primary first baseman.

Olson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

He went back-to-back with Austin Riley in the first inning off Marcus Stroman. The blast was Olson's second of the spring in 13 at-bats, and the 30-year-old first baseman will look to rebound this season after what was by his standards a disappointing 2024 campaign in which he produced "only" 29 homers and 98 RBI.

Freeman started at first base in Sunday's Cactus League win over the White Sox and went 1-for-2 with a solo home run.

Freeman entered camp behind other Dodgers position players after undergoing an ankle procedure in early December, and he didn't begin running until Feb 20. The veteran first baseman made his spring debut Feb. 26, though he was relegated to DH duties in his first two Cactus League games. However, Freeman was able to play the field Sunday and didn't seem to be bothered by the ankle -- in fact, he recorded the first out of the contest on a groundball that he fielded cleanly before jogging to the bag. His bat has also looked great so far this spring, as Freeman has gone 3-for-8 with a pair of home runs through three games.

Bell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Bell took Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning for his first long ball of the spring. The 32-year-old slugger is expected to be the regular DH for the Nationals this season while backing up Nathaniel Lowe at first base, and Bell posted the best numbers of his career during his first stint with Washington in 2021-22, slashing .278/.363/.483 over 247 games with 41 homers and 145 RBI.

Hoskins went 3-for-3 with two home runs and two RBI in Saturday's spring game.

Hoskins homered in his first appearance of the spring and put two more long balls on the board Saturday. He remains the top option at first base for the Brewers and will be looking to bounce back in both the batting average and OPS departments after posting career-low .214 and .722 marks, respectively, in those categories in 2024.

Freeman (ankle) will start at first base and bat third in Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Freeman's previous two spring training starts had come as a designated hitter, but he'll return to his familiar post at first base now that he's resumed full defensive work following offseason surgery to remove loose bodies from his right ankle. The 35-year-old is on track to man first base in both of the Dodgers' games in the season-opening series versus the Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19. Manager Dave Roberts said earlier in the spring that he plans to deploy Freeman as the Dodgers' full-time No. 3 hitter in 2025, which should lead to plenty of RBI opportunities while he slots behind Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts.

Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Padres.

Encarnacion-Strand led off the second inning with a solo home run, his second blast of the Cactus League. He's looking to put an injury-marred 2024 in the past; the 25-year-old corner infielder was limited to just 29 games by a wrist injury last season. While the Reds are using Encarnacion-Strand and others at both corner infield spots, he appears to be the team's expected starter at first base.

Manager Terry Francona said Saturday that Steer (shoulder) could begin the season on the injured list, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Steer was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Padres due to his injured shoulder, and he elected to receive a cortisone shot after an examination, per Wittenmyer. This will force the 27-year-old to pause all activities for the next few days, and there's no telling at this point how long it will be before he's cleared to play in games.