MLB Player News

Voit re-signed Monday with the Brewers on a one-year deal that includes a club option for 2024, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Voit technically opted out of his minor-league contract with the Brewers over the weekend, but his return seemed likely after the team informed Keston Hiura that he wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. With Milwaukee officially designated Hiura for assignment Monday, the Brewers will now formally add Voit to the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster. The 32-year-old should play regularly against left-handers and will get a little action versus righties, too, on days Jesse Winker plays the outfield.

The Brewers designated Hiura for assignment Monday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Hiura was told Friday that he wouldn't be a part of the Opening Day roster and now he's been dropped from the team's 40-man roster. The former top prospect for Milwaukee has never really clicked at the major-league level, most recently batting .226 with a career-high 41.7 percent strikeout rate over 234 at-bats in 80 games last season. Hiura will now either be claimed by another team, remain with Triple-A Nashville or be released outright. Considering the fact that he's only 26 years old, it's unlikely that he wouldn't draw interest from another team.

The Phillies optioned Clemens to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday.

Clemens and Scott Kingery were among the players Philadelphia sent to minor-league camp in the latest round of roster cuts, moves that likely ensure that Dalton Guthrie and Jake Cave have claimed the final bench spots on the team's Opening Day squad. After being acquired from the Tigers this offseason in a five-layer deal, Clemens made a big impression in his first spring with the Phillies, producing a 1.002 OPS while stealing three bases over 19 games. His ability to play multiple spots in the infield as well as both corner-outfield spots should put him near the top of the list for a call-up if the Phillies' position-player depth is tested at any point.

Dixon was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Dixon's contract was selected by the Padres late in the 2022 campaign, but he'll begin this season in the minors. He slashed .371/.447/.866 with 13 homers, 32 RBI, 24 runs and three stolen bases over 25 games at the Triple-A level last year, and he'll be a candidate to be called up if the Padres need additional depth at some point this year.

Marlins general manager Kim Ng said Sunday that Gurriel "should be there on Thursday," implying his contract will be selected prior to the Marlins' season opener with the Mets that day, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

After drawing limited interest in free agency this winter, Gurriel settled for a minor-league deal with Miami in March and showed well enough in his limited time in the Grapefruit League to earn a spot on the Marlins' big-league roster. The 38-year-old struggled mightily in 2022 with a .242/.288/.360 slash line over 584 plate appearances, but he led all of baseball with a .319 average in 2021. Though he may be able to bounce back in the batting-average department in 2023 if he can stave off any major decline in the career-worst 12.5 percent strikeout rate he sported a season ago, Gurriel's advancing age, paucity of power and poorer team context with the move from Houston to Miami may limit his fantasy appeal largely to NL-only formats.

Higgins was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Higgins joined Arizona as a non-roster invitee in January and was unable to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster despite a .913 OPS during spring training. Jose Herrera is poised to begin the season as the backup catcher behind starter Gabriel Moreno, but Higgins could still find himself in the mix at some point with Carson Kelly out with a fractured forearm.

Cron (back) will start at first base and bat cleanup in Sunday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Reds.

Cron will check back into Colorado's spring lineup for the first time since March 14 after a bout with back spasms prompted the club to exercise caution with him over the past two weeks. The veteran first baseman apparently checked out fine after hitting high-velocity pitching Saturday, so the back issue shouldn't be anything that hinders him at the plate moving forward.

Votto (shoulder/biceps) said prior to Saturday's Cactus League game that he could open the 2023 season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "I just want to make sure I'm clear: This is a performance-based game," Votto said. "You have to do your job. And I can't come back early, tank and embarrass our organization. I have to come back, perform well and be healthy."

Votto has been able to play for two weeks in the Cactus League after recovering from a torn rotator cuff and left biceps surgery that ended his 2023 season. As Nightengale notes, however, Votto is still in the process of reaching enough at-bats and defensive innings to feel comfortable enough for the beginning of the season. Votto should thus be in line for a short stint on the IL if he isn't cleared to break camp with the big club, but the assumption that he would be ready for the start of the season may have been slightly premature.

Cron will hit against a high velocity pitching machine before Saturday's Cactus League game, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

It's another step in the right direction for Cron, who has missed most of the spring while dealing with back spasms. The slugger also went through workouts Friday before the contest, and he appears to be on the right track towards getting on the field for the Rockies before Opening Day. A trip to the injured list to begin the season cannot be ruled out yet, however.

Batten was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.

Batten was fighting for a bench spot but won't break camp in the big leagues. The 27-year-old hit .105/.227/.158 in 22 MLB plate appearances as a rookie last year but posted an .840 OPS at the Triple-A level.