MLB Player News

Votto (COVID-19) hasn't yet played in a spring training game since rejoining the team on Sunday. His status for Opening Day remains up in the air, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The Reds haven't yet said when Votto will return to game action. "Let's get his legs underneath him and go from there," general manager Nick Krall said. "I can't give you a timetable. It affects different people in different ways."

Bell went 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The switch hitting slugger took Jake Odorizzi deep as part of a five-run first inning for the Nats. Bell has been locked in at the plate and is now hitting .385 (15-for-39) with five doubles and a team-leading five homers this spring. If he can carry that momentum forward into the regular season, a repeat of his massive 2019 first half could be in the cards.

Hiura went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's exhibition game.

Hiura went three weeks without a homer after going yard in the Brewers' spring opener, but he left the park twice Tuesday, and both times to the opposite field. Contact was a major issue for Hiura last year, and that has remained the case this spring, as he has hit just .235 and has struck out 13 times in 34 at-bats. Hiura is set to play first base this season, but in leagues where he remains 2B-eligible, he does offer some of the most upside in the counting-stat categories among players you can slot in at that position.

Walker went 2-for-3 with a double in Tuesday's spring game against the Mariners.

Walker squared up a couple of balls, ripping a double that nearly was a home run and a single that left the bat at 108 MPH. He's been raking the last week of the Cactus League, going 7-for-13 with three doubles, one home run and eight RBI over four games. After experiencing a power drop in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Walker is looking to return to his 2019 levels.

Calhoun (knee) has taken multiple batting practice sessions and is close to facing live pitching in a simulated game, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Calhoun could stand in the batter's box, take a normal at-bat, and strike the baseball but not run. The veteran outfielder is expected to open the season on the injured list. In the meantime, the Diamondbacks are auditioning several players to replace Calhoun in right field, including Tim Locastro, Pavin Smith, Trayce Thompson and Daulton Varsho.

Through 11 Grapefruit League games, Freeman has gone 3-for-23 with three singles and a 6:7 BB:K.

Freeman's 24.1 percent strikeout rate so far this spring is well above his marks from any of the past four seasons, but at this point, the sample is probably too small for fantasy managers to alter expectations for him as Opening Day approaches. The 31-year-old overcame a bout with COVID-19 last summer to take home MVP honors in 2020, so he's probably deserving of some benefit of the doubt for his lackluster start to the spring. Projected to hit third in an Atlanta lineup teeming with talent, Freeman looks to be a fairly safe foundational pick in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts.

Votto (COVID-19) has returned to the Reds training camp in Arizona, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Votto has less than two weeks to ramp back up and be ready for Opening Day. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, the 37-year-old officially remains on the COVID-19 injured list, but he can still appear in spring games before being activated. The Reds have used a wide variety of players at first base in Votto's absence, including Kyle Farmer, Cheslor Cuthbert and Alex Blandino.

Bell is slashing .367/.457/.900 through 30 Grapefruit League at-bats with a team-high four home runs and a 5:7 BB:K.

He's also added four doubles, and he's catching fire as Opening Day approaches, going yard in each of his last three games. Bell had a disappointing final year in Pittsburgh, but if he can return to his 2019 form in his first campaign with Washington, he could take a run at the 116 RBI he recorded that season with Trea Turner (career .353 OBP) and Juan Soto (career .415 OBP) ahead of him in the batting order.

Smith (wrist) will bat third and play left field Sunday against the Nationals.

Smith had been out of action since being scratched Wednesday due to wrist soreness. The issue never appeared to be particularly serious, however, and he still has plenty of time to get up to game speed by Opening Day.

Cron's contract was selected by the Rockies on Saturday.

Cron joined the Rockies on merely a minor-league deal this winter, but he always seemed likely to win the starting job at first base given the team's uninspiring alternatives. He needed to prove his health following August knee surgery, and he's done that this spring, hitting .324/.343/.618 through 12 games. Cron has averaged 27.4 homers per 600 plate appearances thus far in his career and could certainly surpass that mark this season with an everyday role in the league's most hitter-friendly park.