MLB Player News

Rizzo, who slotted in as the No. 3 hitter for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Padres, could hit there regularly this season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Willson Contreras batted second Wednesday and might do the same during the regular season, and manager David Ross has hinted that he will bat Rizzo third and Kris Bryant fourth. The Cubs have a strong lineup on paper, though a lot of their big names struggled in 2020. If they get back on track, Rizzo should be able to post strong numbers from the premium lineup spot.

Smith was scratched from Wednesday's spring lineup against the Marlins due to right wrist soreness, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith has apparently been dealing with a sore wrist throughout spring training, and the team opted to give him a day off Wednesday as a precautionary measure. Manager Luis Rojas didn't sound too concerned about the issue and said that Smith did some defensive work prior to Wednesday's game. Barring any setbacks, Smith could be back in the lineup in the coming days.

Smith was scratched from the lineup for Wednesday's spring game against the Marlins for an unspecified reason, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Smith was initially slated to play left field and bat fifth Wednesday. It's not yet clear whether his removal from the lineup is due to an injury, but Mallex Smith will take his place in the lineup against Miami.

Cabrera started at first base and went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's spring game against the Athletics.

The switch-hitting Cabrera swung the bat well from both sides of the plate, hitting the double off left-hander Jesus Luzardo and the homer of right-hander Burch Smith. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo hasn't set a defined role for Cabrera, whose multi-position ability and switch hitting could be useful in a variety of ways. Tuesday's game was his first spring start at first base. He also has starts at third base (four) and second base (three).

Beaty has been playing right field often this spring as he attempts to break camp with the Dodgers, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Beaty has started in right field only four times as a pro -- three times in the minors and once in 2019 with the Dodgers -- and he logged almost all his time in the field last season at first base. However, the organization strongly values versatility, so Beaty would benefit from showing that he can handle right field, even with Mookie Betts cemented at the position well into the future. Beaty is a serious contender for one of the team's final roster spots and may be earning the honor as much with his bat as with his versatility. Through 24 spring at-bats, he is hitting .292 with three RBI.

Alonso has gone 7-for-21 (.333) with three doubles and two home runs over his first nine Grapefruit League appearances.

The slugging first baseman saw his numbers tumble a bit last season in his second MLB campaign, but Alonso still posted a 162-game pace of 45 homers and 99 RBI. His batting average will always be volatile due to his strikeouts, but the 26-year-old's power potential remains elite.

Bell has gone 6-for-21 (.286) with three doubles and a home run over his first nine Grapefruit League appearances this spring.

The former Pirate has also flashed solid plate discipline with a 4:7 BB:K. Bell is coming off a disappointing 2020, but the Nats have the switch hitter set to hit in the heart of the order as their starting first baseman in hopes that he'll be able to rediscover the form that led him to 37 homers, 116 RBI and a .936 OPS in 2019.

Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two RBI in Monday's spring game against the Mariners.

Walker's hit three homers and knocked in six over eight Cactus League games. He experienced a drop off in 2020 but maintained a hard-hit rate from his breakout 2019 season.

The Dodgers optioned Raley to their minor-league camp Monday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Raley is expected to report to Triple-A Oklahoma City as he begins his second stint in the Los Angeles organization in 2021. The Dodgers -- who previously selected Raley in the seventh round of the 2016 first-year player draft -- reacquired him from the Twins last February, but he didn't get the chance to play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor-league season.

Cron went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's spring loss to the Rangers.

After a slow start to spring training, Cron has gotten into a rhythm at the plate over the last few games as he continues to compete for a starting job at first base. Across his past four games, Cron has gone 6-for-12 with two home runs, two doubles, four runs, three RBI and two strikeouts. The 31-year-old remains the favorite to serve as the primary first baseman for the Rockies to begin the season, even though Josh Fuentes has also had a strong spring.