MLB Player News

Calhoun (knee) participated in baseball activities on a back field at training camp, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

This was Calhoun's first time on the field since he underwent right knee surgery March 3. The activity amounted to playing catch and taking swings in a batting cage. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Calhoun will not be ready for Opening Day and no timetable has been set for the outfielder's return. That opens an opportunity for several players to man right field early in the season. Daulton Varsho started in right field Wednesday, and non-roster invitee Trayce Thompson has made multiple starts there since Calhoun's surgery.

Dalbec hit a grand slam in his lone at-bat in Wednesday's spring game against the Twins.

Dalbec's power has been on full display this spring. The first baseman has five home runs and 12 RBI in 27 spring at-bats.

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.

Diaz is hitting just .188 (3-for-16) across eight spring games, but he's looked improved defensively after working on conditioning and agility this offseason, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Topkin notes Diaz made several impressive plays at third base during Tuesday's win, web gems he complemented with an RBI single as part of a seven-run second frame for the Rays. Diaz does have five RBI overall this spring despite just three hits, and he's continued to display a good eye at the plate with four walks and just two strikeouts (21 plate appearances).

Casas was reassigned to minor-league camp Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Casas was away from the team early in spring training to address a non-baseball medical issue, but he appeared in Grapefruit League games over the past week. The 21-year-old went 0-for-6 with one RBI, one walk and two strikeouts over four contests. He'll now head to minor-league camp before beginning the regular season in the minors.

Pratto is hitting .438 with three home runs, seven strikeouts and three walks in 19 plate appearances this spring.

Pratto had a brutal 2019 season, so the fact that he is making noise in big-league camp as a 22-year-old is really encouraging, even in a small sample. He will likely open the year at High-A or Double-A, and it will be worth tracking his performance to see if this big spring was indeed a sign of things to come. Pratto is an excellent defensive first baseman, so if he hits enough, he could profile as the team's long-term starter there.

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.

The White Sox have engaged Vaughn in discussions on a contract extension this spring, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Through 13 games in Cactus League play, Vaughn has impressed in his bid for an Opening Day roster spot, slashing .273/.385/.394 while striking out eight times in 33 at-bats. Though Vaughn has yet to make his MLB debut, the White Sox have already identified the 22-year-old first baseman as a core player. Rather than having to manipulate Vaughn's service time by keeping him in the minors to begin the season, the White Sox are hoping he's receptive to an extension that would grant him more financial security early in his career, albeit at a club-friendly price that would push back his free agency. Chicago was able avoid service-time games last year with another top prospect in Luis Robert -- who signed a six-year, $50 million deal with two club options prior to Opening Day -- but a similar deal for Vaughn isn't yet believed to be imminent. Expect negotiations with Vaughn to continue over the next two weeks, but if a deal can't be reached, he may end up waiting until the second half of April to debut with the White Sox.

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).