MLB Player News

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.

Kirilloff is hitting .136 (3-for-22) with a home run this spring, and Brent Rooker has started in left field the last two spring-training games when the Twins used the majority of their projected Opening Day lineup, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

He also has seven strikeouts and one walk in nine spring games. Kirilloff, the 15th overall pick in the 2016 draft, is the leading candidate to take over the starting job in left field after the departure of Eddie Rosario, but the Twins may choose to have him begin the season at Triple-A. The Twins have said they're open to Kirilloff being on the Opening Day roster, and Rooker's playing time the last two days may not be a meaningful sign. However, the Twins could use his slow spring as an excuse to send him to the minors for three weeks so they can gain an extra year of service time. A decision on whether to send Kirilloff to the minors may not happen until late in spring training.

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.

The Rays optioned Padlo to their minor-league camp Tuesday.

Padlo is expected to report to Triple-A Durham, where he finished the 2019 season after receiving a promotion from Double-A Montgomery. Over his 40 games at Durham, the corner infielder slashed .290/.400/.595 with nine home runs across 155 plate appearances.

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.

Casas went 0-for-2 in Sunday's spring game against the Twins.

Casas, who was away from the team to address a non-baseball medical issue, made his Grapefruit League debut Sunday. He played both corner infield positions. He may get a few more plate appearances, but the highly regarded prospect will start the season in the minors.