MLB Player News

Goldschmidt (elbow) was spotted taking part in fielding drills during the Cardinals' workout Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

As an established veteran, Goldschmidt may be eased into game action during the Grapefruit League slate, but his presence on the field for the start of spring training suggests he's made a full recovery from the offseason procedure he required to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. The 33-year-old doesn't provide much value as a base stealer these days, but he's nonetheless been a rock-solid fantasy option at first base through his first two seasons in St. Louis, and that's unlikely to change in 2021. Expect him to slot in the heart of the order of a Cardinals lineup that could be improved this season after the addition of Nolan Arenado earlier in the winter.

Texas manager Chris Woodward said it's possible that both Lowe and Ronald Guzman make the Opening Day roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

When the Rangers acquired Lowe, it was presumed the organization was moving on from Guzman. However, that was before Guzman earned MVP honors in the Dominican Winter League. Woodward said there's a world where both first basemen can break camp with the Rangers, but that would mean both have a strong spring training. In that event, the Rangers could use Lowe at third base, where he's appeared six times for Tampa Bay and another five times while in the minors.

Vaughn took his first batting practice of training camp Monday, Lamond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Vaughn is the latest White Sox prospect entering spring training with buzz. In 2019 it was Eloy Jimenez and last year Luis Robert was the toast of camp. Both of those players cemented full-time roles in the lineup, and now Vaughn begins his competition for the open designated hitter job. The 2019 third overall draft pick hasn't played above High-A, but decision-makers in the organization feel he's ready to hit MLB pitching.

Arizona general manager expects Cabrera to provide at-bats against left-handers, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks added the veteran infielder, who can play third base and second base, to balance a lefty-dominant lineup. The general manager doesn't believe Cabrera's presence will prevent giving playing time to younger infielders, while he'll provide an established clubhouse presence. One obvious role for the 35-year-old is to start at third base against left-handers, with Eduardo Escobar sliding to second and Ketel Marte moving to center field.

Smith missed the Mets' first day of full-squad workouts but is not dealing with any injury, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Several players around the league have faced slight delays while going through intake testing, though the Mets didn't confirm exactly why Smith wasn't available. Manager Luis Rojas said Monday that Smith should arrive by the end of the week, which should give him plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming season.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Monday that Torkelson will work exclusively at third base during spring training, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Though significant questions remain as to whether Torkelson has enough range to stick at the hot corner long term, the Tigers will at least give the 2020 No. 1 overall pick the chance to prove he can play the position as he begins his professional career. Torkelson is already close to big-league ready at the plate, and he'll retain plenty of appeal in dynasty formats even if he's ultimately forced to move to first base.

Hoskins (elbow) has been medically cleared to play and expects to be ready for Opening Day, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Hoskins bounced back from a somewhat disappointing 2019 campaign in last year's shortened season, hitting .245/.384/.503. His campaign was cut short after just 41 games, however, as he suffered an elbow injury in mid-September which eventually required Tommy John surgery. That procedure carries a much shorter recovery timeline for hitters than it does for pitchers, but his readiness for Opening Day still appeared in doubt at the time of the procedure. He's evidently found himself on the fast end of the timetable, so he should have plenty of time to get up to speed and play a full regular season, barring setbacks.

Abreu's arrival at camp is delayed due to COVID-19 testing, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The White Sox don't anticipate the delay being a long one, as Abreu is expected to arrive Wednesday. That's just three days before spring training games begin, so Abreu may miss the start of Cactus League play, but he should still have more than enough time to prepare for the start of the regular season.

Manager Brian Snitker told reporters Freeman could bat third this season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Freeman split time between the second and third spot in the Braves' lineup last season, hitting third on 32 occasions and second 26 times. Looking ahead to the 2021 campaign, Snitker reasoned that with currently no designated hitter in the National League, slotting Freeman into the three hole would allow him more RBI chances.

Solano lost his arbitration case to the Giants on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Solano had filed for a $3.9 salary for 2021, but he'll have to settle for a one-year, $3.25 million deal after the arbiter's ruling. The 33-year-old should have to compete for playing time in the middle infield in 2021 after the Giants signed Tommy La Stella during the offseason.