MLB Player News

Votto had a single in his final at-bat Monday against the Dodgers, making him 1-for-9 for the spring season, albeit with six walks, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I didn't even know that," manager David Bell said. "I do know how many walks he's gotten. It seems like he's been on base the whole spring. Those might be the best spring training at-bats you can have, walks. You're seeing more pitches and getting a better feel for the zone and all that.

With Votto coming off of his worst season, he's under extra scrutiny this spring to see if he's showing any signs of correcting what held him back in 2019. The Reds' batters are playing every other day right now, but that activity should pick up following Tuesday's off-day.

White (groin) went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in a Cactus League loss to the Rockies on Monday. He's now hitting .455 over his first four spring games.

White had been sidelined since Wednesday due to groin soreness, but he looked right back to form in his return Monday. The promising first baseman lines up for an everyday role to open the 2020 season, and although he only has 18 plate appearances worth of experience at the Triple-A level, his early success this year and .293/.350/.488 slash at Double-A Arkansas in 2019 both corroborate his talent with the bat.

Goldschmidt, who went 2-for-3 with a solo home run off Justin Verlander in a Grapefruit League win over the Astros on Tuesday, has launched both of his spring round trippers over the last three games.

Goldschmidt was hampered by some elbow soreness early in spring that limited him to designated hitter duties over the first three Grapefruit League contests. However, the veteran has been able to resume playing first base over the last three games, a stretch during which he's started to heat up at the plate. Goldschmidt heads into 2020 looking to improve on the career-low .233 average he produced last season.

Dalbec went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and two runs scored in Monday's spring game against the Tigers.

Dalbec, who is near the top of Boston's prospect list and could be its best power-hitting prospect, launched his first spring training homer. He's expected to open the season at Triple-A Pawtucket but could join the parent club should injuries hit at first or third base.

White (groin) will start at first base and bat second in Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

White only missed a few days on account of a sore groin, so the injury shouldn't impact his ability to gear up for the regular season. After signing a six-year, $24 million deal with the Mariners in November, White already appears to be locked into an everyday role with the big club to begin the season.

Freeman (elbow) is starting Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, playing first base and batting third.

Freeman experienced right elbow inflammation Tuesday that led to him missing nearly a week of game action, but the team was never overly concerned about the injury, and he'll return to the lineup Monday. While the team could use some caution with Freeman going forward this spring to prevent further injury, the 30-year-old will likely be good to go for most activities as spring training progresses.

White (groin) will have a workout Sunday that includes running the bases and could be in the lineup for Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 23-year-old has been sidelined since Wednesday due to groin soreness, but the relatively quick return to game action would confirm his absence as mostly precautionary. White had a solid start to spring training, going 3-for-9 with two doubles in three games.

Tellez improved his training regimen and altered his hitting mechanics over the winter in an effort to secure a spot on the Blue Jays' 26-man roster this spring, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

While his listed weight didn't change much, Tellez estimates that he lost 15 pounds of fat and added back 14 pounds of muscle as a result of a more focused workout routine. "It was way more condensed into a few things that I wanted to work on to better myself," Tellez said Saturday. "One of those was to build strength within my core and hips. I got stronger in there, which forced me to lean out." The 24-year-old also shortened his swing to try to make more contact and allow his natural strength to produce his power rather than try to launch a homer every at-bat. Whether Tellez heads north with a backup 1B/DH role will depend as much on how the team plans to cover the rest of the diamond defensively as it does on his own performance this spring, but even if he begins the year back at Triple-A Buffalo, he could still end up playing a big part in the 2020 campaign -- especially if Travis Shaw hasn't solved his issues at the plate from last year.

Freeman (elbow) could be in the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies if his workout Sunday goes as planned, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

The veteran first baseman was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with right elbow inflammation, but the injury may end up costing him only a week. The Braves never expressed significant concern over the issue, but it's nonetheless a great sign to see Freeman expected to make a quick return to the field.

White hasn't played since Wednesday due to soreness in his groin muscles, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Although White has missed several days, the Mariners appear to be holding him out simply as a precautionary measure. The 23-year-old is expected to return to the lineup by Monday. White is 3-for-9 with two doubles and one run over three games this spring.