MLB Player News

Beaty is a strong candidate for a major-league bench role due to his ability to play third base, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dave Roberts indicated a preference for Beaty to begin the season on the big-league roster due to the club's need for a left-handed backup third baseman. The interest makes sense given the team's penchant for playing matchups and giving occasional rest to veterans. Beaty spent the majority of his time with the Dodgers last season playing either left field or first base, but he did log eight games at the hot corner.

Hiura went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run home run in Friday's spring game against the Dodgers.

Hiura was hitless over his first two appearances this spring, but he notched a couple base hits Friday, including a deep shot to center field. He will start at second base Opening Day and will regularly occupy a prime spot in the Brewers' batting order.

Raley is hitting .385 (5-for-13) through six spring training contests.

Raley leads the Dodgers with five hits thus far, two of which have gone for extra bases. On the less promising side of the coin, the 25-year-old has struck out four times and has yet to draw a walk. Raley is expected to open the season in Triple-A; he hit .302 and slugged seven home runs at that level as a member of Minnesota's farm system last season.

Walker went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk in Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

Walker was slowed by general body soreness early in camp before making his spring debut Wednesday. The right-handed batting first baseman should be in the lineup daily after appearing in 152 games last season.

Walker (upper body) will start at first base and bat fifth in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics.

As anticipated, Walker will make his spring debut after he had been limited to begin camp due to general body soreness. With Opening Day still a month away, Walker has plenty of time to pick up the at-bats he needs to guarantee he avoids the injured list to begin the season.

Freeman (elbow) won't return to game action until next week, though general manager Alex Anthopoulos said Wednesday that the Braves aren't concerned about the issue, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Freeman was scratched from the lineup Tuesday against the Twins with right elbow inflammation. The Braves' apparent optimism is shared by Freeman, who reportedly lobbied to return as soon as Thursday, but it's hard not to be at least a little bit worried about the issue. The veteran struggled with elbow problems late last season and underwent arthroscopic surgery to deal with the issue in October. It's possible the Braves are simply being overly cautious with their star first baseman early in camp, but the injury worries certainly add some risk to Freeman's draft stock this spring.

Goldschmidt (elbow) will start at first base and bat third in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

A sore right elbow had limited Goldschmidt to designated-hitter duties in his prior spring appearances, but he'll be able to take his normal position in the field after he was able to throw to all the bases Tuesday without any complications. The 32-year-old looks on track to head into Opening Day at full health and in pursuit of his fourth straight 30-homer campaign.

Kirilloff (undisclosed) will start in right field and bat eighth in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Kirilloff was scratched from the Twins' exhibition opener last week against the University of Minnesota due to the unspecified issue, but whatever he was dealing with is apparently no longer a concern. The 22-year-old should receive a fair amount of bats with the big club this spring before likely opening the 2020 campaign at Triple-A Rochester.

Walker (soreness) is expected to play Wednesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Walker has been slowed by what manager Torey Lovulllo called "general body soreness," but the first baseman is expected to make his spring debut Wednesday against the Athletics. This spring is much different for Walker, whose performance in 2019 has all but locked up the starting first base job. Where previous springs were about making an impression, this year Walker's just trying to get himself ready for Opening Day.

Cron went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Cron hit 25 home runs last year for the Twins but was limited in the second half because of a thumb injury. He reported to spring training healthy after offseason thumb surgery, and the 30-year-old figures to add some pop to Detroit's lineup. He had a career-high 30 long balls in 2018 and could return to that level if he stays healthy in 2020.