MLB Player News

Tellez was touted by manager John Gibbons as the team's prospect who is closest to being ready for the majors, Paul Hagen of MLB.com reports.

Gibbons' remarks mirror the consensus among scouts and a majority of prospect rankings. "The guy can hit," Gibbons said of Tellez. "He's not going to steal a lot of bases, but he'll surprise you at times. It's kind of interesting. I was talking to [Tim Raines] the other day and asked him what kind of baserunner Rowdy was. And he said he might be the best in the system. I mean, he's not a fast guy. But that tells you something about him. He's a complete player. He's a talented kid." Even though the 21-year-old first baseman (an unstable position for the Jays) is slated to begin the year in the minors, it wouldn't be irrational for owners in extremely deep leagues to take a risk on draft day and stash Tellez on the bench in hopes of a mid-season call-up. Regardless of where he begins the 2017 campaign, he should be rostered in the vast majority of dynasty formats.

Diaz is scheduled to get work in right field this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Diaz, who made the All-Star Futures Game last summer, packed the stat sheet in 2016 over 121 games combined between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. Manager Terry Francona acknowledged that Diaz appears MLB ready from an offensive standpoint, but the prospect isn't quite there defensively. Transitioning Diaz to the outfield will shorten his track to the majors, making him a viable pick in deeper leagues.

Joseph went 1-for-3 with his first homer of the spring in Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Orioles.

Joseph will open the season as Philadelphia's regular first baseman after hitting .257/.308/.505 with 21 home runs in 315 at-bats last year while splitting time with Ryan Howard. With Howard out of the picture, Joseph will see the majority of the starts at first base and could top 30 home runs this season.

Calhoun (abdomen) went 1-for-2 with an RBI single in his spring debut Monday.

The 29-year-old outfielder had previously been held out of game action following core muscle surgery back in October, but he picked up right where he left off at the end of the 2016 campaign with his third inning hit to drive in Andrelton Simmons. Calhoun didn't seem to show any ill effects from the surgery during his first game action, so he should be able to slot back into the Angels lineup moving forward with the hope of building off the career-best .786 OPS he posted last season.

McBride (lat) will partake in a game against Team Italy in minor league camp Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports.

He had been unable to throw due to a mild lat strain, but it sounds like things are improving to the point that he can play in what essentially amounts to a rehab game.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with three RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

He's 5-for-7 to begin spring training, and Freeman seems intent on repeating or bettering his career-best numbers from 2016, during which he slugged 34 home runs with a .969 OPS. With an improving lineup around him, the 27-year-old should be able to record his second career 100-RBI season.

Flores got the start at first base during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run.

He could see more action at first base than anticipated early in the season, given Lucas Duda's ongoing back issues, but Flores still figures to serve mainly as a platoon option off the bench this season for the Mets. His power and multiple paths to playing time still make him a viable roster option in deep NL-only formats, however.

Cabrera went 1-for-3 in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, leading off with a home run off Joe Musgrove for his first hit of the spring.

He isn't likely to be the leadoff hitter come Opening Day, now that Jose Reyes seems set to replace David Wright (shoulder) at third base, but Cabrera should still have a prime spot in the batting order in 2017 after posting a career-high .810 OPS last season.

Gillaspie, the Rays' 2014 first-round pick, went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI double in Monday's 7-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies.

Gillaspie's line-drive two-bagger to center in the third snapped a 1-1 tie and brought home Dayron Varona and Nick Franklin. The 24-year-old, who's enjoyed a fairly rapid ascension through the Rays organization, slashed an impressive .307/.389/.520 with 13 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 23 RBI over 203 plate appearances at Triple-A Durham in 2016. Gillaspie is currently the organization's seventh-ranked prospect and could certainly lay the groundwork for a call-up later in 2017 with a strong spring and continued improvement at the minor league level.

Abreu will head to Miami following Monday's game to tend to personal matters and expects to be back in camp on Wednesday, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Abreu's brief absence will in all likelihood not heavily factor into his preparation for the season. The 30-year-old first baseman went 2-for-3 on Monday against the Cubs, which included hitting a long, "no-doubter" home run. He'll look to stay hot when he returns from his absence, presumably on Wednesday.