MLB Player News

Solano was reassigned to minor league camp Saturday.

He was a long shot to make the roster to begin with, but a lower-back injury squashed any chance Solano had this spring. Solano played in 361 games with Miami from 2012-2015.

Blandino is nursing a right thigh injury, but the Reds do not believe it's serious at this point, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 23-year-old went 5-for-20 with a homer in 10 Cactus League games before leaving to play for Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic. It's uncertain when Blandino may return to action, but the Reds will be cautious. Blandino made the jump to Double-A last season after batting .294/.370/.438 with seven homers and seven steals in 80 games with High-A Daytona to begin the year.

Roller was reassigned to minor league camp Saturday.

As a non-roster invitee, Roller had a strong showing in Rays camp this spring with a .429 batting average and four RBI over 14 at-bats. However, with Opening Day looming, the Rays needed to trim down their roster and made a series of moves Saturday. The 27-year-old first baseman saw his batting average take a major dip at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, going from .283 to .232. He'll likely start the season at Triple-A Durham.

Wilkins was optioned to minor league camp Saturday.

Wilkins spent most of last season at the Triple-A level, and that's likely where he'll spend the bulk of 2016 after failing to crack the Brewers' 25-man roster.

Calhoun has collected 10 hits in 28 at-bats over 10 games this spring.

Only two of those hits have gone for extra bases, but Calhoun is looking comfortable at the plate as he attempts to build on the career-best 26 home runs he hit last season. The power surge may have altered the Angels' perception of Calhoun, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported last week that he will likely bat fifth against right-handed pitching.

The Pirates reassigned Bell to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. "For me, it's becoming the best player I can be no matter where I'm playing," Bell told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "If it's in Triple-A all year I have to continue to grow and be better for it. If I do get that call this year I want to be ready for it."

Bell went 3-for-19 with four walks and seven strikeouts in Grapefruit League action. He'll continue to work on his defensive transition from the outfield to first base. Bell got his first taste of Triple-A play in 2015, batting .347/.441/.504 in 121 at-bats and will look to gain further experience before potentially making his big-league debut later in the summer.

Howard went 2-for-4 with his first home run of the spring Thursday against the Rays.

The home run is notable because it came off lefty Matt Moore. Manager Pete Mackanin said Howard will open the year in a platoon with Darin Ruf at first base if he does not show improvement against lefties. Thus far this spring, Howard is 3-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, one strikeout and no walks against lefties. It's a small sample size, but if Howard keeps it up he might be able to open the year with a chance for some additional at-bats. He has hit just .184 with 22 home runs against lefties since the start of the 2012 season.

Rizzo returned to the lineup Thursday and went 0-for-1 with a walk, run, and stolen base.

Rizzo missed a game after being hit by a pitch Tuesday, but the injury was minor. His lofty position on most cheatsheets should be unaffected by this week's events.

Singleton went 2-for-4 with a two-run double and a solo home run Wednesday during the Astros' 7-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Tigers.

"It's nice to see him have a good day," manager A.J. Hinch said of Singleton, who raised his spring batting average from .104 to .152 with the performance. "He's worked pretty hard, and he hasn't had a day like this yet. Obviously he has it in him. To see him have a day like today is a nice fresh start for him for the rest of camp." The 24-year-old arrived in camp as the favorite to win the Astros' starting first base job, but he'll have to beat out A.J. Reed, Tyler White and Matt Duffy for the role.

Mets manager Terry Collins predicted Thursday that Cabrera (knee) will be available for Opening Day, Adam Rubin of ESPN reports.

Cabrera was diagnosed with a strained patella tendon last week, with reports initially suggesting that he'd likely have to start his season on the disabled list. It now seems he has a chance to be ready for Opening Day, though there hasn't been any update regarding when he might return to Grapefruit League action. Once healthy, Cabrera should get most of the playing time at shortstop, but he does have some competition in the form of Wilmer Flores.