MLB Player News
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Jake Lamb 1B | SF
Giants' Jake Lamb: Has strained quad
Lamb will be shut down until at least Tuesday after being diagnosed with a left quad strain, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Lamb will be re-evaluated Tuesday for a potential return to baseball activities. The veteran infielder is in camp as a non-roster invitee and is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Sacramento.
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Spencer Steer 1B | CIN
Reds' Spencer Steer: Throwing program on hold
Steer (shoulder) still feels discomfort and had a scheduled throwing program put on hold this week, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. He had been set to begin throwing Monday. "He's just not quite where we want him to be," manager Terry Francona said Thursday. "We'll get him examined one more time and figure out what path we're going."
Steer is still able to DH -- he went 1-for-2 in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks -- because it doesn't hurt him to swing a bat. Multiple MRIs have confirmed no structural damage, but as Steer indicated, "shoulders are tricky." He's scheduled to be examined this weekend by the team's orthopedist before any decisions are made or timelines established.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Worked to improve bat speed
Schanuel spent time this offseason on activities aimed at improving his bat speed, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Schanuel participated in drills that included swinging bats of different weights in an effort to develop more velocity in his swing. The first baseman ranked in the second percentile last season for bat speed, in the fourth percentile for hard-hit rate and in the seventh percentile for average exit velocity, all of which contributed to him hitting a modest 13 home runs with a .112 ISO over 606 plate appearances. Schanuel did exhibit some impressive metrics as a batter -- he ranked in the 96th percentile for whiff rate and in the 93rd percentile for squared-up rate -- so if he's successful in unleashing more power, his fantasy stock could get a significant bump.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Hits first spring home run
Torkelson went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.
It was the first spring home run for Torkelson, who has gone 3-for-10 in the early going with a robust .900 OPS. The 2020 No. 1 overall pick has struggled with consistency in the majors and has seemingly lost his grip on an everyday role with the Tigers, though he could still make the team as a bench player. Given Torkelson's raw power, he is a potentially intriguing fantasy option if he ever sees regular playing time in 2025.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Nearing defensive work
Freeman (ankle) is hoping to play first base in a Cactus League game Sunday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
Freeman took a significant step in his recovery from offseason ankle surgery Thursday, as he made his spring training debut and went 1-for-3 as a designated hitter. He plans to serve as the DH again Saturday before taking the field at first base Sunday. Freeman is expected to be ready for the team's opening series of the regular season on March 18 and 19, though he did acknowledge he'll need to wrap his ankle and isn't likely to feel fully healthy for the first half of the season.
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Jake Lamb 1B | SF
Giants' Jake Lamb: Dealing with tight quad
Lamb was removed from Thursday's Cactus League game against the Mariners due to left quad tightness, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Lamb suffered the injury while trying to field a ball at first base in the seventh inning and had to come out of the game immediately afterward. Manager Bob Melvin said after the game that the team will know more about the severity of Lamb's injury Friday.
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Dominic Smith 1B | SF
Yankees' Dominic Smith: Belts second spring homer
Smith went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over St. Louis.
Smith homered for a second consecutive contest, though those are his only two hits through eight exhibition at-bats. The veteran first baseman doesn't have a history of hitting for power -- his career high is 12 long balls in 586 plate appearances with Washington in 2023 -- so his spring power stroke shouldn't be read into too much. Smith signed with the Yankees on a minor-league deal in mid-January and isn't expected to break camp with the big club.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B | CIN
Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Launches homer Wednesday
Encarnacion-Strand started at first base and went 1-for-3 with a home run in Wednesday's spring game against the Angels.
Encarnacion-Strand has appeared in three games -- two at first base and one at third -- as the corner infield spots are not yet set. He and Jeimer Candelario have seen action at each corner thus far in Cactus League action, but C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic observed that Encarnacion-Strand has spent most of his time at first base during workouts while Candelario's logged plenty of time at third.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Set for spring debut Thursday
Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Freeman (ankle) will make his Cactus League debut Thursday against the Rockies as the Dodgers' designated hitter, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Since he's working his way back from December surgery to remove loose bodies in his right ankle, Freeman will be eased into the spring lineup in a non-defensive role, but he should be ready for a full-time role at first base once the Dodgers open their season with a two-game set in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19. Roberts confirmed last week that he plans to have the reigning World Series MVP slot in as the Dodgers' primary No. 3 batter in 2025, with Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts hitting in front of him and Teoscar Hernandez occupying the cleanup spot.
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Matt Mervis 1B | MIA
Marlins' Matt Mervis: Launches first homer of spring
Mervis went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.
Starting at DH and batting sixth, Mervis drove a Trevor Williams offering over the right-field fence in the second inning for his first homer of the spring. Assuming he has at least a decent camp, Mervis is expected to open the season on the strong side of a platoon with Jonah Bride at first base while also mixing in at DH. While Mervis struggled in limited big-league opportunities with the Cubs, he sports a career .269/.371/.511 slash line over 242 games at Triple-A with 52 home runs.