MLB Player News

Pratto is working in the outfield this spring in an effort to win a utility role, MLB.com reports. He's competing with Dairon Blanco, Joey Wiemer and Drew Waters for a bench spot.

Pratto hit just .240 with 16 home runs and a .728 OPS at Triple-A last season but still has significant power, as he hit 36 homers in the minors in 2021. He's likely a long shot to win a roster spot, though he is out of options. He's hitting just 1-for-10 in his first five spring games.

Manager Terry Francona said Saturday that Steer (shoulder) could begin the season on the injured list, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Steer was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Padres due to his injured shoulder, and he elected to receive a cortisone shot after an examination, per Wittenmyer. This will force the 27-year-old to pause all activities for the next few days, and there's no telling at this point how long it will be before he's cleared to play in games.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.