MLB Player News

Walker was scratched from the Diamondbacks' Cactus League lineup Thursday due to lingering left hip discomfort, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Walker was struck by a pitch just above his left hip this past Monday and still has some bruising. It doesn't sound like anything that would threaten his readiness for Opening Day.

O'Hearn's right knee MRI has come back negative, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.

The swelling and fluid in O'Hearn's knee has subsided and he was able to run on a treadmill Thursday. He considers himself ready to return to game action but will leave that decision up to the Orioles.

Naylor has gone 6-for-26 (.231) through 10 Cactus League games.

Naylor opted out of representing Canada at the World Baseball Classic to avoid aggravating his ankle, but he's seen plenty of playing time in spring training. The 25-year-old established himself with a .256/.319/.452 slash line, 20 home runs, 79 RBI, 47 runs scored and six stolen bases over 122 games last season. He's the Guardians' top first baseman this season, though Naylor and Josh Bell will likely share the duties at first base and designated hitter for much of the campaign.

Guerrero went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Making his return to the lineup after dealing with some knee soreness, Guerrero crushed a JT Brubaker pitch off the wall in left field to bring home Whit Merrifield in the third inning. Guerrero's minor injury cost him a chance to play in the WBC, but he doesn't seem to need much more work to be ready for Opening Day -- he's gone 4-for-13 this spring with two homers, plus Wednesday's double.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that he is not concerned about Freeman (hamstring) being ready for Opening Day, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Freeman tweaked his right hamstring during Canada's win over Colombia on Tuesday in the World Baseball Classic and he returned to Dodgers camp Wednesday for an evaluation by the team's medical staff. The injury is mild, per Roberts, and there are no further tests planned. The expectation is the star first baseman will be able to get back into Cactus League play as early as this coming weekend, and he's slated to take swings in the batting cage Thursday.

Wade has gone just 3-for-20 across eight Cactus League games.

Wade has a home run, a double and three RBI this spring, but he's also struck out six times without recording a walk. After a strong 2021 campaign, Wade slumped to a .207/.305/.359 slash line with eight homers, 26 RBI and 29 runs scored across 77 contests in an injury-plagued 2022. He's expected to get the first crack at a starting role at first base, but he may be limited to the strong side of a platoon with Wilmer Flores. Wade has logged a poor .113/.169/.141 slash line against left-handed pitchers since the start of 2020.

Hall has impressed in Grapefruit League action this spring, homering four times in 10 games while slashing .310/.375/.759.

The Phillies will have designated hitter at-bats available for a good portion of the season with Bryce Harper set to miss about half the campaign following Tommy John surgery, and Hall seems set to be the primary option against righties. The 27-year-old filled in capably enough as a part-time DH last season, homering nine times in 42 games while slashing a lopsided .250/.282/.522, good for a 120 wRC+. His 3.5 percent walk rate and 31.0 percent strikeout rate made for a worrisome combination, so his 3:5 BB:K this spring is an encouraging sign.

Bohm has slugged three home runs and three doubles through 35 at-bats this spring in Grapefruit League play.

Bohm ranks in the top 15 in OPS (.971) across the combined Grapefruit League and Cactus League leaderboards. The 26-year-old third baseman had a rollercoaster season at the plate in 2022, but he put together a couple of encouraging stretches and came up with some big hits during the Phillies' postseason run to the World Series. Consequently, the 2023 season could potentially qualify as a breakout campaign.

Pasquantino has gone 4-for-17 across four games for Italy at the World Baseball Classic.

Those are adequate numbers for Pasquantino, who is projected to be the Royals' primary first baseman this season. The 25-year-old was a bit better in four Cactus League games before leaving for the WBC, going 4-for-9 with a home run, four RBI, three runs scored and two walks. Overall, there's nothing to discourage fantasy managers from selecting Pasquantino in the later rounds of drafts after he slashed .295/.383/.450 with 10 home runs, 26 RBI and 25 runs scored across 72 games as a rookie a year ago.

Lester went 3-for-4 with two triples, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.

Lester had struggled earlier in the spring, but he's now hitting .387 (12-for-31) with four extra-base hits and nine RBI through 13 contests. He's gotten a long look so far, but the fact that the 28-year-old is on a minor-league deal and has just two major-league games under his belt presents a tough path to the majors.