MLB Player News

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Hoskins (knee) was walking around the clubhouse after being carted off the field Thursday, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

It's a promising early sign that Hoskins' left knee injury might not be quite as severe as initially feared, but Thomson also acknowledged that there is no diagnosis yet. The power-hitting first baseman collapsed just beyond first base in the second inning of Thursday afternoon's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers as he tried to make a play on a grounder. He's still being examined by the Phillies' medical staff and will probably undergo a range of imaging tests.

Hall might see a large increase in starts at first base if the Phillies are without Rhys Hoskins (knee) for a long period of time, per Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Hoskins went down with a significant-looking left knee injury Thursday in camp and fill-in options are already being floated as the baseball world awaits an official diagnosis. Alec Bohm could move over to first base against lefties, with Edmundo Sosa covering third, but it may be Hall who gets the biggest boost in playing time as a left-handed power threat. Hall, 27, boasts a .319/.385/.681 batting line with five home runs through 52 plate appearances this spring in the Grapefruit League.

Bohm could slide over to first base if the Phillies lose Rhys Hoskins (knee) for an extended period, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoskins had to be carted off the field in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers after his left knee gave out on a play beyond the first base. The injury looked ugly, though there is no diagnosis just yet. Bohm moving to first makes sense, and Edmundo Sosa would probably then shift from a super-utility role to a regular presence at the hot corner. Darick Hall should also be in the first base picture, especially against tougher right-handed pitching opponents.

Hoskins suffered a severe-looking left knee injury during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Hoskins fell awkwardly while trying to make a play on a ball just beyond first base in the top of the second inning. It appeared that his left knee simply gave out on him, per beat writers on the scene in Clearwater, Florida. He was down on the ground for several minutes before leaving on a cart. This could be an absolutely brutal development just one week out from Opening Day.

Mervis was reassigned Thursday to the minor-league side of Cubs camp, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mervis appears to be the first baseman of the future on the North Side of Chicago, but he'll have to wait a little longer to get his shot after the organization brought in both Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini over the winter. The 24-year-old put up a .984 OPS with 36 home runs and 119 RBI in 137 games last season between three different levels of the Cubs' minor-league system.

Vaughn (back) will play in a minor-league game Friday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vaughn will be able to take as many at-bats as he needs in a controlled setting. Assuming it goes well, the first baseman could be able to play in a Cactus League during the final stretch of spring training. Vaughn has been dealing with lower-back soreness for the last week but should be ready for Opening Day as long as he can avoid setbacks.

Casas (finger) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

As expected, Casas will return Thursday after missing a couple days with left fifth finger pain. The swing-and-miss in Casas' game has been prevalent this spring (11 strikeouts in 41 at-bats), but he's done damage when he's put bat to ball with five extra-base hits in exhibition play. The 23-year-old is primed to begin the season as Boston's primary first baseman.

Montero has gone 16-for-51 with four home runs and two doubles during Cactus League action.

Montero has swung the bat well for much of spring, but that's been particularly true of late. He has tallied four multi-hit performances in his last eight contests, and he has gone deep twice in that span. After Nolan Jones was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, Montero's primary competition for the starting job at third base appears to be Mike Moustakas.

Kirilloff (wrist) will begin the season on the injured list, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

We're barely more than a week away from Opening Day and Kirilloff still hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game, so this news doesn't come as a surprise. The good news is that he has been participating in some minor-league contests lately and has been taking live batting practice for a while. Kirilloff's stint on the injured list seems like it has the potential to be a relatively short one, but we'll have to wait and see how he progresses in the coming days and weeks. The Twins are expected to utilize multiple players at first base while Kirilloff is sidelined, with Jose Miranda, Joey Gallo and Donovan Solano among those in the mix.

Dixon has been scratched from the lineup for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Reds due to an illness.

He was scheduled to start at third base and hit sixth, but the Padres will now turn to Matthew Batten to man the hot corner. Dixon should be considered day-to-day moving forward.