MLB Player News

Kirilloff (wrist) might not be ready in time for Opening Day, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Kirilloff was able to play in a minor-league game Saturday but has yet to see any Grapefruit League action as the Twins ease him into things following another right wrist surgery. While president of baseball operations Derek Falvey has said the team hasn't made a decision yet on whether Kirilloff will be part of the Opening Day roster, it seems likely at this point that he'll just run out of time. Kirilloff does have options remaining, so the club could stash him at Triple-A St. Paul for a bit if he needs to knock some rust off. If that happens, Joey Gallo, Jose Miranda and Donovan Solano are among the candidates to handle first base in Kirilloff's absence.

Flores has gone 6-for-23 (.261) over eight Cactus League games.

Flores is a veteran, so there's not too much to read into his performance so far. He was delayed to begin camp while waiting for the birth of his son. Flores' ability to cover multiple positions should see him in the lineup regularly versus left-handed pitchers. His best path to playing time might be at second base on days where Thairo Estrada shifts to shortstop to cover a resting Brandon Crawford, who has been dealing with knee soreness this spring.

Vaughn (back) said he feels better after playing catch and fielding grounders Sunday, and he expects to return to swinging within the next couple days, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Manager Pedro Grifol indicated Saturday the slugger will be out at least a few more days due to lower-back soreness, and there doesn't appear to be a rush to get him back into game action. There's just under two weeks before Opening Day, and Vaughn also said he could hit off a pitching machine at the end of camp if he needs additional reps at that point. His outlook for the start of the season will remain up in the air at least until he returns to full baseball activities.

Torkelson went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Torkelson got off to a 3-for-18 start at the plate in spring training. Since then, however, he's gone 7-for-19 with two doubles, and Saturday's home run was his first in Grapefruit League action. Torkelson struggled as a rookie in 2022, but the talent is there for him to take a big step forward in his second MLB season, and he seems to be building some momentum as the team approaches Opening Day.

Freeman is hitting second and playing first base Sunday in a Cactus League game against the Athletics.

A day after returning to the lineup as the designated hitter following a bit of hamstring tightness, Freeman is back on the field for the Dodgers on Sunday. The former MVP appears to be a full-go for the regular season and should once again be a fantasy stalwart in 2023.

Walker went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a stolen base in Saturday's spring game against the Guardians.

This was Walker's first appearance since he was hit by a pitch on the hip Monday. He shook off the downtime early, launching a 1-0 pitch 430 feet to deep left field in the second inning. He walked and stole a base an inning later and nearly missed a second home run on his final at-bat in the fifth.

Santana (knee) is starting at first base and batting cleanup in Sunday's spring game versus the Orioles.

Santana exited Thursday's Grapefruit League game with left knee discomfort, but he's back in the lineup Sunday after requiring only a couple days off. The veteran slugger had a .692 OPS in 131 games last year, and he is expected to split playing time between first base and designated hitter with Ji-Man Choi this season.

Calhoun is playing first base and hitting sixth for Saturday's Cactus League contest against the Guardians, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

As Brock notes, Calhoun has not played first base in an MLB game since 2015 when he was with the Angels. The veteran outfielder is trying to win a spot on the Seattle bench after signing as a non-roster invitee this winter, and the ability to play multiple positions would go a long way toward achieving that goal.

Cronenworth hit a two-run home run Saturday in a Cactus League victory over the Brewers.

Cronenworth blasted a shot off Jake Cousins with a runner on in the fifth inning. It's the infielder's second homer of the spring season, and he's knocked in seven runs. On top of that production, Cronenworth has hit a commendable .412/.487/.735 in Arizona, and he looks like a strong candidate to bounce back from his disappointing 2022 campaign.

Freeman went 2-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's spring game against the White Sox.

Freeman was removed after three plate appearances, but that was to be expected. It was the first game back for the first baseman after he left Tuesday's World Baseball Classic game for Team Canada with tightness in his hamstring. There's no reason to think that Freeman won't be ready for the regular season, and his next step should be playing in the field sometime soon.