MLB Player News

Diaz was removed from Friday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta after being hit on the hand/wrist area by a pitch, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Diaz was just returning to action after missing time with a hip injury and now has a new issue to deal with. He'll likely be sent for X-rays, at which point the Rays should have an update on the first baseman's condition.

Votto (shoulder/biceps) continues to look good while going through long daily batting practice sessions and taking defensive reps at first base, but there's still no timetable for him to see spring training game action, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The longer Votto remains out of game action, the more likely it is that he'll begin the regular season on the IL. While he has been out, the Reds have split first base duties between Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jason Vosler. Interestingly enough, Wil Myers hasn't yet played first base, spending his time instead in right field this spring.

Montero is focused on improving his defense, and specifically his foot quickness, this spring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Montero entered spring training blocked from a starting job, though Brendan Rodgers' shoulder injury has opened a slot along the infield. As a result, Montero will have the chance to start at the hot corner, but he has to prove capable of making the average play defensively. He's shown promise with his bat throughout his minor-league career, though he is off to a slow start this spring with only five hits -- one for extra bases -- across 24 at-bats. Nolan Jones and Mike Moustakas are other candidates to start at third base.

Gurriel signed a contract with Miami on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Rumors of a potential deal between the Marlins and Gurriel had been swirling around all offseason. Gurriel had been holding out for a major-league contract, and while the details of the deal are not yet known, the two sides were finally able to iron out an agreement. The veteran first baseman will turn 39 in June and slashed .242/.288/.360 during the regular season last year before spraining his right MCL in Game 5 of the World Series.

Toglia is better positioned for a spot on the Rockies' Opening Day roster with Sean Bouchard (biceps) out indefinitely, Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette reports.

Toglia was a mess offensively in his first taste of MLB action last season, striking out 44 times in 120 at-bats, but he worked diligently this winter on his timing to the baseball and barrel accuracy. Prior to his callup to the Rockies last August, the 24-year-old registered an .852 OPS with 30 home runs in 114 games between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque. He can play first base and the corner outfield while also functioning as an option at DH. That's a similar profile to Bouchard, who suffered a ruptured biceps muscle Wednesday.

Mountcastle went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.

Mountcastle's fifth-inning blast made the difference for the Orioles in this contest. The 26-year-old is all but guaranteed to be the starter at first base this season, so spring games are more to get him back into the playing rhythm after the offseason. He's gone 5-for-15 (all extra-base hits) with seven RBI across six Grapefruit League games.

Guerrero (knee) is likely to face live pitching Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Guerrero hit in the batting cage and fielded grounders Thursday for the second day in a row as he works his way back from right knee inflammation. He'll need to test out the knee with some lateral movements and running on the bases, but if all continues to go well it's possible the slugger will be ready to return to Grapefruit League play sometime next week.

Diaz (hip) will be back in the Rays' lineup for Friday's Grapefruit League contest against the Braves, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Diaz has missed about a week of action with a hip flexor injury, but he'll be back at first base -- where he's expected to see most of his action during the regular season -- on Friday. The Rays' projected leadoff hitter inked a three-year, $24 million contract extension with the club back in late January.

Raley reworked his swing during the offseason by bringing his hands closer to his body and lessening his leg kick, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.

The 2022 season was Raley's first with the Rays, and he earned 72 plate appearances in the majors. Heading into 2023, he's out of minor-league options, so will be looking to earn a role with the big-league club out of spring training. He's helped his case by hitting well early in Grapefruit League action, tallying five hits across 15 at-bats -- including three home runs -- while striking out only twice.

Guerrero (knee) hit in the batting cage, fielded grounders and did some straight-line running at Blue Jays camp Wednesday, Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun reports.

Guerrero continues to make progress in his recovery from right knee inflammation, though he's still not doing much lateral movement, as all the groundballs during the fielding workout were hit directly at him. While Longley notes that the slugger has no timetable for a return, it's possible that Guerrero could return to Grapefruit League action at some point next week. The next steps will include incorporating more side-to-side movement in the field and on the bases, running with more intensity and then facing live pitching, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. As long as Guerrero avoids any further setbacks in the coming days, he'll likely be ready to go for Opening Day while occupying a spot in the middle of the Toronto lineup.