MLB Player News

McNeil (biceps) will begin swinging a bat again Saturday, The New York Post reports.

The 31-year-old is expected to play defense in a minor-league game Friday, per MLB.com, but he won't hit. McNeil has yet to see any Grapefruit League action this spring, as he's been brought along slowly due to a partial ligament tear in his left elbow, and the Mets' caution was justified when he reported bicep soreness in the same arm earlier this week. If McNeil ends up not being ready for Opening Day, the team could turn to a platoon of Joey Wendle and Zack Short at second base.

Garcia went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The second baseman took Jesus Luzardo deep in the third inning, the first of three Nats homers off the southpaw and Garcia's first long ball of the spring. The 23-year-old has had a sluggish start to camp, going 2-for-17 with five strikeouts against zero walks, but the team doesn't have an obvious alternative for him at the keystone and seems willing to give him at least one more chance to establish himself as CJ Abrams' long-term double-play partner.

Guillorme (quad) took on-field batting practice Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Guillorme has been dealing with a sore quad lately but is now able to re-incorporate some baseball activities. The hope is that he will be ready to return to Grapefruit League play soon.

Hoerner went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Angels and is now batting just .188 this spring.

Hoerner has gone 3-for-16 with five strikeouts across six Cactus League contests, but he should still be locked in as the Cubs' leadoff hitter heading into the season. The infielder has batted .280 or better each of the last three years, and he also chipped in a career-best 43 stolen bases in 2023. With some strong hitters behind him, Hoerner should once again be an effective tablesetter for Chicago, with his fantasy value likely coming from steals and runs scored.

Castro went 1-for-2 in Philadelphia's 3-2 loss to Baltimore on Tuesday.

Castro has tallied 16 plate appearances in eight spring training games to date as it's clear the team wants to give the infielder every opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. While he has accumulated considerable experience over three seasons in the majors, Castro's high strikeout rate limits his offensive potential. If Castro makes the roster, he figures to be positioned as the team's rotational utility infielder.

Marcano (knee) took live at-bats against Joe Musgrove on Saturday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Marcano's ability to face live pitching marks an important milestone in his recovery from the ACL repair surgery he underwent last August, but the 24-year-old utility man is still sporting a brace on his right knee and has yet to be cleared for running. He's likely to open the 2024 season on the 10-day injured list and will presumably require an extended minor-league rehab assignment before being activated.

Reds manager David Bell said Wednesday that India (foot) is slated to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Dodgers, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

India has been brought along slowly in the Reds' camp because he still wasn't completely recovered from the plantar fasciitis in his left foot that plagued him last season. It's not clear whether he's 100 percent yet, but he's at least feeling well enough to test out the foot in games. While he has played only second base to this point in his big-league career, India is slated to fill a utility role for Cincinnati this season.

Edman (wrist) resumed playing catch and hitting off a tee Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

The rehab progress of Edman's right wrist has been slow and inconsistent, so the Cardinals had shut him down for a while after he reported more pain. The plan is for Edman to get back to hitting soft-toss pitching relatively soon, though a clearer timeline for his return to the lineup likely won't come until he faces live pitching again. If Edman isn't ready to go by Opening Day, Dylan Carlson would be in line to begin the season as St. Louis' center fielder.

Guillorme is dealing with quad soreness and is expected to be back in games soon, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Tuesday.

Guillorme has not played in a spring game since Feb. 28. Despite this, he has been taking ground balls during batting practice. The 29-year-old signed with Atlanta on a one year contract in January, adding depth to the team's infield.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that McNeil (biceps) is feeling "a lot better" and could return to Grapefruit League games soon, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McNeil has been battling some left biceps soreness but did not require an MRI, and it sounds like he's almost put the injury in the rearview mirror. The 31-year-old also has a partial UCL tear in the elbow of the same arm, which surely factors into the team taking extra precaution. McNeil is slated to be the club's primary second baseman in 2024.