MLB Player News

Mathias will not need surgery on his strained shoulder, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Even without surgery, Mathias will miss an extended period, as he's been placed on the 60-day injured list. He'll remain at the Brewers' spring training facility for rehab work. His exact return timeline isn't clear.

Lux went 2-for-3 with his first home run of the spring Sunday in the Dodgers' 6-5 Cactus League loss to the Angels.

Lux's home run came off southpaw Andrew Heaney, a welcome sign for a player who has thus far recorded just one hit over 23 career regular-season plate appearances against left-handed pitchers. With an .894 OPS this spring, Lux appears on track to break camp with the big club this season after the Dodgers chose to leave him at the alternate training site coming out of summer camp in 2020. While Lux's well-rounded offensive skill set gives him a high fantasy ceiling, the presence of Chris Taylor may make it difficult for the youngster to begin the season as anything more than part-time player. The two have typically alternated starts at the keystone throughout the spring, with both typically batting in the bottom third of the Los Angeles lineup.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Frazier will serve as the team's leadoff hitter in Thursday's regular-season opener against the Cubs, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Frazier has ignited a surprisingly potent Pirates offense this spring, posting a monstrous 1.510 OPS over 39 at-bats. The small sample shouldn't supersede the .749 OPS he's posted over parts of five seasons in the majors, but Frazier's spring surge could at least give fantasy managers reason to hope that the 29-year-old may have more power upside than anticipated. Frazier hasn't merely lived off an elevated BABIP this spring, as 10 of his 21 hits entering play Monday have gone for extra bases.

Diaz will get reps at third base at the Marlins' alternate training site, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

The 24-year-old's quickest path back to the majors could be in a utility role after he lost out on the starting job at the keystone to Jazz Chisholm this spring. First though, Diaz will need to find his swing after posting a .385 OPS in 42 plate appearances during Grapefruit League play and a .545 OPS through his first 56 big-league games.

Marte (illness) is back in the lineup Monday against the Cubs, leading off and playing center field, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Marte was scratched Sunday with a non-COVID illness, but it was evidently a minor issue. There's little reason to fear for his readiness for Opening Day.

Marte was scratched from Sunday's Cactus League lineup with a non-COVID illness, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old was slated to start in center field and bat leadoff, but he'll instead receive the day off. The specifics of the situation remain unclear, but it's unlikely to affect Marte's availability for Opening Day.

Diaz will begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville after Jazz Chisholm was named the starter at second base by general manager Kim Ng on Sunday, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

The pair were competing for the starting job throughout spring training, but Diaz won't make the Opening Day roster after going 2-for-34 with 13 strikeouts in 19 Grapefruit League appearances. Diaz will receive regular reps in the minors rather than operating as a bench piece for the Marlins.

Garcia was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Carter Kieboom's significant spring struggles could have opened up playing time for Garcia, but his .660 spring OPS wasn't particularly impressive either. The Nationals elected to send both young infielders to the minors and will use veteran journeymen Starlin Castro, Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Hernan Perez in some combination at second and third base to start the year. Garcia is still just 20 years old and was promoted ahead of schedule last season, so the move shouldn't be considered much of a setback in terms of his long-term career prospects.

Hoerner was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Hoerner appeared in 48 games in 2020 and appeared to be on track to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster, but he'll be sent to the minors to begin the regular season. The 23-year-old slashed .353/.405/.647 with six extra-base hits, five RBI and three stolen bases over 13 Cactus League games this spring. Hoerner should be back with the major-league club at some point in 2021, but David Bote and Eric Sogard will split time at second base early in the year.

Peguero went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI against Baltimore on Thursday.

He got the start even though he's already been reassigned to minor-league camp. The 20-year-old shortstop has three hits in nine spring at-bats and is showing the promise that led Pittsburgh to trade for him in the Starling Marte deal.