MLB Player News

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.

Stefanic (quadricep) will take live batting practice and take part in running work Wednesday, but the Angels haven't provided a timeline for him to return to the Cactus League lineup, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Stefanic seems to be making good progress in his recovery from the left quad strain that cut short his first Cactus League start back on Feb. 24, but he still looks to be at least a few days away from being ready to return to game action. If Stefanic is able to shake off the injury prior to Opening Day, he could remain in the mix for a backup infield role to begin the season.

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.

Rengifo (hamstring) will start at third base and bat third in Wednesday's split-squad Cactus League game against the Cubs, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

He'll be making his spring debut Wednesday after a bout with left hamstring tightness kept Rengifo behind the Angels' other healthy position players during the early stages of camp. Rengifo still has plenty of time to get enough at-bats in during Cactus League games to guarantee his availability for Opening Day, and he could find himself in a prominent lineup spot to begin the regular season. Per Fletcher, manager Ron Washington said Feb. 22 that he views Rengifo as a candidate to serve as the Angels' leadoff hitter.

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.

Rengifo (hamstring) is expected to see some at-bats in one of Wednesday's split-squad games, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old has been dealing with a hamstring issue the past couple weeks but is now poised to make his spring debut Wednesday. Rengifo had a .783 OPS with 16 homers in 126 games last season and should see action all across the diamond for the Halos in 2024.

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.

Urias (shoulder) is starting at third base and batting seventh for the Mariners in Tuesday's Cactus League contest against the Rangers, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

Urias has started some games at designated hitter, but this is his first time playing the field this spring as he comes back from right shoulder soreness. The shoulder still isn't 100 percent, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, but the Mariners evidently feel it's good enough to test things out in a game. There had been some concern that Urias might not be ready in time for Opening Day, but it now would appear he should be OK if he can avoid setbacks. Urias is slated to see starts at the hot corner for the M's, perhaps sharing the position with Josh Rojas.