MLB Player News

Reds manager David Bell said Thursday that he expects Marte (hamstring) to make his Cactus League debut March 2 versus the Rockies, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The young infielder will be held out for roughly the first week of spring training games while he continues to heal up from the Grade 2 hamstring strain he suffered in late November while playing in the Dominican Winter League. Marte hasn't experienced any setbacks while taking part in workouts since the beginning of spring, but the Reds are being mindful of managing his workload early on in camp. He's still on track to be ready to go for Opening Day, but Marte might not be guaranteed a full-time role despite posting a solid .822 OPS over 123 plate appearances with the big club in 2023 following his late-season call-up. Even though the Reds let Joey Votto walk in free agency, the team signed Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million deal. Candelario is expected to see plenty of reps at third base on days he isn't being used at first base or designated hitter, and Jonathan India (foot) is also moving into a utility role in 2024 and could poach starts from Marte at the hot corner.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Wednesday that Machado (elbow) will be ready to serve as a designated hitter in Cactus League games "sooner rather than later," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Machado won't be in the lineup for the Padres' spring opener Thursday, but Shildt noted that the slugger is "trending in a really good place" as he works his way back from surgery to repair the extensor tendon in his right elbow. San Diego has an early start to its season with two games against the Dodgers on March 20 and 21 in South Korea, but Machado is tracking toward being ready for that series, even if he's deployed as a DH initially.

Marte (hamstring) will miss the Reds' first five spring training games, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds have put Marte on a more "deliberate'" spring training schedule to avoid setbacks, and they still expect him to be ready by Opening Day.

Rivera played shortstop during the offseason in winter ball and is expected to be the backup there when the regular season opens, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Rivera has also played shortstop in previous winters, but the 27-year-old has not logged an inning there during his career in professional ball in the States. The organization clearly values Rivera, who is out of options, and it doesn't want to risk losing him. The right-handed batter can fill in against lefties, which starter Geraldo Perdomo had a .579 OPS against in 2023. A best-case scenario would have Rivera behind Perdomo at shortstop and backing up at third and first base.

Baty spent the offseason studying video and working to get his top hand stronger through his swing, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

"He's a typical right-hand thrower, left-hand bat where that top hand isn't your dominant hand," Mets assistant hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said. "That matters in keeping the barrel where you want to keep the barrel. It's just a matter of creating awareness around that, getting in a really good routine and then not trying to be perfect." A stronger top hand would create a more direct path to the ball and keep the 24-year-old's bat in the strike zone longer, hopefully improving his weak 69.1 percent contact rate from 2023. Baty is still the favorite to break camp as the Mets' starting third baseman, but if the club decides he needs more minor-league seasoning, veteran offseason addition Joey Wendle is available to platoon with Mark Vientos in Baty's place.

Arenado (back) is scheduled to take live batting practice Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Arenado's involvement in the Cardinals' first full-squad workout of spring training implies that he reported to camp with no restrictions after he closed the 2023 season on the 10-day injured list due to lower-back spasms. In an effort to improve his flexibility and avoid further back problems during the upcoming campaign, Arenado took up pilates and shed a few pounds in the offseason. The 32-year-old still boasts an elite glove at third base, but he showed his some slight signs of decline in 2023, with his .774 OPS representing a 117-point decline from 2022. Arenado's batted-ball data also mirrored the dropoff in most of the counting categories, with his barrel rate, hard-hit percentage and average exit velocity all ranking in the bottom 40 percent of hitters in the league.

Bohm will make $4 million in 2024 after winning his arbitration hearing with the Phillies on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

The Phillies had offered $3.4 million, but the ruling went in Bohm's favor. It's a nice raise for the third baseman in what was his first year of arbitration eligibility. Bohm is coming off a 2023 campaign which saw him slash .274/.327/.437 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI.

Arenado (back) is in better shape entering 2024, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Arenado has taken up pilates to be more flexible, losing a few pounds in the process. The 32-year-old third baseman is still expected to be the Cardinals' starter at the hot corner in 2024, so getting a little fitter can only help to keep him on the field. He had a challenging 2023, as did many Cardinals, slashing .266/.315/.459 with 26 home runs, 93 RBI, 71 runs scored, 26 doubles and three stolen bases over 144 contests. It was the first time he finished with an OPS under .800 in a full season since his rookie year with the Rockies in 2013.

Candelario is projected as a co-starter at third base along with Noelvi Marte (hamstring), Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Candelario, who signed a three-year contract during the offseason, is expected to play every day, whether that be at corner infield -- he has 79 career starts at first base -- or designated hitter. Marte, an elite prospect who was developed at shortstop, had a strong showing in 35 games for the Reds last season.

Machado (elbow) is swinging with 100 percent effort and playing catch to start spring training, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Machado is recovering from surgery to repair an extensor tendon injury in his elbow, leaving his status for Opening Day in question. For now, the news is positive, with general manager A.J. Preller saying that Machado has hit all expected benchmarks at this point, while also stating that he is "tracking toward" playing in the Padres' series against the Dodgers in Korea to kick off the regular season. Despite the positivity, there's still nothing definitive about Machado's status, as he is limited in the volume of his work and will be eased back into game action.