MLB Player News

De La Cruz suffered a left hamstring strain March 18 and will miss the start of the minor-league season, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 21-year-old apparently suffered the injury shortly after being reassigned to minor-league camp in mid-March, and he has a tentative return date of April 12. De La Cruz is one of the top prospects in baseball, and he's poised to play for Triple-A Louisville once healthy after he posted a .947 OPS between the High-A and Double-A levels last year.

Wisdom is batting .343 with a 1.036 OPS and two home runs across 35 Cactus League at-bats.

Wisdom has had a strong spring to solidify his spot as the Cubs' regular third baseman. The team added infielders Dansby Swanson and Eric Hosmer in the offseason, which pushed Nick Madrigal out of a starting role, but it appears that Wisdom will stick at the hot corner with Madrigal likely more of a utility player off the bench. Wisdom blasted 53 home runs over the last two seasons, so he should give fantasy managers some power production, though he typically struggles to maintain a high batting average.

Rivera was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Rivera was acquired by Arizona at the trade deadline last season and had a .227/.304/.424 slash line with six home runs in 39 games, but he won't begin the 2023 campaign in the majors. The 26-year-old should be one of the top candidates for a call-up if the Diamondbacks require depth in the corner infield.

The Marlins optioned Groshans (shoulder) to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Groshans' bid for a spot on the Marlins' Opening Day roster may have been derailed by a left shoulder injury that sidelined him for two weeks earlier this month, but he returned to Grapefruit League action Friday and Saturday, going 0-for-2 between those games while also seeing some time in the field at third base. He'll ultimately head to Triple-A to continue playing on an everyday basis, but Groshans could be first in line for a promotion if the Marlins are without one of their regulars in the infield for any period of time this season.

Busch went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in a Cactus League contest against the Royals on Saturday.

Busch was optioned to minor-league camp nearly two weeks ago, but he's shown that he can hold his own against major-league pitching this spring. The 25-year-old has posted a .937 OPS over 36 plate appearances while driving in four runs. Busch will begin the campaign with Triple-A Oklahoma City but is likely to make his big-league debut at some point this season.

Arenado (hand) was in the lineup for both of the Cardinals' last two Grapefruit League games Friday and Saturday, picking up starts at third base and designated hitter while going a collective 3-for-5 with three RBI.

As anticipated, the hand injury that Arenado suffered last Sunday while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic in a game against Cuba didn't prove to be a major concern, even though it kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the tournament. Upon reporting back to Cardinals camp, Arenado was cleared to check back into the Grapefruit League lineup Friday, and he looked to be fine at the plate while mashing a trio of base hits. He'll be ready to handle an everyday role at the hot corner once Opening Day arrives.

The Mets optioned Baty to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Baty more than held his own before the demotion with a .325/.460/.425 slash with a home run and two steals over 50 plate appearances. One of the top hitting prospects in the Mets' system, Baty will head to Triple-A to begin the season, but he has a real chance to help New York and fantasy players before 2023 comes to a close.

The Rockies informed Moustakas on Sunday that he'll be included on the Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas joined Colorado as a non-roster invitee in early March and pushed his way on the Opening Day squad after slashing .367/.387/.700 with two home runs in 31 plate appearances in the Cactus League. He'll likely get playing time at third base and designated hitter for the Rockies to begin the season, but fantasy players should take a wait-and-see approach before investing in Moustakas, given his struggles over the past few campaigns. Colorado will need to remove someone from the 40-man roster -- or add someone to the 60-day injured list -- before Moustakas' contract is selected.

Baty has played well enough this spring at third base to give the Mets a tough decision to make between him and incumbent starter Eduardo Escobar, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Baty's thumped the ball all spring, batting .325 (13-for-40) with a home run and two stolen bases, but the 23-year-old has struck out 14 times in 50 plate appearances, a sign he could potentially use more time at Triple-A. Escobar, on the other hand, hasn't been able to get going at the plate at all and is hitting just .133 (4-for-30) with one extra-base hit, a double. The veteran Escobar remains the likely Opening Day starter at the hot corner, but a slow start could prompt the Mets to make a quick switch and give Baty a chance to take the job, as there's little margin for error in what should be an ultra-competitive NL East.

Escobar's poor spring, as well as a big performance from Brett Baty, have given the Mets a tough decision to make at third base, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Escobar's 4-for-30 (.133) spring comes with just one extra-base hit, a double, while Baty has raked to the tune of a .325 batting average (13-for-40) with a home run and two stolen bases, although the 23-year-old has struck out 14 times in 50 plate appearances. Escobar remains the favorite to start at the hot corner Opening Day while Baty heads back to Triple-A for more seasoning, but a slow start from the veteran could prompt the Mets to make a quick switch, as there's little margin for error in what should be an ultra-competitive NL East.