MLB Player News

Arenado (hand) underwent X-rays that came back negative after exiting Sunday's World Baseball Classic game against Cuba, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Arenado appeared to be in good spirits in the dugout following his early exit Sunday, and the results of his X-ray are encouraging. While it's not yet clear whether he'll be available if Team USA advances to the World Baseball Classic final, it certainly seems possible he'll be available for MLB Opening Day on March 30.

Arenado exited Sunday's World Baseball Classic semifinal against Cuba in the bottom of the fifth inning after being hit by a pitch on his right hand, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Arenado got off to a hot start in Sunday's matchup, going 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs, an RBI and a strikeout. While he was removed from the game immediately after being hit by the pitch, he appeared to be in good spirits in the dugout, and his removal may have been precautionary due to the 9-2 lead that Team USA had at the time. If Team USA advances to the World Baseball Classic final, it's unclear whether Arenado will be available.

Reds manager David Bell confirmed Sunday that Reynolds (quadriceps) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Reynolds is dealing with Grade 1 strains in both of his quads and hasn't been able to play in March. The 32-year-old was expected to compete for a bench spot with Cincinnati, but he is likely to spend the start of the year on the minor-league injured list before rehabbing at the upper levels.

Longoria went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's spring game against Cleveland.

The homer was the first of the spring for Longoria and just his second hit. The third baseman is 2-for-18 (.111) over eight Cactus League games. He's expected to serve as the Diamondbacks' primary third baseman to start the season, although remaining healthy could be an issue for the 37-year-old, who hasn't played more than 89 games since 2019.

Kieboom (shoulder) is playing catch Sunday but has yet to throw across the diamond since suffering a setback two weeks ago, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The 25-year-old also hit in a minor-league game on the back field Saturday, though he mostly focused on nailing down his timing. Kieboom was making his return from last May's Tommy John surgery but was shut down due to shoulder discomfort, and he appears likely to open 2023 on the injured list.

Segura went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Friday's split-squad game against the Cardinals.

The Marlins have gotten a number of players back from the WBC in the last couple days, including Segura, and the veteran infielder quickly showed he hadn't lost any ground in his preparations during his time away from camp. Segura got the start at third base and hit leadoff, a spot in the batting order he might occupy when games begin to count as his on-base skills were a big reason why Miami signed him. The 33-year-old hasn't posted an OBP below .336 over a full season since 2015.

Riley has gone 6-for-19 with two home runs, a double and a 5:5 BB:K through nine Grapefruit League games.

The 25-year-old crushed a career-high 38 homers and 39 doubles last season with an .877 OPS, and Riley's done nothing this spring to suggest any serious regression is in order. He'll hit in the heart of a potent Atlanta batting order in 2023 and will take aim at reaching 100 RBI for the second time in his career.

Anderson is 8-for-19 (.421) with two home runs through nine games this spring in the Cactus League.

Anderson had a rough final year in Miami last season, but there's some thought that he could be rejuvenated offensively following an offseason move to Milwaukee. He's in line for everyday playing time out of the gate, whether in the corner outfield or his standard position at third base, and American Family Field is a lot friendlier to hitters than loanDepot park. There should deep-league fantasy appeal here.

Muncy is no longer using a step-back in his swing as he did for the latter part of last season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Muncy adopted the step-back last year in part to "lock things in place" following a rough start to the campaign that was likely connected to lingering ligament damage in his elbow. Ardaya reports that Muncy visited Driveline in the offseason and took up weighted bat training that has resulted in a quicker swing, and the veteran appears to be back to full health for the coming campaign. Muncy has so far shown positive results this spring, slashing .292/.393/.500 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI over 28 plate appearances.

Arenado is batting .364 (4-for-11) through Team USA's first three games at the World Baseball Classic.

Three of Arenado's four hits are doubles. It's status quo for the third baseman, who hit an impressive .293/.358/.533 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI across 148 contests last season. He'll play a near-everyday role at the hot corner with occasional time as the designated hitter once the Cardinals' season begins.