MLB Player News

Belt (illness) will start at first base and bat third in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

A stomach bug kept Belt from playing in Saturday's game against the Tigers, but he's apparently feeling fine one day later. Though he'll be picking up a start at first base Sunday, Belt is expected to serve as Toronto's primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching once the regular season gets underway.

Brantley (shoulder) will begin the season in West Palm Beach to continue his rehab at the Astros' team facility, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

This report confirms the expectation that Brantley will begin the season on the injured list. There's no clear timeline for his return, though he underwent surgery on his shoulder over seven months ago. Brantley figures to occupy a key role in the Houston lineup when he's able to take the field, though the lingering injury isn't a positive way to begin the new campaign.

Belt is dealing with a stomach illness and won't play Saturday's game against the Tigers, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Health concerns are a significant worry for Belt this year, but a minor illness is something the Blue Jays can definitely live with. The veteran appears set to be the primary designated hitter and cleanup man against righties this season for as long as he can stay on the field.

Belt went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

The veteran first baseman filled his usual DH spot and hit fourth behind George Springer, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero. Belt has hit cleanup consistently during his spring appearances, going 5-for-18 (.278) with three doubles, and while he hasn't hit any home runs or even driven in any runs, that spot in a loaded Blue Jays batting order could provide a significant boost to the 34-year-old's fantasy value if he can keep it. The biggest obstacle to a strong campaign is his ability to stay healthy -- Belt has played more than 112 games only once in the last six seasons.

Turner went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's spring game against Atlanta.

Turner returned to action earlier this week after recovering from facial injury. He's played in three games and appears to be ready to go for Opening Day.

Ramirez (finger) is in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

A pitch off his left pinkie finger forced Ramirez from Wednesday's exhibition game. However, the Rays said his removal was precautionary and Ramirez's quick return to action confirms that it was a relatively minor issue. Ramirez, who is 5-for-16 this spring without an extra-base hit, projects to be in the middle of the lineup on a regular basis for Tampa Bay.

Ohtani struck out eight over four innings in a minor-league start against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

Ohtani allowed four hits in the contest, with one of those being a homer by Gavin Conticello. He threw 78 pitches in the contest while issuing one walk along with the aforementioned eight strikeouts. Ohtani is scheduled to start Opening Day against the Athletics on Thursday, and the 2021 AL MVP should again be a two-way stalwart for the 2023 season.

The Mariners reassigned Ford to minor-league camp Friday.

Ford put together a decent spring training, going 5-for-25 at the plate with six RBI. He will likely return to Triple-A for 2023, where he slashed .248/.380/.363 over 137 plate appearances last season with four different organizations.

Ohtani is set to start Opening Day against the Athletics on Thursday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Although many of his fellow World Baseball Classic participants are taking their time ramping up their activities ahead of the regular season, Ohtani will toe the rubber in the season opener fresh off a WBC championship win with Japan. The uber-talented 28-year-old produced a impressive 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with 219 strikeouts over 166 innings in 28 starts with the Angels last season, in addition to his exploits as a hitter.

Alvarez went 0-for-3 in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Alvarez took his first official at-bats of the exhibition season after dealing with a hand injury for much of camp, which was similar to the hand issues he played through last year. While he was hitless, he managed to make loud contact on a few balls that traveled deep to center field. Most importantly, Alvarez made it out of the game healthy and will turn his focus toward Opening Day.