MLB Player News

Canha is hitting .176 (3-for-17) with seven walks, a stolen base and one run across his first nine Cactus League games.

The veteran notched back-to-back one-single performances March 7 and 9, but he's just 1-for-7 over his subsequent four games and is still in search of his first extra-base hit this spring. However, the seven bases on balls do corroborate Canha's batting eye is as sharp as ever after he generated the two highest walk rates of his career the last two seasons (13.5 percent and 15.2 percent). Canha presumably still remains a candidate to lead off on occasion after being labeled as such early in spring training, with his respective .396 and .387 on-base percentages in 2019 and 2020 certainly helping make his case as a viable top-of-the-order option.

Solak went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's spring game against Arizona.

Solak homered for the second straight game and is now 4-for-9 over his last three games. That's the good news. The other side of Solak's spring is an increase in strikeouts. The Rangers' planned starter at second base, who struck out at an 18 percent clip in 2020, has whiffed 11 times in 26 Cactus League at-bats.

Alvarez did not appear in Monday's spring game against the Marlins because manager Dusty Baker wanted to avoid using him in back-to-back games, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez, who made his spring debut Sunday, has been dealing with sore knees, so the manager didn't want to expose him to back-to-back contests this early. It's unclear how long Alvarez will be under such restrictions or whether this was simply Baker exercising an overabundance of caution.

Ohtani went 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs in Monday's Cactus League loss to Cincinnati.

Two days after a rough outing on the mound, Ohtani was in the lineup at DH and reminded everyone of what he can do with the bat, drilling two opposite-field homers against Michael Lorenzen. While he has been up and down as a pitcher this spring, Ohtani has wowed at the plate, slashing .563/.556/1.125 with three homers and five RBI.

Choi (knee) acknowledged Monday that he's unsure if he'll be available for the Rays' April 1 season opener versus the Marlins, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi expects to glean more clarity on his status for Opening Day when the Rays re-evaluate him this weekend or early next week after he completes a 7-to-10-day shutdown period. The Rays are hopeful that the time off will help resolve the ongoing right knee soreness/tightness that Choi has been managing this spring, but if not, the 29-year-old will be a candidate for the 10-day injured list. Choi's potential absence to begin the season would open up more reps at first base and/or designated hitter for Yandy Diaz, Austin Meadows and Yoshi Tsutsugo.

Alvarez made his Grapefruit League debut Sunday and went 0-for-3 in a game against Washington.

As expected, Alvarez slotted in at designated hitter while batting fifth in the order. Issues with both knees slowed Alvarez's introduction to game action and will likely limit him to DH-only duties in 2021. He missed all but two games in 2020, but Alvarez was productive in a mostly-DH role in 2019, when he won Rookie of the Year honors after posting a 1.067 OPS with 27 home runs over 369 plate appearances.

Rooker went 3-for-3 with a double in Sunday's spring training win over Boston. He's hitting .400 (6-for-15) with a home run this spring.

Rooker is competing for a bench role this spring. He could begin the season in a platoon in right field if the Twins send Alex Kirilloff to the minors, as he's one of the few right-handed bats among the Twins' outfielders. Rooker is showing he's healthy after his 2020 season ended in mid-September due to a fractured right forearm that required surgery.

Ohtani pitched 2.1 innings against the White Sox in a Cactus League contest Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four.

Ohtani looked good in the first frame, allowing one hit but striking out two batters. Things fell apart in the second, however, as Ohtani allowed five straight hitters to reach base before being pulled for a reliever. He ended up being charged with five runs in the frame, then came back out for the third inning (modified spring training rules allow such a move to take place) and got two outs before calling it a day. While the right-hander's outing certainly wasn't pretty, the good news is that he emerged from the appearance feeling fine, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, and touched 99 mph with his fastball. Ohtani's ability to throw heat this spring is encouraging given his recent arm issues, and he has now struck out nine batters over four total innings. Fantasy managers looking to invest in Ohtani may be wise to focus more on his velocity and arm strength than the final box score in a meaningless spring training game, though a strong performance his next time out -- currently slated for next Sunday against San Diego -- could help ease concerns about the oft-injured hurler.

Buxton (broken tooth) will start in center field and will bat seventh in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Buxton will rejoin the Twins' spring lineup for the first time in a week after he was sidelined with a cracked tooth that required a root canal. The brief absence shouldn't prevent him from being ready to fill a full-time role in the outfield for the Twins when Opening Day arrives.

Alvarez (knees) will serve as the Astros' designated hitter and will bat fifth in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 23-year-old slugger will be making his long-awaited spring debut in what marks his first game action since mid-August after a lengthy recovery from bilateral arthroscopic knee surgery. Per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, manager Dusty Baker said he expects Alvarez to receive only 2-to-3 plate appearances Sunday before checking out of the contest, but the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year should be able to play a full game by the time the Astros' Grapefruit League slate concludes. Given Alvarez's past knee issues, the Astros are expected to limit his defensive work throughout the spring, and if he does get on the field, he'll most likely play first base rather than the corner outfield. Because he played exclusively as a DH in his brief 2020 campaign, Alvarez may not carry eligibility in the outfield in certain fantasy leagues.