MLB Player News

Buxton was removed from Friday's spring game with an apparent injury, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton collided with Xander Bogaerts during a rundown and was subsequently removed from the game after a lengthy conversation with manager Rocco Baldelli. Jake Cave replaced him in the outfield. Specifics regarding the injury remain unclear at the moment; it will be worth keeping an eye on Buxton's status with Opening Day right around the corner.

Alvarez was scratched from Thursday's game against the Tigers due to a miscommunication, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez was recently reassigned to minor-league camp and it apparently wasn't communicated to him that he would be making the trip to Lakeland on Thursday. The 21-year-old should resume his usual spring routine following the mishap.

Jimenez (illness) is in a minor-league lineup Friday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez was scratched from a minor-league game Thursday due to a head cold but his quick return confirms it was a minor issue. The 22-year-old remains at minor-league camp but his recent six-year extension likely has him ticketed for the majors fairly shortly.

Cabrera went 2-for-2 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Giants.

Cabrera keeps rolling along this spring, as he now has a strong .324/.422/.622 slash line along with three home runs and 10 RBI across 37 at-bats. The 35-year-old looks like he's fully recovered from the ruptured biceps that cut his 2018 campaign short, and while it'd be unfair to expect Cabrera to return to his MVP-level production from a few years ago, he could still be a solid fantasy asset in 2019 if he stays healthy.

Alvarez was scratched from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers for unknown reasons, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros did not disclose why Alvarez didn't make the trip to Lakeland, though they did say the issue was neither disciplinary nor injury-related. It's unknown how long he'll be out.

Jimenez was scratched from a minor-league game Thursday due to a cold, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez's six-year contract he signed Wednesday raised speculation that he'd be called up for Opening Day, though the team has yet to formally call him up after optioning him in mid-March. The young outfielder's cold is unlikely to affect Chicago's decision.

Brantley batted fourth Wednesday in a lineup manager AJ Hinch said was a "pretty good example" of the batting order against right-handed starters, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brantley could knock in 100 runs hitting fourth with on-base machines Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman hitting in front of him. Hitting behind Brantley will be Carlos Correa, which is pretty good protection. This could be a big year for the 32-year-old outfielder.

Lewis went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and two runs overall in a 6-4 Cactus League loss to the Cubs on Tuesday.

Lewis was part of a Mariners squad comprised of minor-leaguers that took on a Cubs lineup replete with regulars. That included starter Yu Darvish, against whom Lewis laced a leadoff double in the fourth. The 23-year-old is slated to open the season at Double-A Arkansas after a strong showing in big-league camp this spring.

Jimenez has agreed to a six-year extension with the White Sox that includes club options for a seventh and eighth year, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. The deal should pay him between $40 million and $80 million, when factoring in incentives and the two club options, Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital reports.

This extension, which is pending a physical, means the White Sox have nothing to lose by having Jimenez on the Opening Day roster, which now seems like a forgone conclusion. We already expected Jimenez to be up in mid April, but now prospective fantasy managers can bank on an extra two weeks worth of at-bats. He should slot into the middle of the order from day one.

Vogelbach is considered day-to-day after his left elbow stiffened up when he was hit by a pitch during his plate appearance in Wednesday's 9-7 win over the Athletics in Japan.

Vogelbach entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, checking in at first base while Ichiro Suzuki moved to the bench. The 26-year-old was then plunked in the next half inning, but took his base and resumed duties in the field until his next turn in the batting order came up in the bottom of the seventh. It doesn't sound like Vogelbach is in danger of missing meaningful time due to the injury, but the Mariners could opt to withhold him from action for their final game in Tokyo on Thursday as a precaution.