MLB Player News

Buxton went 2-for-3 with a home run in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox. He's hitting .400 (10-for-25) with four home runs this spring.

Buxton also has just four strikeouts after a 29 percent or worse strikeout rate each season in the majors. It's small sample, but Buxton is healthy and comfortable at the plate. He's looking like the player who seemed set for a breakout 2018 season before his campaign was derailed by injuries.

Jimenez was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

This move was unfortunately inevitable. If he stays healthy, the expectation is that Jimenez will join the big-league club shortly after the White Sox have secured a seventh year of control by keeping him in the minors until at least April 12. Chicago starts a home series against the Royals on April 15, which seems like the most likely date for him to get the call.

The Mariners have informed Vogelbach that he'll be included on the roster next week for the team's two-game, season-opening series with the Athletics in Tokyo, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Mariners and Athletics will both be allotted 28-man rosters in Japan as they kick off their seasons a week before the league's other 28 teams. That extra roster flexibility will make it easier for the Mariners to keep Vogelbach around temporarily, but the 26-year-old may have already earned his spot with the big club once they resume play in North America. Heading into Wednesday, Vogelbach has reached base at a .613 clip in Cactus League play, largely owing to his 12 walks in 31 plate appearances. With no minor-league options remaining and the Mariners down a corner-infield bat in Kyle Seager (hand) through at least the beginning of May, Vogelbach looks poised to fill at least a part-time role at first base or designated hitter for Seattle early in the season.

Martinez was scratched from the Red Sox's lineup for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins due to back tightness, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Martinez can be viewed as day-to-day at this juncture unless the Red Sox indicate otherwise. The slugger is off to a poor start to the spring with a 1-for-16 mark from the plate, but his stellar track record over the past five seasons continues to make him a worthy first-round selection in just about any fantasy format.

Ford was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Yankees on Tuesday.

Ford received an invite to major-league spring training and had his struggles at the plate, going 3-for-21 with six strikeouts. The 26-year-old should return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he slashed .253/.327/.433 with 15 home runs in 102 games last season.

Stanton is hitting .333 with a home run, two RBI and three walks over his last 15 spring training at-bats.

Stanton went hitless in his first four at-bats of the spring, but he's found his groove since March 1, launching a mammoth home run for his first long ball Friday. He's now sporting an excellent .417 on-base percentage in Grapefruit League play. For Stanton, the objective will be parlaying that into a stronger start to the regular season than he had last year, when he limped out of the gate to the tune of a .230/.313/.425 slash line in March and April.

Lewis was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Lewis had a solid run at the dish in big-league camp, hitting .389 with two home runs, four RBI, a stolen base and six runs scored. The former first-round pick slashed .220/.309/.371 over 37 games with Double-A Arkansas a season ago and could remain with the Travelers to open the 2019 campaign.

Alvarez went 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's game against the Nationals.

Alvarez's bat is not in question -- he slugged a combined 21 home runs with a .534 slugging percentage and .904 OPS at Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Fresno in 2018 -- but a spot on Houston's roster is. The 6-foot-5 Alvarez has the frame of a first baseman, but the Astros are exposing him to left field, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. "He's a little more athletic and a little bit better in left field than I had anticipated, just because there's so much attention and talk about his bat," manager AJ Hinch said of Alvarez. If the 21-year-old can handle the added responsibility of another position, Alvarez improves the chances of bringing his impressive bat to the majors.

Cabrera went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

Cabrera now has two home runs this spring to go along with a 1.270 OPS. The veteran had his 2018 season cut short due to a ruptured biceps, but the early returns in 2019 indicate he could be back to full health, and he could be a nice discount option in fantasy leagues.

Manager Brad Ausmus said Saturday that Ohtani (elbow) won't be activated from the Angels' injured list before May, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani, who began his throwing program this week while he works back from Tommy John surgery, isn't scheduled to pitch this season but remains on track to serve as a designated hitter for the club. Earlier in the offseason, there was some optimism that Ohtani might receive clearance to enter the lineup at some point during the first month of 2019, but Ausmus has dismissed that possibility in recognition of where the two-way phenom currently stands in his rehab. Ohtani is merely hitting soft toss at this point, so he'll need to advance to live batting practice before the Angels even clear him to get at-bats in simulated games or minor-league rehab games. It will likely take at least a few weeks for Ohtani to take enough swings against live pitching before the Angels consider activating him, a reality that may make it difficult to justify rostering him in leagues with limited bench spots.