MLB Player News

Reed will need to hit his way onto the Astros Opening Day roster, according to manager A.J. HInch, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Reed's prospect status took a big hit last season when he batted just .164 with three home runs, three doubles and a .532 OPS in 141 plate appearances for the Astros. The bat is the skill that got him to the majors, so if he's not hitting, then Reed isn't "relevant on our team," in the words of Hinch. The big-bodied first baseman gained some weight over the course of last season and, in addition to finding his hitting stroke, will need to maintain mobility to stay on the field. At 23, it's a bit early in the career to be a one-dimensional, DH-only player -- especially in today's MLB where roster flexibility is paramount. We expect him to start the season at Triple-A Fresno.

Vargas enters spring training as the leading candidate to win the starting DH job, ESPN 1500 am Twin Cities reports.

Minnesota's DH spot is an open competition as Byungho Park and Robbie Grossman could also figure into the mix. Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano also figure to get time at DH as the Twins may regularly use the DH spot to give them days off from being in the field. Vargas had 10 home runs in 47 games last season, along with a .833 OPS and 13.6 percent walk rate. However, he'll need to make better contact (63 percent contact rate). It's also possible the switch hitter could platoon against lefties since he's shown sharp platoon splits (a MLB career 1.262 OPS vs. lefties, .654 OPS vs. righties).

Brantley (shoulder) has advanced to the soft-toss stage of his hitting program, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

It's another step in the long recovery journey for Brantley, who still hopes to be ready for Opening Day. The coaching staff is being precautionary with the rehabilitation process and there haven't appeared to be any setbacks at this point in time. However, until there's a firmer timetable in place, it's hard to pinpoint when he'll return to live game action.

Rays manager Kevin Cash plans on Miller starting at second base to replace Logan Forsythe, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's confirming the assumed direction Tampa Bay would head after trading Logan Forsythe. Miller likely won't play much at first base after the Rays brought back Logan Morrison. Miller's lack of batting average and stolen base help deplete what he can offer fantasy players, but his credible power and run production remain useful, and he'll eventually add the keystone to his first base-outfield fantasy eligibility.

Lewis (knee) ran on flat ground for the first time since knee surgery Thursday, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

The top prospect had previously only ran on an anti-gravity treadmill, so this is a big point in his recovery process. With this development, Lewis appears to still be on track to a return to the field sometime in mid-July.

Brantley (shoulder) won't play in Cleveland's early spring training games but he still hopes to be ready for Opening Day, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Reports have discussed that the embattled star is ahead of his rehab work, and this tidbit seems to say that the Indians aren't planning on taking any chances in his recovery process. Brantley is expected to progress past tee work relatively soon, so a firmer timetable for his return should be revealed as he progresses past that stage of his rehab program.

Ramirez, the Jays' No. 14 prospect, is still a year or two away from making his MLB debut, the Jays Journal reports.

Ramirez's breakthrough season came in 2015 at High-A Bradenton (Pirates affiliate), where he posted a .337 batting average and .857 OPS over 80 games. For a 22-year-old prospect, Ramirez is still relatively raw with just under 1,500 plate appearances in the minors. Injuries have followed the outfielder throughout his young career, but a season played at full health could see him creep past double-digit home runs for the first time. Ramirez is a strong option in dynasty formats, and there's still an outside chance he'll make his MLB debut in 2017 if the team's outfield is stricken by injuries.

Miller spent the offseason preparing to play shortstop despite strong indications he'll be deployed elsewhere in 2017, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "My thing is I know it's a long season and a lot can transpire," Miller said. "We've discussed a lot of different things. I'm focused on getting us back to playing winning baseball. So I'm coming to camp ready to work. A lot of it is just talk so far, so I'm excited to get back to actually playing."

Conventional wisdom dictates a move to second base for Miller in the coming season, given Matt Duffy's likely deployment at shortstop. However, that didn't stop Miller from still putting in his offseason preparation at the position he'd held throughout his three-plus major league seasons before Duffy's Rays debut on Aug. 12. Miller emphasized that he and the Rays are "on the same page" with respect to 2017, but he deemed it prudent to keep his shortstop skills sharp this offseason as a contingency plan. Regardless of where he finds himself in the infield, Miller's bat will be heavily counted on again after a breakout 2016 campaign that saw him tally career highs in homers (30), RBI (81), slugging (.482) and OPS (.786).

Goins appears destined to be designated for assignment as the Jays are committed to Darwin Barney retaining the top reserve role, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

Goins sealed his fate with an awful 2016, a season in which he began as the Jays' starting second baseman in place of the injured Devon Travis. After hitting .179/.216/.308 prior to the All-Star break, Goins had lost his role on the team and was eventually sent to the minors. Now out of options, the 28-year-old is expected to be up for grabs on the free agent market by the end of spring. This may not be a bad thing for Goins from a fantasy perspective, as he certainly has the glove to find a routine role on the right MLB team. His value for the 2017 season will hinge on whether a new team decides to sign and play him.

Cabrera acknowledged that his right ankle bothered him for much of the 2016 stretch run, but he feels healthy now, MLB.com reports.

Cabrera did not have a stint on the disabled list or an offseason surgery in 2016 -- the first time he's avoided either since 2012. The star slugger is turning 34 in April, but after posting 38 home runs, 108 RBI and a .956 OPS last season, there's no reason to think that Cabrera is slowing down. He's still an elite fantasy option.