MLB Player News

Martinez is a candidate to bat second this season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Martinez batted second some last season, but he got most of his at-bats in the No. 5 hole. If he bats second, his RBI potential will go down, but he could score more runs in front of guys like Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Justin Upton and Nick Castellanos.

Vogelbach, who is likely to platoon with veteran Danny Valencia at first base, has impressed manager Scott Servais with the improved agility he's flashing as a result of offseason workouts, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "He spent a lot of time on it this offseason. I think he looks great. He's certainly moving a lot better defensively around the bag. He's a lot more flexible. His hands are working better. I like what I see so far."

A 2011 draft pick of the Cubs, Vogelbach arrived in Seattle last July 20 and eventually logged his first 12 major league at-bats late in the season. A burly 6-foot, 250-pounder, Vogelbach worked diligently with his brother, a trainer, this offseason to improve his lateral mobility and first-step quickness. He also added yoga into his stretching routine in attempt to maximize the flexibility of his hips and hamstrings, all with the goal of ensuring himself a roster spot by proving he can be viable defensive option at first base. The 24-year-old's bat is a much more established commodity, as most recently evidenced by his .292/.417/.505 line with 25 doubles, two triples, 23 homers and 96 RBI over a combined 459 at-bats at Triple-A Iowa and Tacoma last season. If he can translate the improvement he's showing in workouts to spring training games, Vogelbach is likely to secure a spot on the 25-man roster and serve as yet another source of power in a potent Mariners lineup.

Brantley (shoulder) took part in fielding drills on Tuesday, Tom Withers reports.

The good news is that Brantley is increasing his activity level, but the bad news is that his status remains "week to week." Before working in the outfield on Tuesday, he stepped into the batter's box Monday, although he never took a swing as he just worked on tracking pitches. Seeing Brantley up his participation is encouraging, but the outfielder remains a high-risk pick until a timetable for his return is established.

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.