MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand's back injury is not considered serious, Mark Sheldon of MLB Network reports.

"It was a little bit of a scare at first," Reds manager David Bell said Friday. "Now I think [Encarnacion-Strand] is going to be fine in a matter of a few days... He had an exam done. It was something he had in the past that's not an issue. A small aggravation. He should be back next week." Encarnacion-Strand is considered one of the better power-hitting prospects in the Cincinnati system after coming over to the Reds in the Tyler Mahle trade, and assuming good health, the 23-year-old could help the club before the end of 2023.

Choi (elbow) lost his arbitration hearing against the Pirates and will make $4.65 million in 2023, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Choi had filed at $5.4 million, but the arbiter has ruled in favor of the team. Acquired from the Rays in November, Choi posted a .729 OPS with 11 home runs over 113 games last season. He had minor elbow surgery shortly after the trade but is expected to be fine for Opening Day. Choi is slated to see the lion's share of playing time at first base for the Pirates this season.

Pederson will get some time at first base during spring training, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Pederson is projected to fill at least a strong-side platoon role in the outfield, but picking up time at first base could help him get into the lineup more. For now, the lefty-hitting LaMonte Wade and righties Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis figure to get the bulk of the playing time at first. Pederson slashed .274/.353/.521 with 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 134 contests last season.

Encarnacion-Strand is expected to be delayed in the early stages of camp with a back injury, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Encarnacion-Strand was a big piece of the return package for starting pitcher Tyler Mahle at last year's trade deadline. The 23-year-old produced a .316 average with 12 homers, 46 RBI, 24 runs and a stolen base over 190 at-bats between Double-A Wichita and Double-A Chattanooga last season. With the Reds gearing up for their spring camp in the near future, Encarnacion-Strand will look to rest up the back and garner some reps with the team before the season.

Soler (back) was spotted taking part in outfield drills during the Marlins' workout Monday at spring training, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Soler is back in Miami for a second season after he exercised his $15 million player option for 2023 earlier in the offseason. The 30-year-old was limited to just 72 games in his first year in Miami on account of pelvic and back issues, but he appears to be back to full health as spring training gets underway. According to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, Marlins general manager Kim Ng relayed in November that she anticipates Soler will spend the majority of his time at designated hitter in 2023, even though he made 57 starts in left field in 2022.

Torrens signed Wednesday with the Cubs on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to MLB spring training.

The Cubs will enter spring training with veterans Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart entrenched as the team's top two backstops, but Torrens could have an opportunity to break camp with the big club if Chicago elects to carry three catchers into Opening Day or if Gomes or Barnhart succumbs to an injury. Torrens logged 166 plate appearances in the big leagues with the Mariners in 2022, slashing .225/.283/.298 with three home runs, 15 RBI and 13 runs.

Winker (neck, knee) has been working out at the Brewers' spring training complex in Arizona and will not face any restrictions at the start of spring training.

Winker is coming back from a minor knee surgery and also an operation on his neck in which he had a herniated disc replaced. The neck injury in particular seemed debilitating, as Winker sunk to a .688 OPS in 2022, but it sounds like he'll head into 2023 with a clean bill of health. The 29-year-old also had a major ballpark upgrade when he was traded from Seattle to Milwaukee over the offseason, giving him a good shot to bounce back this year.

Lewis agreed to a one-year, $1.61 million contract with the Diamondbacks on Friday to avoid arbitration, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

It's the first year of arbitration eligibility for Lewis, who was acquired from the Mariners in November. The 2020 AL Rookie of the Year has played in only 54 big-league games across the past two seasons and produced a .215/.301/.366 slash line during that span.

McCutchen signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Pirates on Friday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Well, isn't that fun? McCutchen reached superstardom in Pittsburgh, winning the National League MVP award in 2013 and finishing in the top five in voting four straight years. He's 36 now and coming off a career-low .700 OPS, but he nonetheless instantly becomes one of the Pirates' better hitters and provides some leadership. This should also offer him a chance to play every day, an opportunity he wouldn't necessarily have received elsewhere.

Carpenter signed a one-year deal with the Padres on Tuesday which includes a player option for a second season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

After producing a below-average batting line in three consecutive seasons, Carpenter rebounded to hit .305/.412/.727 for the Yankees last season, albeit in just 47 games. A repeat of those fantastic numbers this season would be a surprise, though his dramatic improvement wasn't entirely a fluke, as he trimmed his strikeout rate by over eight points to 22.7 percent and posted a 13.7 percent barrel rate. The veteran should be able to help out at all four corner spots if needed but appears to have a path to playing time as the team's primary designated hitter, though that could still change with future offseason moves.