MLB Player News

Belt (knee) will run the bases Wednesday and could make his Cactus League debut sometime this weekend, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt has been dealing with knee inflammation recently but has participated fully in workouts despite being held out of game action. Manager Gabe Kapler has remained optimistic that the 33-year-old will be ready for Opening Day, and it would certainly be encouraging if he was able to make his Cactus League debut this weekend.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler said Tuesday that Belt (knee) remains on track to be ready for Opening Day "for now," Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Belt has dealt with knee inflammation this spring and hasn't gotten into a Cactus League game, but he's been able to participate fully in workouts. He won't get to face much live pitching unless he returns to game action soon, but the Giants seem fairly confident in his readiness nonetheless. Injuries will remain a concern for the veteran throughout the year, as he's played 112 or fewer games in three of the last four full seasons, but he's a good bet to produce strong numbers when healthy. He homered 29 times in 97 games last season while slashing .274/.378/.597.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with a walk, a three-run home run and a second run scored in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

Chi Chi Gonzalez left a pitch over the heart of the plate in the third inning and Ozuna sliced it down the right-field line, watching it carry over the fence for his first homer this spring. The veteran slugger played in only 48 games last season before spending the rest of the year on administrative leave due to domestic violence charges, but the league made his eventual suspension retroactive and he will be available for Opening Day, likely as Atlanta's designated hitter. Ozuna's .644 OPS in those 48 games might be the more immediate concern for prospective fantasy investors, but if the 31-year-old can find a middle ground between his 2020 and 2021 performances, he'll have plenty of value.

Soler went 3-for-4 with two runs on Saturday during the Marlins' 9-2 win over St. Louis.

Soler was making his Marlins debut after signing a three-year, $36 million contract a week ago. The slugger hit leadoff Saturday against a lefty and should see an everyday role between left field and DH for the Marlins this season.

Soler is batting first and starting in left field Saturday against the Cardinals.

Soler signed with Miami on March 19 and will appear in game action for the first time with his new team. It's particularly notable that he is leading off given left-hander Steven Matz is on the mound, in turn bumping Jazz Chisholm to the ninth spot in the order. It remains to be seen if that is the way the Marlins will operate once the regular season begins.

Belt (knee) is participating in full baseball workouts and will be re-evaluated for spring training action within a week, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury Newsreports.

Belt missed just over a month with a knee injury in the middle of the 2021 campaign, though it's unclear if this is a related issue. He has yet to appear in any spring training contests. The Giants have not made any determination about his availability for Opening Day.

Beer went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run in Friday's spring training game against the Angels.

Beer finished up the game at first base and launched his first Cactus League home run. Arizona's leading candidate to serve as the designated hitter is 5-for-5 with two doubles and a homer over the last three spring games.

Blackmon went 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI in Friday's Cactus League win over the Cubs.

Blackmon appeared in his fourth Cactus League game of the year Friday, and he's served exclusively as the leadoff man this spring. Per Thomas Harding of MLB.com, manager Bud Black was noncommittal when asked whether Blackmon would hit at the top of the lineup to begin the regular season. However, the 35-year-old served as the leadoff man for several years earlier in his career, and the Rockies acquired more bats during the offseason that can hit in the heart of the order. Blackmon hasn't recorded any extra-base hits this spring but has gone 3-for-9 with three runs, an RBI, two walks and a strikeout across his four appearances.

Ramirez arrived at camp Friday after a fairly long visa delay, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Ramirez made it to camp nearly two weeks later than most of his teammates. He was already looking at a tough battle for a bench spot, so his odds of breaking camp in the majors following the delay may be low.

Canha went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The first-inning blast off Will Stewart was Canha's first of the spring. The 33-year-old cashed in on a big 2021 season that included career highs in runs (93), walks (77) and steals (12) by getting a two-year contract from the Mets this offseason, and he hit second in Thursday's lineup behind Brandon Nimmo -- a lineup that would give New York's sluggers like Pete Alonso plenty of ducks on the pond this year given Nimmo's career .393 OBP and Canha's career .344 mark.