MLB Player News

Belt (heel) is playing first base in a simulated game Sunday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

It's been slow going in camp for the 32-year-old after dealing with COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, but he appears to be nearing his Cactus League debut for the Giants. Belt still has a couple weeks to prepare for Opening Day, but his conditioning may not be up to par after recovering from a pair of long-term ailments. He had a .309/.425/.591 slash line with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 30 RBI and 30 walks in 51 games during 2020.

Miller could require an MRI after he was unable to play in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to a right oblique injury, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Miller said Sunday that the injury was something that had been bothering him throughout the spring, but it wasn't until Saturday that the pain was significant enough for him to ask out of the lineup. The Phillies plan to give him a few days of rest with the hope that's enough to resolve the issue, but if not, Miller will likely be sent in for further diagnostic tests. The 31-year-old is competing for a role this spring as a left-handed bat off the Philadelphia bench.

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Rangers.

Vogelbach got off to a slow start this spring, but he has picked up the pace lately, going 4-for-12 (.333) over his past five games. Hoping he would be able to see regular at-bats as the designated hitter, the Brewers re-signed Vogelbach over the offseason. With the NL not adopting the DH, though, he will be able to work in that role only in AL parks and is on track to serve as the backup first baseman behind Keston Hiura.

Dickerson is 2-for-12 with two runs, three walks and one stolen base through six spring games.

The 30-year-old is still seeing the ball well as the three walks suggest, but he otherwise hasn't found much success early in camp. Dickerson posted an impressive .298/.371/.576 slash line with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 27 RBI in 52 games last season, though he had only 12 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He could open 2021 working on the strong side of a platoon in left field, which would still afford him plenty of opportunities.

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored in Saturday's game against the Tigers.

The strong showing means the veteran outfielder has now gone 6-for-18 with three extra-base hits through seven Grapefruit League games. Entering the season healthy is what's most important for the former MVP, who posted a career-low 103 wRC+ last season in his first year back from a torn ACL. Any boost he gets from a healthy offseason could be offset by the effects of aging for the 34-year-old, though he should still be a respectable cross-category contributor this season unless age hits particularly hard.

Miller suffered a ribcage injury Saturday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's not yet clear how much time Miller is expected to miss, but the Phillies should have a better idea soon as he's been sent for tests. Miller signed a major-league deal in February and should fill an important role off the bench if healthy, but even a minor setback at this stage of spring could send him to the injured list to start the year.

Belt (heel) battled COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt at least feels good in his recovery from October heel surgery, but it's been a brutal winter for the veteran first baseman. He hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day, but he's yet to get into game action this spring, so he appears to be running out of time. Even if he does make the Opening Day roster, he'll likely need frequent rest to start the season, as his conditioning presumably isn't where he'd want it to be after battling a pair of long-term illnesses. At-bats could be freed up early in the season for some combination of Wilmer Flores, Darin Ruf or Austin Slater.

Pederson went 3-for-3 with two solo home runs and three runs scored in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rockies.

The game wasn't at Coors Field, but Pederson performed like it was. The outfielder has been on a tear to begin spring training, as he now has five home runs and a 2.071 OPS through seven games. Pederson should play every day for the Cubs and has the chance to put up good numbers in a lineup that also features the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Willson Contreras.

Harper isn't expected to play the field until sometime next week, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Harper dealt with back issues last season and has been brought along cautiously in camp, with his Grapefruit League appearances all coming as a designated hitter thus far. The Phillies haven't expressed much concern, but the way they're treating the star slugger nevertheless seems telling. It's possible Harper sees more frequent off days than he's used to this year as the Phillies strive to ensure his back problems don't reach the point that he needs to miss an extended period. It's also possible that this is simply standard spring caution and that Harper will be treated normally once the regular season begins.

Pederson went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics.

The 28-year-old is fitting in nicely with the Cubs, as he now has a robust 1.672 OPS and three home runs this spring in six games. Pederson is essentially replacing Kyle Schwarber in Chicago, and after a rough 2020, eyes are on him to return to the form that saw the lefty slugger hit 36 homers for the Dodgers in 2019.