MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani will pitch in Wednesday's Cactus League game versus the Giants and added that the two-way star is lined up for the Freeway Series versus the Angels between March 22 and 24, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Ohtani is expected to pitch 3-to-4 innings in his first start during the regular season as a pitcher. Wednesday's Cactus League game will be the first time the four-time MVP will have pitched in a spring training game since 2023 when he was with the Angels. The right-hander did not pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, but he has been participating in bullpen and live batting-practice sessions in his progression.

Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Ohtani will throw a bullpen session at Dodgers camp later this week and is expected to be ready to cover at least 3-to-4 innings in his first start of the season as a pitcher, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

After leaving the Dodgers in late February to join Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani has returned to Arizona and is continuing to prepare for a two-way role ahead of Opening Day. Roberts said that Ohtani will make his return to the spring lineup as a designated hitter in the coming days, and after his bullpen session, the Dodgers will decide whether the four-time MVP makes another Cactus League start as a pitcher or continues to build up through a minor-league game at camp. Even though he served exclusively as a DH during his stay with Team Japan, Ohtani was able to continue with his spring throwing progression. He most recently tossed a four-inning, 59-pitch live batting practice session last Thursday, and Roberts seems optimistic that the right-hander can at least work that long in his first start of the campaign, which could fall during the second or third game of the Dodgers' season-opening series versus the Diamondbacks. Ideally for Ohtani's fantasy managers, he'll be efficient enough to cover five innings in his first start, which would give him a chance at qualifying for a win.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Baker to minor-league camp Sunday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Baker posted a .960 OPS over 39 plate appearances in the Cactus League, but his lack of defensive versatility and status as a non-roster player were enough to keep him from breaking camp as a short-side platoon option at first base and designated hitter. He'll likely be in line for an everyday role at Triple-A Reno.

Vientos went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Getting the start at first base and batting second, Vientos wasn't able to catch up to a 95.3 mph fastball from Ryan Weiss in the fourth inning, striking out on a foul tip into Carlos Perez's glove. The Mets are still hoping Vientos can rebound from a tough 2025 and become a key part of the offense, but he's batting a miserable .048 (1-for-21) this spring with a 0:4 BB:K. Given his defensive limitations, if the 26-year-old isn't contributing with his bat, his playing time could dwindle quickly once the regular season begins in favor of other young players like Brett Baty or Ronny Mauricio.

Ohtani threw a four-inning, 59-pitch live batting-practice session against Team Japan during the team's workout Thursday, David Adler of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani isn't expected to pitch during the World Baseball Classic, but he continues to get in work on the mound while with Japan for the tournament. Per Adler, Ohtani faced 18 hitters Thursday and struck out seven of them over his four simulated innings. Though Ohtani's time away from the Dodgers -- and concurrent break from pitching in games -- may impact his pitch counts to a small degree in the early stages of the regular season, the two-way star is fully expected to open the campaign in the Dodgers' rotation.

Harper went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Toronto.

Harper socked his first homer during exhibition play Saturday, and he's now recorded two doubles, four RBI and three walks across his first four outings of spring training. It doesn't sound like the Phillies have any plans to shift Harper back to the outfield in 2026, but the All-Star slugger still remains one of the premier first baseman in fantasy circles. Harper has hit at least .260 in each regular season since 2018, and he hasn't finished with an OPS under .844 since 2016.

Morel handled a number of tough chances at first base without issue during the Marlins' Grapefruit League opener against the Mets on Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old has never played a game at first base as a professional, but after signing a one-year contract with Miami in December, Morel got to work over the winter to learn the new position. He compared the footwork necessary around the bag to learning a popular dance in his native Dominican Republic. "It's more the feet when you go to cover first base, trying to put your feet correctly," Morel said after Saturday's game. "But we're getting better. Today, we got a few ground balls, and I'm trying to dance bachata today. We need to dance bachata to be a first baseman." While getting his glovework in order is a good first step, he'll likely need to improve his offensive contributions as well to secure a full-time role at first base -- over the last two seasons between the Cubs and Rays, Morel launched 32 homers with 15 steals in 257 games but slashed just .204/.288/.363 with a 29.3 percent strikeout rate.

Ohtani may not be fully stretched out as a pitcher by Opening Day, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

Ohtani is fully expected to be part of Los Angeles' pitching rotation while fulfilling his usual DH duties from the get-go, but it's unclear how stretched out he'll be as a pitcher due to his participation with Samurai Japan during the World Baseball Classic, as he's slated to work exclusively as a hitter during that tournament. Should the two-way star not be ready to handle a full pitching workload right away, it's very possible that he'll have his pitch count capped until he's fully ramped up. In that scenario, Chen suggests that Justin Wrobleski or another long reliever could work in a piggyback role with Ohtani during the early part of the campaign.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Wednesday that Ohtani will remain the team's leadoff hitter during the 2026 season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

For the first time since his final season with the Angels in 2023, Ohtani is preparing for a full season of pitching, but that won't affect the Dodgers' approach with him as their everyday designated hitter. After slugging a career-high 55 home runs while making 148 of his 158 starts out of the leadoff spot during the 2025 regular season, the four-time MVP will continue to set the table for Los Angeles once again in 2026. Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani is expected to start at DH in the Dodgers' first two Cactus League games this weekend to get some competitive at-bats under his belt before he joins Team Japan in advance of the World Baseball Classic. Roberts has already said that Ohtani won't pitch for Japan in the WBC, but the two-way phenom will likely continue to build up through bullpen and live batting practice sessions throughout the spring to ensure that he'll be part of the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation.

The Pirates signed Ozuna to a one-year, $10.5 million contract Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. The deal includes a $16 million mutual option or $1.5 million buyout for 2027.

Ozuna produced a disappointing .232/.355/.400 batting line with 21 home runs over 145 games for Atlanta in 2025. However, a nagging hip injury was likely at least partly to blame, and he is just a year removed from a 39-homer season. Ozuna will slide into the designated hitter role in Pittsburgh, likely pushing Ryan O'Hearn to left field and Jake Mangum to a fourth outfielder role.