MLB Player News

Carpenter (back) is not in the lineup for Sunday's Grapefruit League finale.

The Cardinals announced earlier in the week that Carpenter would not return to the lineup before Sunday, but it turns out he will not be able to take the field Sunday, either. He will have one more chance to see action before the regular season begins with the Cardinals still playing an exhibition game Monday in Memphis, but the club has not revealed its plan of action, and at this point, Carpenter is less than certain to be ready for Opening Day.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a sacrifice fly, a walk and two runs in a 15-5 Grapefruit League win over the Mets on Friday.

Ozuna's second homer of spring opened the scoring in the eighth for the Cardinals in the rout. The veteran outfielder is reportedly as healthy as he's been years following shoulder surgery this offseason, and he's been working on getting his timing down at the plate after a late start to spring.

Pederson (back) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Pederson was expected to return to the lineup quickly after exiting Thursday's game due to back spasms. According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, manager Dave Roberts said the 26-year-old's absence is precautionary and he will play all three games in the exhibition series against the Angels, which begins Sunday.

Harper went 2-for-3 with a walk, two homers, three runs and three RBI in Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Harper's late arrival and cold start to spring gave at least some reason to worry that the slugger may start the season in a slump. If Thursday's exploits are anything to go by, he sure seems ready now, as his spring OPS soared up to 1.192. The outfielder has typically started the season hot, as he owns a .309/.436/.619 line through the end of April over the course of his career.

Winker has failed to record a hit in his last 13 spring at-bats, but manager David Bell isn't concerned, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

When asked if there was concern over Winker's struggles this spring, Bell stated, "No, I'm not. I'm not at all. I wish I had a better way to explain why spring training results -- I don't look too much into them." While Bell has previously said he would like to get Winker regular at-bats this season, the outfield in Cincinnati is crowded with the likes of Matt Kemp and Scott Schebler also fighting for playing time. The situation will only get further complicated when top prospect Nick Senzel joins the team.

Pederson (back) is expected to be in the lineup Friday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson exited Thursday's spring game early due to a back spasm, but manager Dave Roberts said he expects him to return to the lineup Friday. Locked into a battle for playing time with Alex Verdugo, Pederson is hitting just .167 but does have three home runs in 42 at-bats.

Pederson exited Thursday's spring game because of a back spasm, Pedro Moura of The Athletic reports.

Pederson suffered the injury running down the line Thursday. The outfielder didn't seem too worried about the issue, stating that he doesn't expect to miss any games as a result. Pederson should be considered day-to-day for now; his status will be worth monitoring as Opening Day draws closer.

Carpenter (back) won't return to the lineup before Sunday against the Marlins, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Carpenter has been out since last Sunday with a sore back. It's concerning that he remains out of the lineup so soon before Opening Day, though the Cardinals don't appear worried that he'll miss an extended period.

Carpenter (back) was "moving around better" Wednesday according to manager Mike Shildt, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Carpenter has been nursing back tightness since Sunday, but he's progressing toward a return to action in the coming days. Shildt hasn't committed to an exact return date for the veteran infielder, but the goal is to get Carpenter some game action before the team departs Florida on Sunday. The 33-year-old is hitting .179 with three home runs and four RBI over 28 spring at-bats, but he hasn't suited up since Saturday.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Wednesday that McCutchen will open the season as the Phillies' leadoff hitter, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Kapler cited McCutchen's combination of on-base skills and slugging as the main reasoning behind deploying the outfielder atop the order rather than Cesar Hernandez, who draws walks at a high clip and makes good contact but isn't as much of a power threat. While McCutchen will need to perform well to stick in the top slot on a permanent basis, the Phillies' early commitment to using him in the leadoff role is a major boon to his fantasy value. Assuming health prevails, McCutchen should have a good chance to reach double digits in steals again and surpass the 100-run plateau for just the second time in his career.