MLB Player News

Carpenter, who laced a two-run single, walked and scored in two plate appearances during Thursday's 8-2 Grapefruit League win over the Braves, adjusted his swing this offseason in an attempt to revert back to his prior level of efficiency, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports. "I'm not going to let myself hit .240 again," Carpenter said. "I look at my season as a huge disappointment. I wasn't happy about the kind of year I had at all."

A commitment to putting the ball in the air more often beginning in 2015 led to a progressive increase in Carpenter's launch angle, which was up to an average of 21 degrees during a 2017 campaign in which his average dipped to its lowest figure (.241) since his initial seven-game cup of coffee with the Cards in 2011. That number put him in the same class as sluggers like Mike Napoli and Joey Gallo, hitters whose style in the batter's box is the antithesis of what Carpenter's has been for the majority of his career. In all, Carpenter sacrificed a total of 77 points in his batting average from the career-high .318 he hit in 2013 with his revamped approach, and his offseason tweaks were done with the intention of returning to the potent all-fields hitter he used to be. The usual caveat about spring numbers aside, Carpenter's .500 average over 19 plate appearances serves as a cautiously optimistic endorsement of his old-is-new-again swing as the regular season approaches.

Ozuna, who went 1-for-2 with four RBI from a three-run home run and a sacrifice fly in Thursday's 8-2 Grapefruit League win over the Braves, is now 11-for-22 after notching only four hits and 13 strikeouts in his first 28 spring at-bats, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Manager Mike Matheny attributed the ragged start to his offseason acquisition trying too hard to make a solid first impression. He noted that Ozuna "wanted to come in here with a bang and bounce a ball over that roof", in reference to the administration building of his old Miami Marlins squad that sits behind the left-field wall of Roger Dean Stadium. Ozuna has subsequently relaxed at the plate and thrived as a result, acknowledging that he was trying hard to prove himself early on. Given his breakout 2017 in Miami last season and body of work in the latter half of spring, the 27-year-old could be primed for another 30-homer, 100-RBI campaign.

Pederson's increased recent usage suggests that the Dodgers plan to carry him on the 25-man roster over Andrew Toles to begin the season, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old went 0-for-2 with a walk while serving as the club's designated hitter against the Angels on Thursday. With center and right field settled and Matt Kemp leading the race for the Dodgers' left field job, manager Dave Roberts would likely use Pederson as a fourth outfielder and bench power bat if the current configuration holds true. A backup role hurts his fantasy value, but the slugger would likely be the first man up should an injury (or a slow start from Kemp) open up a starting spot.

Cespedes went 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs and four RBI in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Despite wrist, shoulder and hamstring issues that have restricted Cespedes to only 11 games this spring, the 32-year-old has still pounded out five homers and a .323 (10-for-31) batting average. That offers a solid glimpse at the risk/reward scenario he presents in fantasy drafts -- Cespedes will give you excellent numbers when he's healthy, but his next DL stint could be just around the corner.

Vargas was claimed off waivers by the Reds on Thursday.

Vargas' power potential is undeniable, but his struggles in the majors ultimately forced the Twins to cast him off the 40-man roster earlier in the month. He'll now head to Cincinnati, where he'll likely be relegated to being a bench bat given the presence of star first baseman Joey Votto.

Choi (ribs) is back in the lineup in left field against the Royals on Thursday.

Choi has been battling rib soreness for the past couple days but should be fully operational heading into Thursday's Cactus League game. He was initially plugged into Wednesday's lineup as the designated hitter, but was removed since the DH spot was not in effect for that contest. Expect to see Choi at the Triple-A level at the start of the 2018 campaign.

Choi (ribs) was removed from the Brewers' lineup Wednesday against the A's as the team is not using a designated hitter.

It doesn't appear that the move has anything to do with Choi's rib soreness, but until he's back in the lineup, it can't be confirmed that he's fully recovered. Choi will likely open the year with Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Choi (ribs) is in the Brewers' lineup Wednesday.

Choi is batting seventh as a designated hitter. He has been battling sore ribs but appears to be good to go now. Despite his recovery, he has little chance to crack the roster for the Brewers, who have Eric Thames, Ryan Braun and Jesus Aguilar all ahead of him at first base.

Dickerson (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery at the end of March, Dennis Lin of The Athletic San Diego reports.

Dickerson had been trying to rehab his elbow in hopes of avoiding Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately, Dickerson's condition didn't improve, which has led to him requiring the procedure. Heading into the upcoming campaign, Dickerson was expected to be a reserve outfielder for San Diego. However, now that he's poised to miss the season, Hunter Renfroe will likely fill said role.

Turner said Tuesday that he will not need surgery on his broken left wrist, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

This is probably the best-case scenario for Turner, who was diagnosed with a broken wrist after being hit by a pitch in Monday's Cactus League contest. The third baseman is now expected to wear a brace on his wrist for the next couple of days before beginning a range of motion exercises. He's still expected to open the season on the disabled list, but his absence may be on the shorter side of his roughly estimated 6-to-9 week timetable. In the meantime, Logan Forsythe is expected to shift over to third base with Turner sidelined, leaving Chase Utley, Enrique Hernandez, Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor to cover second base.