MLB Player News

Dickerson (back) will head to San Diego to see a spine specialist, Dennis Lin of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

It's the latest rehabilitation effort for Dickerson, who has yet to play in a game this spring while dealing with persistent tightness. The left-hander is looking to build off a breakout rookie season in which he showed potential to develop into a power hitter going forward. Nonetheless, it appears his spring regimen will be delayed a bit longer as he works his way back. Jabari Blash will continue getting opportunities in Dickerson's absence.

Blackmon is 11-for-23 (.478) with three doubles, a home run and a stolen base in nine spring games.

In a spring training dominated by the plethora of injuries striking Rockies camp, the 30-year-old is simply raking. It's foolish to look into spring numbers too much, but one can't help but be pleased by a player showing mid-season form this early on in the campaign. Blackmon will look to carry this torrid start into the regular season as the Rockies primary center fielder and leadoff hitter.

Ozuna went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The two-baggers came against Noah Syndergaard and Robert Gsellman, so Ozuna gets extra credit for the level of competition he was facing. The Marlins left fielder is now hitting .286 with a .571 SLG through 28 spring at-bats, and is rounding into form nicely with Opening Day still a couple of weeks away.

Turner went 1-for-4 with a double, a pair of RBI and a stolen base in a 6-5 win over the Royals.

The stolen base is a positive sign that Turner's knee is feeling good after receiving a preventative lubricating injection last week. He's having a strong spring, batting .375 (6-for-16) with seven RBI after posting career numbers last season. While the 27 home runs the 32-year-old hit last year will be hard to repeat, 2016 was his first full season as a starter in the majors. His isolated power rating of .218 last season isn't far off from the .197 he produced in 2015. So a slight regression in power may be expected, but Turner should still be good for close to 20 homers and solid counting stats while batting in the heart of the Dodgers' potent lineup.

Manager A.J. Green confirmed that Dickerson has been scratched from Monday's game due to tightness in his back.

This is a tough break for both parties, as Dickerson was slated to make his first start in the outfield this spring before the issue returned. It's unclear how long he will be out, but he should be considered day-to-day for now. The injury has been persistent, and if the 26-year-old is forced to miss time to start the season, Jabari Blash will likely take his place as a reserve outfielder.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and a solo home run, his second blast of the spring, in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The homer came off top St. Louis prospect Luke Weaver, but Ozuna is only hitting .240 (6-for-25) so far on the spring with a discouraging 0:6 BB:K. On the bright side, he's already matched his previous best homer mark during Grapefruit League play -- he hit two in each of the last three years. The 26-year-old has slugged 23 home runs in two of the last three regular seasons and may still have some upside, but it's also possible Ozuna has already reached his ceiling as a hitter.

Harper went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, his MLB-leading fifth blast of the spring, in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

That's five homers in only 24 at-bats, by the way, an absurd pace even for someone with Harper's talent. While all the usual spring training caveats apply when it comes to the erratic level of competition -- Sunday's bomb came off 24-year-old semi-prospect Reymin Guduan, not exactly a household name -- Harper certainly appears to be in midseason form already, which is a frightening thought for opposing pitchers.

Dickerson is expected to get his first outfield action of the spring Monday, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The 26-year-old injured his back in the first week of spring training, but he was able to return to game action as the designated hitter in Saturday's Cactus League matchup with the Brewers. It seems like that outing went well, so the Padres will let Dickerson roam the green Monday, and assuming all goes well with that outing, he could push for playing time in a young Padres outfield.

Dickerson (back) will make his spring debut Saturday against the Brewers, MLB.com's Bill Center reports.

Dickerson is a little behind most of his teammates, as a back injury has kept him out of action to this point, but he will get the start at DH and hit cleanup Saturday. He is fourth on the Padres' outfield depth chart, but a big spring could change that. It is possible that Dickerson is just a Quadruple-A bat, as he has been old for his level and has taken advantage of hitter-friendly conditions in the upper levels of the minors, but in NL-only formats he is worth a gamble.

Cespedes hit his fourth home run of the spring, a solo shot, in Friday's split-squad game against the Astros.

His absurd numbers this spring include a .500 batting average, a 1.091 slugging percentage, and zero strikeouts in 22 at-bats. The Mets are counting on Cespedes to anchor a lineup that will get them back to the postseason, and he seems intent on hitting the ground running come Opening Day.