MLB Player News

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.

Harper hit a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, his fourth long ball in 21 spring at-bats.

Last season ended up being a big disappointment for Harper due to neck and shoulder issues, making it easy to forget he clubbed nine homers in April with a 1.120 OPS before the injuries took the sting out of his batting stroke. If the 24-year-old can stay healthy in 2017, he has as much fantasy upside as any player in the league.

Turner is batting third and playing third base in Friday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.

Turner received a lubricating injection in his knee Wednesday, forcing him to rest for a couple of days. It appears to be a simple procedure designed to improve the long-term health of the joint, so look for Turner to be a full participant going forward.

Carpenter (back) says he will hit in a batting cage Monday to re-evaluate his injury, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Carpenter has already returned to spring game action for defensive purposes, but has not yet been cleared to swing a bat. The veteran infielder says he's trying not to rush the process and remains adamant he'll be ready to go by Opening Day. "I don't feel the need to rush it," he said. "The only time I feel it is swinging, and even then I think I'm pretty close." Carpenter is expected to begin the 2017 season as the Cardinals' primary first baseman.

Carpenter (back) played five innings at first base in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, MLB.com reports.

He has not yet been cleared to swing a bat but Carpenter wanted to get some time at first base, his new everyday position. The box score will show Carpenter recorded a single in the game, but it was a bunt single to beat the shift -- the Astros shifted their defensive alignment when Carpenter came up, seemingly unaware of his restrictions. Carpenter plans to begin taking swings in the batting cage Monday.

Cespedes went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, his third blast of the spring, in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

He's been on fire at the plate so far this spring, hitting .526 (10-for-19) with a 1.579 OPS. Cespedes set career highs in walks and OPS in 2016, his first full season with the Mets, and with his contract situation no longer a distraction the 31-year-old slugger could take his production to another level in 2017.