MLB Player News

Harper went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, his third of the spring, in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

He's got six hits so far this spring, and half of them have left the yard. Harper appears to be fully healthy, and ready to pick up where he left off in 2015 and the early part of 2016 before he was slowed by neck and shoulder issues.

Carpenter (back) expects to begin taking more swings in the batting cage by Monday with the hope of returning to action the following weekend, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

The infielder is already slated to miss the World Baseball Classic, so now he can focus solely on getting back to 100 percent prior to Opening Day. It seems like the injury is beginning to subside, so as long as the progression on Monday goes without a hitch, Carpenter should be back in action relatively soon.

Pederson went 1-for-3 with a solo homer -- his third of the spring -- in Wednesday's loss to the Brewers.

Pederson's home run puts him in a tie for the most home runs hit in spring training so far. This should come as no surprise when you consider his .847 slugging percentage last season was second among all Dodgers, only trailing their young phenom shortstop, Corey Seager. Pederson hit 25 homers in 137 games as a strict platoon player. This year, manager Dave Roberts said Pederson will get more at-bats against lefties. With more plate appearances, the potential for reaching the 30-homer mark becomes a reality for the 24-year-old.

Dickerson (back) is practicing in full Thursday, and while he's unavailable for game action, he could DH on Saturday if his rehab goes well in the meantime, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The outfielder is competing for a starting spot with Hunter Renfroe, Travis Jankowski and fellow injured fly-catcher Manuel Margot (knee). Dickerson has the pop to contribute to deep mixed fantasy owners if he can find consistent at-bats, and the fact he hits left-handed may work in his favor should he show thump over the next few weeks.

Carpenter (back) is back in the starting lineup for Thursday's spring game, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Carpenter is expected to miss a week of spring action due to a back injury, but he'll occupy the nine-spot in Thursday's exhibition contest. His position in the batting order should allow him to get in some defensive reps, though Carpenter has yet to be cleared to take full swings. If his spot in the order does come up, Carpenter will likely be removed for a pinch hitter, or take all of the pitches headed his way.

Turner received a preventative lubricating injection in his knee and should return to action later in the week, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The injection doesn't appear to be serious, as he had the same thing done earlier in spring training and was able to return after a few days of rest. He'll likely be back playing by the end of the week and shouldn't be hindered by the knee as spring training progresses.

Cespedes (hip) will bat third in the order and play left field in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.

Cespedes experienced tightness in his hip while advancing from first to third base in Sunday's game and had been held out of the lineup for the subsequent two days. It appears the time off was all Cespedes needed to heal up, as the fact that he's back in the field rather than serving as the team's DH indicates the Mets don't have much concern about his mobility. Though he's no longer a factor on the basepaths like he was as a rookie with the Athletics, Cespedes has hit 30-plus homers and batted at least .280 in the past two seasons, making him a high-floor selection in the early rounds of fantasy drafts.

Carpenter (lower back), who swung off a tee Monday, will miss at least another week with his lower back tightness, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. "We're still a ways out," Matheny said. "Yesterday was his first day off a tee, so there's a slow progress there."

The Cardinals' projected starting first baseman has already been taking part in defensive drills but still must be able to swing without restrictions before being reinserted into game action. Carpenter's earliest likely return projects to be March 16 versus the Twins, with the team wanting to ensure that his current ailment doesn't morph into an oblique strain, an injury that sidelined him for a month in the 2016 season.

Dickerson (back) will go through most of Tuesday's practice, MLB.com's Bill Center reports.

This will be the left fielder's biggest test yet in his return from a sore back. If everything goes well, he could be back in Cactus League action in a week or so. Dickerson may open the year as a left-handed bat off the bench, but could earn a more significant role if any of the three young outfielders ahead of him struggle over the next couple months.

Stanton went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, his first of the spring, in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Giving new meaning to the term "walk-off homer," Stanton crushed a line drive down the left field line in his final at-bat of the day before leaving camp to join Team USA for the WBC. As is always the case with the 27-year-old slugger, Stanton's fantasy value this season will depend on his ability to stay off the DL, not his prodigious power.