MLB Player News

The Pirates reassigned Ramirez to Double-A Altoona on Monday, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

The outfielder, who went 11-for-19 in Grapefruit League action, has never played above the High-A level. He's already left the Pirates' campus to help his home country of Columbia qualify for the World Baseball Classic. Ramirez likely boosted his stock as much as any position player this spring, though the organization already features one of the best outfield trios in the major leagues.

Turner (knee) will make his Cactus League debut at third base Monday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

It's encouraging that Turner is making his debut in the field, as a full performance Monday would signal he's ready for Opening Day. It has been a long road to recovery for Turner, who received the surgery last fall, but he should be good to go, barring any setbacks.

Stanton (knee) is serving as the Marlins' DH for their Grapefruit League game Sunday against the Mets, Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The Marlins had shelved Stanton due to a sore knee over the past few days, but after upping his activity of late, it looks like he's back at close to full strength. He'll be eased back into action by only hitting in Sunday's game, but look for him to return to his usual duties in the outfield before long.

McCutchen stroked his first dinger of spring training Friday, giving him two hits in 13 Grapefruit League at-bats.

The homer is a positive sign, considering he's a slow starter and didn't go deep in 32 spring training at-bats last year. Pittsburgh has lost two of its lefthanded power threats in Pedro Alvarez and the switch-hitting Neil Walker, making it possible McCutchen will see less pitches to hit. John Jaso and Gregory Polanco are the only two lefties projected to start as positional players for Pittsburgh.

Manager Dave Roberts suggested Friday that Trayce Thompson is not currently a threat to Pederson's role as the primary center fielder, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Thompson's heavy spring usage has led to speculation that he could be in the running for regular time in center, but it remains Pederson's job for now. However, if Pederson struggles as badly as he did down the stretch last year, Thompson and/or Enrique Hernandez could force a platoon or perhaps eventually an outright swap at the position.

Winker will miss a couple days with a strained hip flexor, the Cincinnati Enquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans reports.

The Reds' top prospect was involved in a collision in Thursday's game, and while Winker insists he is fine, the club will take a cautious approach and sit him for a couple games this weekend. He should start the season at Triple-A, but could be up in May or June if he gets off to a good start, at which point he would be worth a pickup in most formats. However, the uncertainty surrounding his callup date, along with questions about his offensive ceiling make him a risky stash in standard leagues.

Turner (knee) hopes to make his Cactus League debut Monday, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

He will have had about 35 at-bats in minor league camp by then, and has not experienced any setbacks with his knee injury. If he does indeed get in the lineup with the big league club Monday, he would be on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Winker was scratched from Friday's lineup after being involved in a collision in Thursday's game, the Cincinnati Enquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans reports.

He is day-to-day with a hip issue, but Winker said he is fine, so the Reds appear to simply be holding him out Friday as a precaution. Look for him to get back into Cactus League action in the coming days.

Soler hit a home run against the Mariners on Thursday, his first hit of the spring.

Soler is not off to a good start, and given the outfielders added to the roster in recent weeks, he might need to do a little bit more than usual to impress manager Joe Maddon. Thursday's injury to Kyle Schwarber might give him a better opportunity to shine as Schwarber will sit on the shelf for a week or so, but Soler is going to need to start hitting. He's stuck out six times in 13 at-bats this spring.

Ramirez has looked strong thus far in spring training, collecting nine hits in 14 at-bats. "He's what I call a bone collector: He gets base hits," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Ramirez is expected to begin the season with Double-A Altoona. He hit .337/.399/.458 in 344 plate appearances for High-A Bradenton in 2015. With Austin Meadows (orbital bone) sidelined without an immediate timeframe to return, Ramirez takes over as the Bucs' best outfield prospect. He could make his big league debut in 2016, but it would likely take an injury to one of the team's starting outfielders and continued strong play by Ramirez.