MLB Player News

With the No. 2 spot still undecided in the Cubs' lineup, manager Joe Maddon said outfielder Jorge Soler could be the man for the job, according to MLB.com.

“He’s a really interesting baseball player,” Maddon said. “I’d heard good things, but his impression on me has been really strong.”

Outfielder Chris Coghlan has been the frontrunner for the role but Maddon likes Soler's plate discipline.

“With [Soler], it goes beyond his power. This guy looks over a baseball now. This guy has great decision-making ability at the plate," Maddon said. That bleeds into either you’re driving in the second leadoff hitter plus one, or he’s setting up somebody after him because the guy is going to take his walks."

Soler is hitting .333 this spring with three home runs, eight doubles and 20 RBI.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly still hasn't awarded the center field job to anyone. 

With a week to go in spring training, Andre Ethier and Joc Pederson are still vying for the starting role. Mattingly said he hasn't made a decision, "Because I don't have to yet," per MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. 

Pederson is hitting .375 with nine RBI this spring. Ethier is at .333, also with nine RBI. 

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper returned to the spring lineup Friday against the Cardinals after sitting out Thursday due to an illness. Harper is batting .231 (6 for 26) with one double, one home run, three RBI, five runs, seven strikeouts and 10 walks in 12 spring games.

Nationals manager Matt Williams said outfielder Bryce Harper was held out of Thursday's spring lineup against the Mets due to a stomach illness. Harper is batting .231 (6 for 26) with one double, one home run, three RBI, five runs, seven strikeouts and 10 walks in 12 spring games.

“He was really feeling bad yesterday, and then today he’s still not feeling well,” Williams said, per NatsInsider.com. “He came in, did a little bit of light swinging in the cage, and he’s still not feeling good. So we sent him home again (Thursday). I think he’ll be OK to go (Friday). But we wanted to get him out of here and not get anybody else sick at this point.”

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson went 1 for 3 with a solo home run in his team's 9-5 win over the Padres Wednesday.

Pederson has done little to cool the hype for his rookie season, as the outfielder pushed aside an 0-for-5 performance in his last two games to slug his fourth home run of the spring Wednesday. He has hit .409/.477/.773 with four home runs and two stolen bases in 44 at-bats over 18 games.

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter was forced out of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals with a right quad contusion, per the team's official website. Carpenter was hit by a pitch in the opening frame, and was replaced by Pete Kozma to start the top of the third inning. He will likely be further evaluated moving forward.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen played four innings and went 0 for 2 on Tuesday against the Orioles in his return from a lower-body injury. 

"There was no sense pushing it," McCutchen said on Tuesday following his first game action since March 12, per MLB.com. "I'll make it worse when it counts. I wasn't worried about being ready for the season. That was never an issue."

McCutchen has made just 15 plate appearances this spring. He said he will play in minor-league games if he has to in order to be ready for the season.

"He's in a good place," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He said he felt good today. If he needs at-bats, we can get him six-to-eight a day in Pirate City. I don't have any concerns about him at all."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is entering his fourth season in the majors at just 22 years old. He at times has shown the potential baseball folks have been raving about since he was a teenager, but he's also failed to fully live up to the hype. Although, durability issues have been a contributing problem for Harper, who has missed 106 games the last two seasons due to injuries.

Nationals manager Matt Williams talked Tuesday about what Harper needs to do to take his game to the next level.

"I want to see from Bryce a lot of consistency," Williams said, per MASNsports.com. "He shows that. He shows consistency. He's got the ability to walk. He's a good on-base guy -- traditionally, in his young career, he's been that.

"At the same time, I don't want him to feel pressure to do too much. If he can just be him, then it will be a great year for him. We are working on collectively his pitch recognition at the plate, making sure that we give him all the information we can possibly give him about the opponent. And just let him play. Year 4 is one thing but we have to also understand that he's only 22. He's still young, very young."

Andrew McCutchen returned to the lineup and is hitting third for the Pirates against the Orioles in Grapefruit League play on Tuesday, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. McCutchen was sidelined since March 13 due to lower body soreness. He has two hits in 12 at-bats.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen will return to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Orioles, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Manager Clint Hurdle and general manager Neal Huntington have said they fully anticipate McCutchen being ready to play by Opening Day, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

"Andrew is at the point in his career he knows what he needs," Huntington said. "We've continued to make good progress, and we fully expect he'll be ready for Opening Day, barring any setbacks."

McCutchen has been sidelined since March 13 due to lower body soreness and has taken just 12 at-bats this spring. The center fielder is batting third Monday.