MLB Player News

Phillies outfielder Darin Ruf will be competing with Grady Sizemore, Odubel Herrera and Jordan Danks for playing time -- and potentially the starting job -- in left field this spring. The Phillies hope Ruf will be up to the challenge and make the decision difficult as to who to keep on the roster, per The Philadelphia Daily News.

"It all depends on him," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said of Ruf, who has played parts of the last three seasons with the Phillies. "He's going to get opportunities to play. Sizemore looks very good. The decisions that we make will be based on performance here in spring, whether we think they can help us on a regular basis during the season. And once we break with the team, it's going to be about [manager Ryne Sandberg] trying to put the best team out there to win baseball games."

Ruf is a natural first baseman, but he has been learning to play in left field since 2012. Still, the Phillies have to see if they can trust him on a regular basis playing the position.

"I don't know," Amaro said. "He could. He could. We'll find out. We'll find out a little more about him. He's not an outfielder per se, but he seems to move fine out there and he doesn't seem to make mistakes. It's still a learning process for him . . . You can't lose sight of the defense. And we have to be aware of that. We have to win games playing all phases of the games. Defense and pitching are important. Guys have to be good enough defensively not to be liabilities out there, so they can help us win games."

With the Nationals losing first baseman Adam LaRoche to free agency, outfielder Bryce Harper knows he needs to increase his production, reports MLB.com.

"I'll help out for sure," Harper said. "After losing LaRoche, I have to step up a little bit. I have to do what I need to do. Our pitching is going to take us to the top, hopefully, but we still have to have offense. We have to do the things we need to do. I'm ready to go. I'll be feeling good."

Harper said the key to his success in 2015 will be sticking to his approach and not trying to overdo it.

"I have to see what [pitchers] are going to do to me, see how they approach me, really just working my pitch and not go out of my comfort zone," Harper said. "If I can do that, stay within myself and have a little bit of fun at the plate, that will go a long way."

Dodgers infielder Justin Turner earned a nonroster invitation to the team's camp last year and ended up leading the team in batting average, and he's been working on his body like a fiend over the winter, MLB.com reports.

"Going into last year, we felt if he played every day, he'd get in trouble, and we found that out, but this year maybe he can handle more," manager Don Mattingly said Friday. "He's really been diligent about his work, been at Dodger Stadium almost daily. He's put a lot of time in and it shows."

Turner credited strength-and-conditioning coach Brandon McDaniel for his workout success.

"Brandon did everything. He's been a one-man wrecking crew," said Turner. "He and his family deserve the credit. I've been able to establish a routine and train consistently. Before I signed a year ago, I was on my own, going to 24 Hour Fitness, had to coordinate everything myself."

Turner added that he lost 18 pounds this winter through a healthier diet. Mattingly said that he intends to use the infielder at the corner-infield positions and also potentially up the middle.

Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton faced live pitching Thursday for the first time since being struck in the face by a pitch in September. Although, Stanton didn't take any swings and just tracked the 10 pitches he saw.

"I think it is a day he's been anticipating for a long time," manager Mike Redmond said, per MLB.com. "No doubt, as his season ended last year was tough to watch. For any player, that is a tough way to go. I'm anticipating him just getting in there and tracking some pitches like he's done a million times, and there will be no problems."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has reported to camp in better shape, according to The Washington Post. 

Harper lost weight during the offseason, reporting to camp at 204 pounds. He was able to work on his entire body during the winter, which he couldn't do last season due to a knee injury. Manager Matt Williams was impressed, saying Harper is in "fantastic shape."

On top of that, Harper said he's focused on playing smarter in the field in order to avoid an injury. Harper missed a large chunk of the 2013 season after running into the outfield wall, and it seems he'll do a better job of being more careful this year. 

The 22-year-old hit .273/.344/.423 over 352 at-bats last season. 

Pirates owner Bob Nutting said Wednesday outfielder Andrew McCutchen is "a critical part of the team" and hopes the 2013 NL MVP will be in a Pirates uniform "for a long, long time."

McCutchen is currently under contract through the 2017 season on a fairly good deal for the Pirates. He will make $10 million in 2015, $13 million in 2016 and $14 million in 2017. He also has a $14.75 million team option for 2018, which includes a $1 million buyout.

If and when the Pirates choose to extend McCutchen, then it probably will cost them a pretty penny if he continues to play at his current level. There are no active contract talks, but industry sources said that if the Pirates decide to open talks, they are willing to go to great lengths to keep McCutchen, even if they have to offer him $25 million-plus per year, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

“It's a challenge we're looking forward to,” Nutting said. “At this point, it's not appropriate to dig in (and comment) on any particular player other than we really respect and appreciate what Andrew does, on and off the field, every day.”

The 28-year-old McCutchen is a four-time All-Star and finished in the top 3 in voting for the NL MVP in 2012 and 2014. He has also won three Silver Slugger awards.

McCutchen could one day land a contract in the same ballpark as Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who signed a $325 million contract this offseason, but for now his focus isn't on a new deal.

“If that happens, that will be something we'll talk about,” McCutchen said. “Right now, I'm not too worried about it. It's nothing that I'm thinking about, really. If it happens, that would be great. I look forward to it if they do that.”

When asked if he'll need outfielder Bryce Harper to carry more of the load in 2015, Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters "it's safe to say he'll most likely hit somewhere in the middle of our lineup," per Comcast SportsNet Washington on Wednesday.

Harper, 22, was primarily the No. 6 hitter last season for the Nationals. He has played
77 career games at the No. 3 spot, 20 at cleanup and 13 at the No. 5 spot. Last season, he hit .273/.344/.423 with 13 homers and 32 RBI over 352 at-bats. He has appeared in only 218 games over the past two seasons due to an assortment of injury issues.

Giants general manager Brian Sabean said the club needs "a bust-out season from" first baseman Brandon Belt, according to the San Jose Mercury News. 

The 26-year-old came into 2014 poised to have a big season, but injuries got in the way. Belt was limited to just 61 games last season due to a thumb injury and complications with a concussion. He hit .243/.306/.449 over 214 at-bats.

Belt is expected to hit in the middle of the order this season, and that should lead to higher expectations. For what it's worth, Sabean thinks Belt can handle it. "He's capable of it, and he might be poised to do it," he said.

The Cubs will be cautious with outfielder Jorge Soler during camp, according to MLB.com.

Soler has dealt with injuries throughout his minor-league career, and the club wants to make sure he's 100 percent healthy heading into the season. The team is mainly concerned about Soler's legs, and will make sure he doesn't overwork himself.

The 22-year-old Soler hit .292/.330/.573 over 89 at-bats in the majors last year. 

Phillies infielder Darin Ruf dealt with multiple injuries in 2014 and struggled during winter ball, but he's ready to put his disappointing season behind him and focus on continuing his transition to the outfield, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

"I feel healthy," Ruf said Friday. "I did some things this offseason to increase mobility and take some of the muscular injuries out of the game."

Ruf checked in early for spring camp, citing his continued transition to the outfield as the main reason for his early arrival.

"Having two to three years experience out there, it's nothing new to me," Ruf said. "I know the drills, I know what to do. I know what to expect out there. I know what balls I can and can't get to. It makes me a lot more comfortable."

Ruf hit .235/.310/.402 with three home runs in 102 at-bats over 52 games in 2014.