MLB Player News

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was forced out of Sunday's Cactus League contest against the Diamondbacks because of a stiff neck, the Bay Area News Group reports.

Belt went 0 for 2 and made an error on the field before leaving the game. He'll likely be re-evaluated before returning to action.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper has flu-like symptoms, according to MLB.com.

Harper will likely rest for a couple days. He was sent home as a precautionary measure. The team didn't want Harper to spread the virus around the locker room. Harper should be fine in a few days. He hit .274/.368/.486 in 424 at-bats last season.

Dodgers outfield prospect Joc Pederson hit a two-run, opposite-field home run in the seventh inning of Friday's 5-0 win over the White Sox. It was his only hit in two at-bats.

Pederson, who fell in the top 40 in both Baseball America's and MLB.com's preseason prospect list, doesn't have a clear path to playing time with four talented outfielders ahead of him in Los Angeles. He received his first exposure to Double-A pitching last season, hitting .278/.381/.497 with 22 home runs, 58 RBI and 31 stolen bases in 439 at-bats with Double-A Chattanooga.

Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna is fully recovered from thumb surgery that ended his rookie season early, and was in the starting lineup for the team's first two exhibition games against local universities.

Ozuna battled third and played center field while going hitless in one at-bat Wednesday against the University of Miami, and then went hitless in two at-bats the next day against Florida International University.

Ozuna is expected to battle for the center field job with Jake Marisnick, who appeared only in Wednesday's game. Ozuna hit .265/.303/.389 in 275 at-bats as a rookie before his season-ending thumb injury. 

Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler said he's grown as a player ever since his bat-wielding incident last year in the Florida State League (Class A). Although he never swung the bat at anyone, Soler still served a five-game suspension because he charged an opposing team's dugout with a bat in his hand.

"You have to respect baseball and my teammates," Soler said through a translator Wednesday, per ESPN. "It was a big mistake that I made. But I learned from it." 

It's more than just words from Soler. Cubs manager Rick Renteria said Soler gives off a "very calm" demeanor.

"It doesn't look like pressure affects him very much," Renteria said. "From what I've seen he's very composed."

Aside from the suspension, Soler also missed a great deal of time in 2013 due to a stress fracture in his left leg. He's looking forward to putting the '13 season behind him and focusing on his future.

"It was a rough year," Soler said. "But I'm working hard to be better. I'm in good shape. I've been running a lot. I have no soreness or anything. Everything is 100 percent."

Nationals manager Matt Williams said he will keep a close eye on outfielder Bryce Harper during spring games. While Harper hasn't been held back coming off left knee surgery, Williams said he's interested to see how Harper will hold up once spring games begin.

"He’s a full-go right now," Williams said, per The Washington Post. "There are no issues. He’s continuing his work in the training room as far as his rehab goes. He’s able to do everything on the field. He’s participated in every drill. For me, he’s good. But we’ll continue to monitor though because once you get on the field and start playing games, everybody gets sore again. There’s no way to prepare for it. We’ll have to monitor as we go along. He seems fine."

Coming off an MVP season in 2013, Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen heads into 2014 with one goal -- improve in all areas of his game.

"Just trying to keep doing the same things I have been and keep improving every aspect of the game," McCutchen said, per MLB.com. "I'll even focus on baserunning, 'cause I know I can get even better at it. When I'm on base [in exhibition games] everyone will know I'll be going for second, because the only way to learn is to keep going. Being more consistent at the plate, with throws, on defense -- all of it.

"The older you get, the easier it is on you because you know you can reach your goals. If you 'hope' you can, that's like telling yourself there's a chance you can't. So even if I struggle early, I know I will be okay, because I've experienced a lot in my career."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper had some trouble getting loose  during batting practice Thursday, according to The Washington Post.

The issue had nothing to do with Harper's surgically repaired knee. Harper was unable to go through his entire routine due to an early meeting. When he noticed he wasn't totally loose, he cut the session short. Manager Matt Williams said Harper didn't want to start any bad habits. He stressed that nothing was wrong with Harper medically. 

Harper hit .274/.368/.486 in 424 at-bats last season.

Marlins slugging outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has expressed dissatisfaction with the losing he has experienced in recent years and does not want himself identified with it.

"I'm competitive, so I don't take losing well," he told the Miami Herald. "I'm not a loser. That's not what I'm accustomed to. ... So obviously it hasn't been ideal so far. And I don't want a career like that. So we've got to push it forward and start turning it around."

Stanton has little recourse for now, but he is eligible for free agency after the 2016 season. His comparative lack of production in 2013, when he batted just .249 with 24 home runs in 425 at-bats, was a reflection in part to a lack of protection in the Miami lineup.

Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was happy to work out a deal with the club, according to the Mercury News. 

Belt avoided arbitration Tuesday, agreeing to a $2.9 million deal. "I’ve been waiting on a phone call like that since I was in high school," Belt said. "I really can’t believe it right now." Belt believed he would receive a similar offer out of high school, where he excelled as a pitcher, but an arm injury prevented that from happening.

He also expressed his desire to remain in San Francisco long-term. "I think anybody would be open to a long-term extension, especially with this organization," he said. Belt hit .289/.360/.481 in 509 at-bats last season.