MLB Player News

Lewis, who was held out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive spring training game Friday due to a left knee injury, is recovering more slowly than anticipated, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports. "It's not coming along as quickly as I hoped or Kyle hoped or anybody else," Mariners manager Scott Servais said Friday afternoon. "We are staying patient... He's not 100 percent and I don't want to put him out there until he feels 100 percent, so that's why he's not out there (Friday against San Diego)."

Lewis' injury stems from a collision with the outfield wall in Monday's game against the Dodgers, and even though it was initially believed he'd be available to return to game action as soon as Wednesday, he remains sidelined with just two more Cactus League games left. Initial evaluations on the talented outfielder's knee have indicated there's no structural damage, but Servais confirmed Friday the team will be "running a few more tests" in coming days.

Choi, who took swings in the batting cage and played catch Wednesday, said Thursday his knee felt "back to normal", Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

It's encouraging the first baseman's knee appeared to tolerate Wednesday's activity well, but Choi will still begin the season on the 10-day injured list. Yandy Diaz and Yoshi Tsutsugo are slated to be the primary fill-ins at first base while Choi remains sidelined.

Ozuna went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The veteran slugger took Chaz Roe deep in the sixth inning for his second homer of the spring. Ozuna has only gone 7-for-31 (.226) in Grapefruit League play, but five of those seven hits have gone for extra bases, and his 7:10 BB:K suggests he's been seeing the ball well. After posting a career-high 1.067 OPS last year in his first season with Atlanta, Ozuna is expected to hit cleanup behind the table-setting trio of Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies and Freddie Freeman, a spot that should have him among the league leaders in RBI opportunities.

Martinez (illness) is starting in right field and batting third in Friday's spring game against the Rays, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

The veteran slugger was sidelined the past couple days due to food poisoning, but he's back in the lineup Friday. Martinez should take up his usual post at designated hitter for the Red Sox come Opening Day.

Ohtani will hit in the leadoff or second spot in the order on days when he is in the lineup as a batter, Taylor Blake Ward of Locked on Angels reports.

Ohtani has been scorching at the plate this spring, slashing .571/.594/1.107 with five home runs and eight RBI. David Fletcher typically bats leadoff for the Angels, so Ohtani could be used most frequently in the second spot as a tablesetter for Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.

Belt (heel) felt good after making his first start of spring training Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt debuted in spring training as a pinch hitter Wednesday, but he made his first start at first base Thursday. While he admitted he's not quite at full strength, he felt good in the field and is hoping to be ready for the start of the season.

Belt (heel) could be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Belt is making his initial spring training appearance at first base Thursday after being slowed by offseason heel surgery. Based on his struggles to ramp up during camp it appeared that an injured list stint to begin the season was likely, though there is optimism surrounding the situation depending on how Belt responds to game action.

Belt (heel) is starting Thursday's spring game against the Brewers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt has had a slow start to spring training after offseason heel surgery and various illnesses, but he'll make his first appearance at first base during Thursday's Cactus League game while batting second. The Giants haven't yet announced whether Belt will be ready for the start of the regular season in a week.

Martinez will sit for the second straight game Thursday against the Twins due to food poisoning, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Per manager Alex Cora, Martinez has been sidelined after eating some bad sushi earlier in the week. His absence shouldn't last much longer, however, as he'll be able to hit on a back field Thursday.

Jimenez will miss five to six months after being diagnosed with a ruptured left pectoral tendon, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Jimenez suffered the injury while attempting to rob a home run Wednesday. He'll undergo surgery and miss the majority of the season. The expected recovery timeline places his return date sometime between late August and late September. Leury Garcia and Adam Engel (hamstring) are the primary candidates to start in left field in his absence, though the White Sox could also look to bring in a free agent like Yoenis Cespedes, Yasiel Puig or Josh Reddick. The team is also considering trying Andrew Vaughn in left field, though he's been purely a first baseman in the minors.