MLB Player News

Jimenez is being treated for tendinitis in his left knee and will be sidelined for a few days, Richard Justice of MLB.com reports.

Manager Rick Renteria is still hopeful that Jimenez will get into MLB games this spring, but the corner outfielder will be denied an opportunity to really steal headlines in March in the manner he would have been capable of prior to this injury. Considering Jimenez would not have been up in the big leagues until this summer at the earliest, and possibly not until 2019, the injury has little impact on his fantasy value.

Brantley (ankle) will begin defensive drills Friday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.

Brantley is working his way back from October ankle surgery. He has taken part in hitting, throwing and running drills this spring but hasn't yet done defensive work, which will be a greater test of his lateral mobility. The 30-year-old outfielder is questionable for Opening Day, but if reports are positive following his defensive work he has a decent chance to be ready to go by the start of the season.

Ozuna went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in a 3-3 Grapefruit League tie with the Twins on Thursday.

Ozuna got a hold of a 2-0 fastball from Twins starter Adalberto Mejia in the second inning, getting it inside the left-field foul pole and placing it somewhere beyond his old Marlins spring training clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium, as per Joe Trezza of MLB.com. The slugger had only one hit in his first seven spring at-bats coming into Thursday, but his mammoth connection was a tangible reminder of what the Cardinals hope he'll bring to the table on a consistent basis in the coming season. Ozuna's breakout 2017 in Miami included a .312/.376/.548 line with 37 home runs and 124 RBI, with all of those numbers representing career bests.

Cespedes (shoulder) will play the field for the first time this spring against the Astros in a split-squad game Thursday, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

Cespedes has been battling a case of right shoulder soreness over the past few days, but that didn't prohibit him from hitting out of the DH spot during Thursday's Grapefruit League affair versus Miami. Look for Cespedes to be eased into the outfield over the course of the spring as the Mets will want to make sure their star is ready for Opening Day after an injury-plagued 2017 campaign.

Harper underwent a minor procedure for his ingrown toenail but could be back on the field as soon as Saturday, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

Harper had a similar procedure in 2013 when he was dealing with an ingrown toenail as well, and that only caused him to miss one game. Manager Dave Martinez said that Harper wanted to get back on the field Friday, but the club doesn't want to push anything with there being no reason to rush him back.

Miller (toe) won't return to game action until Tuesday at the earliest, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He has a broken right pinky toe, but could return next week. Miller is the favorite to open the year as the Rays' starting second baseman, but it's possible that three natural second basemen will make the Rays' bench (Ryan Schimpf, Joey Wendle, Daniel Robertson). Things will get even more muddled when the team is ready to promote top shortstop prospect Willy Adames and infielder Christian Arroyo. Miller hit 30 homers in 2016, but given the competition he'll face, a return to the 601 plate appearances he saw during his career year seems highly unlikely.

Cespedes (shoulder/hamstring) will serve as the Mets' designated hitter and bat second in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

After being shut down for the final month of last season with a hamstring strain, Cespedes worked on his flexibility in the offseason to address the lower-body issues that have plagued him in the past. Though the hamstring injury is no longer a concern, the Mets have used Cespedes strictly as a designated hitter so far this spring, but look for him to get some reps in the outfield as Grapefruit League plays winds down. It was also revealed earlier this week that Cespedes was battling some soreness in his right shoulder, but his presence in the lineup Thursday suggests that injury isn't a major issue, either.

Reed went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's game against Minnesota.

Reed got the start at first base on the day it was announced Yulieski Gurriel underwent surgery on his left hand. Reed is one of several players in competition to fill in for Gurriel, who is expected to be out until at least mid-to-late April. Being that it's a hand injury and understanding his swing could be impacted, that timeline could push into May. Reed has the body and the bat to be a first baseman, but his MLB track record is wanting. In the coming weeks, expect to see Tyler White and J.D. Davis get time at first, although when Houston breaks camp, there's a good chance Marwin Gonzalez will be the primary starter at first.

Reed could see regular playing time at first base to start the season following the news of Yulieski Gurriel's hand surgery, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

Reed mashed 34 homers at Triple-A Fresno last season, but he only appeared in the majors for two games, going 0-for-6 in those contests. This could've been big news for him given the potency of the rest of Houston's lineup, but expectations should be tempered. Gurriel is only expected to miss the first couple weeks of the season, so Reed probably wouldn't even get that much extra playing time. Additionally, J.D. Davis and Tyler White are also competing for the spot, making it even tougher for Reed to make an impact.

Jimenez (knee) is expected to compete in a full capacity Thursday after spending Wednesday doing hitting drills, Daryl Van Schouwen of The Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez has been dealing with a little left knee soreness that cropped up earlier this week, but he's been able to complete field work and continue hitting over the past couple days. It doesn't appear as though the club is too concerned with this ailment and it's expected that he will be able to play in Cactus League games in the near future.