MLB Player News

Pederson will get the day off Thursday but manager Dave Roberts announced that he'll be back in the lineup Friday and Saturday, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

Pederson will get a rare chance to rest Thursday before the season officially kicks off Monday in San Diego. Enrique Hernandez will take Pederson's usual spot in center for Thursday's matchup with the Angels.

Soler went 2-for-4 with two RBI in a victory over Colorado on Wednesday.

Soler has struggled a bit this spring, slashing just .163/.226/.367, but he's driven in eight runs in 49 at-bats, so it hasn't been a complete negative. He should play a lot this season, but with the Cubs stacked in the outfield, getting 400 at-bats isn't a certainty.

Brantley (shoulder) will resume his hitting program Friday, MLB.com reports.

Brantley hasn't played in an exhibition game since March 21 due to some lingering shoulder soreness but will look to ramp things back up again Friday before being re-evaluated early next week. He's set to open the season on the DL but the Indians remain hopeful that he'll still be able to return earlier than initially expected.

Cespedes went 2-for-2 with a double in Wednesday's 12-1 loss to the Nationals.

Cespedes is batting .349 (15-for-43) with six RBI this spring. The 30-year-old outfielder is in line to play a central role in the Mets' attempt to make a World Series return. He's coming off his first 100-run, 100-RBI season and measures to be a must-start in all fantasy formats to start the 2016 season.

Canha has had a rough spring so far, hitting only .194 with no homers through 36 at-bats.

Canha had some back stiffness at the start of the spring, which caused him to be a week behind the rest of the offensive players. Canha had a breakout 2015 with 16 homers, but figures to be in a battle for at-bats due to the A's additions this off-season. Canha will likely play first base against lefties in a platoon with Yonder Alonso. He will also get spot starts in the outfield, but the A's outfield is crowded to start the year with the addition of Khris Davis and a currently healthy Coco Crisp.

Miller's role as the full-time shortstop in 2016 was confirmed by manager Kevin Cash, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cash dismissed any possibility of a platoon with Tim Beckham, who has only managed a .129 average this spring. In turn, Miller, acquired in a November trade with the Mariners, has produced a .296 average with a homer, four RBI and a stolen base over his 27 at-bats. Despite a propensity for some inefficiency at the plate, Miller served as a solid source of extra-base hits, home runs and RBI relative to his 327 at-bats in 2015. With a significant boost in plate appearances on the horizon in the coming season, he could turn into an above-average infield option in all formats.

Cabrera has had a good spring, recording a .324 batting average with three home runs and eight RBI in 37 at-bats. He has also walked eight times.

Miggy's OPS is elite this spring -- it's 1.020 -- so it's not a stretch to think he'll get off to a good start to the season, especially with both J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton in the Tigers' lineup. Cabrera could easily return to his past elite form if injuries are truly in his past.

Cespedes (shoulder) will play center field against righty pitchers and shift to left field against lefties, the NY Post reports.

Against righties, Michael Confoto will play left field. When a lefty starts, Cespedes will shift to left, Juan Lagares will play center and either Conforto or Curtis Granderson will be in right field with the other on the bench. Originally, manager Terry Collins had considered leaving Cespedes in center and Lagares in left, but decided to play Cespedes and Lagares in their natural positions.

Turner left Tuesday's game early as a precaution after being spiked, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

The calf that was struck is reportedly fine, so the fact that he left the game afterward is of little concern. Turner should be fine to resume his usual duties as the starting third baseman in the coming days.

Reed was optioned to minor league camp Monday.

Reed was impressive this spring, hitting .311 with three home runs and nine RBI over 48 Grapefruit League plate appearances with the Astros. Unfortunately, he fell short in his bid to win the Opening Day first base job, but as camp progressed, it was expected he'd open 2016 with Triple-A Fresno because he's never played at that level. The 22-year-old will likely make his big league debut this season, but how soon will depend on how Tyler White performs early in the year.