MLB Player News

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley is suffering from tightness in his back, manager Terry Francona said, per MLB.com.

The back issue is expected to sideline Brantley for a few days.

Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson went 1 for 3 with a solo home run in his team's 9-5 win over the Padres Wednesday.

Pederson has done little to cool the hype for his rookie season, as the outfielder pushed aside an 0-for-5 performance in his last two games to slug his fourth home run of the spring Wednesday. He has hit .409/.477/.773 with four home runs and two stolen bases in 44 at-bats over 18 games.

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 2 and played four innings in the field Wednesday.

"I feel very good," Cabrera said after his debut in the field, per MLB.com. "I'm glad to be back at first and try to get in the rhythm, try to get in baseball shape. I was so happy to be out there at first base and try to play defense."

Cabrera made multiple tough plays in the field, giving his surgically-repaired ankle and foot a test.

"It feels very good," Cabrera said. "I try to make plays, and to make that play in that situation, I don't think about my ankle, my feet. Right now I'm focused on [trying to] go out there and play."

Cabrera is expected to be back at first base Thursday before receiving a day off Friday.

Twins designated hitter Kennys Vargas is trying to work on his all-around game, according to Twincities.com.

Manager Paul Molitor recognizes the power that Vargas has at the plate, but wants him to work on his swing-path.

"We all know he can hit them extremely far," Molitor said, "but that's part of the swing-path things we're working on with him so he doesn't come around the ball too much. He didn't keep it fair that much, but he did."

Although Vargas is currently the team's designated hitter, Molitor wants to be sure he is ready to play first base behind Joe Mauer.

"I don't want him to get comfortable with that idea," Molitor said. "We all know that's probably a role that he would most likely fill than any other. We're trying to be creative with ways to keep him sharp defensively. I've been putting him out there as much as I can."

Molitor also recognizes that Vargas is improving as a fielder.

"He's obviously better," he said. "I've seen Kennys for a lot of years over on the other side. He's put the time in, but he's not overly mobile and he needs to build his stamina where he can play defense for 150-200 pitches a game."

Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter was forced out of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals with a right quad contusion, per the team's official website. Carpenter was hit by a pitch in the opening frame, and was replaced by Pete Kozma to start the top of the third inning. He will likely be further evaluated moving forward.

While the Blue Jays have yet to make an announcement, Devon Travis will win the starting job at second base over Ryan Goins and Steve Tolleson, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman.

Travis, who was acquired in a November trade with Detroit, is doing well offensively this spring. He is batting .400 (16 for 40) with six doubles, six RBI, three walks, four runs and five strikeouts in 16 spring games.

He is considered Toronto's fifth-best prospect by Baseball America. Travis has a career .323/.388/.487/.876 slash line over three seasons in the minors.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera (ankle) will start at first base Wednesday against the Marlins and will play four innings, according to MLB.com.

He told head athletic trainer Kevin Rand he was ready to play in the field after he filled the role of DH in his first two spring games Sunday and Tuesday.

Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen played four innings and went 0 for 2 on Tuesday against the Orioles in his return from a lower-body injury. 

"There was no sense pushing it," McCutchen said on Tuesday following his first game action since March 12, per MLB.com. "I'll make it worse when it counts. I wasn't worried about being ready for the season. That was never an issue."

McCutchen has made just 15 plate appearances this spring. He said he will play in minor-league games if he has to in order to be ready for the season.

"He's in a good place," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He said he felt good today. If he needs at-bats, we can get him six-to-eight a day in Pirate City. I don't have any concerns about him at all."

The Blue Jays have several unsettled roles on the roster and some, like the battle to start at second base, won't be decided until the end of spring training, MLB.com reports.

"There are some things we have a pretty good idea of right now," manager John Gibbons said Tuesday. "But yeah, for the most part, to be fair to some of the guys still involved and things like that, there will be a lot of things we won't announce until the end."

At second base, prospect Devon Travis has battled Ryan Goins and Steve Tolleson to start, but the team may favor Tolleson in a close battle with the infielder out of minor-league options.

"You like to keep guys around if you can," said Gibbons, speaking generally about options. "If two guys are equal and one is out of options, there's a good chance he's gonna stay. But that's not the overriding factor. You always weigh it, because everyone runs into depth problems."

Travis has impressed this spring, going 14 for 38 at the plate and smacking six doubles this spring.

"Every scout that's watched him play, and the guys in the Detroit organization that we've talked to, they all say this kid can flat-out play," Gibbons said. "You just watch. He's getting great results right now, but you just watch him in the box, this kid's got a great swing, a short stroke. He's got an idea up there. He's not just swinging, just letting it fly. You watch his defence, he looks great there, too. You've got to weigh all that."

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is entering his fourth season in the majors at just 22 years old. He at times has shown the potential baseball folks have been raving about since he was a teenager, but he's also failed to fully live up to the hype. Although, durability issues have been a contributing problem for Harper, who has missed 106 games the last two seasons due to injuries.

Nationals manager Matt Williams talked Tuesday about what Harper needs to do to take his game to the next level.

"I want to see from Bryce a lot of consistency," Williams said, per MASNsports.com. "He shows that. He shows consistency. He's got the ability to walk. He's a good on-base guy -- traditionally, in his young career, he's been that.

"At the same time, I don't want him to feel pressure to do too much. If he can just be him, then it will be a great year for him. We are working on collectively his pitch recognition at the plate, making sure that we give him all the information we can possibly give him about the opponent. And just let him play. Year 4 is one thing but we have to also understand that he's only 22. He's still young, very young."