MLB Player News

Morel was optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs on Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Morel hit four home runs but also struck out at a rate in excess of 40 percent this spring, perfectly encapsulating the good and bad parts of the 23-year-old's game. He remains talented and will be given a chance to play every day at Iowa, but Morel will probably have to start making more contact in order to get another long look with the Cubs.

Torrens is expected to make the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes will be 1B and 1B at catcher for the Cubs, but the team wants to keep Torrens around as a third catcher and designated hitter option. The 26-year-old has a 1.172 OPS with two homers this spring but has just a career .642 OPS over parts of five major-league seasons.

Belt (illness) will serve as Toronto's designated hitter and cleanup batter in Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Phillies.

Belt is back in the lineup after being scratched from the starting nine in both of the past two days due to a non-COVID-19-related illness that has been described as a stomach bug. Though the 34-year-old is likely to see limited action against left-handed pitching this season and may frequently sit out day games after night games, he's expected to be the Blue Jays' preferred cleanup hitter versus right-handed pitching when healthy.

The Mets will designate Ruf for assignment Monday, a source tells Joel Sherman of The New York Post.

Ruf's removal from the 40-man roster comes after he mustered a lowly .413 OPS in 74 plate appearances for the Mets last season upon coming over in a deadline deal with the Giants. He then continued to struggle in Grapefruit League play this spring, batting just .167 in 35 plate appearances while also managing a wrist issue. Though Ruf has been an above-average contributor at the plate over parts of eight seasons in the majors (110 wRC+), his prolonged slump and lack of defensive flexibility may be enough to deter teams from putting in a waiver claim for the 36-year-old, who has $3.25 million remaining on his contract. With Ruf moving off the 40-man roster, the Mets are now likely to include outfielder Tim Locastro on their Opening Day squad.

The Mariners reassigned O'Keefe to minor-league camp Sunday.

O'Keefe made his big-league debut with Seattle at 29 years old in 2022, appearing in two games for the club. He was non-tendered after the season and brought back on a minor-league deal, but O'Keefe is unlikely to get another look in Seattle unless the team's catching depth is seriously tested in 2023.

Encarnacion-Strand, who was reassigned to minor-league camp March 14, isn't expected to be available to make his season debut for Triple-A Louisville until at least April 19 while he recovers from a slight disc herniation in his back, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Encarnacion-Strand originally suffered the injury Feb. 13, but he was sidelined for only a few days in spring training before entering the Reds' Cactus League lineup. He then proceeded to produce at the plate, batting a remarkable .577 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 27 plate appearances before getting sent to minor-league camp. The injury has since cropped back up and has resulted in Encarnacion-Strand sitting out minor-league games for the past week, so the Reds will err on the side of caution by holding him out at Triple-A for the early part of the season. The Reds are tentatively targeting April 19 for him to serve as a designated hitter for Louisville with the hope that he'll be ready to handle a full-time role in the field by April 24.

The Blue Jays scratched Belt (illness) from the lineup ahead of Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Toronto's initial lineup listed Belt as its starting first baseman and No. 3 batter, but he'll ultimately take a seat for the second day in a row while he aims to recover from a stomach bug. Provided his symptoms continue to steadily improve in the next few days, Belt should be included on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. He's projected to serve as the Blue Jays' primary designated hitter and cleanup batter versus right-handed pitching to begin the season.

Lewis appears to have secured a spot on Arizona's Opening Day roster after Pavin Smith was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Lewis put his best foot forward during spring training with three home runs and a .480/.581/.960 slash line in 31 appearances, which seems to have earned him a roster spot. The 27-year-old seems unlikely to have an everyday spot in the lineup but could see regular action against left-handed pitchers.

Miller went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's spring game against the Padres.

Miller swatted his third spring home run and second in the last three games. As spring training winds down, Miller is in the mix for a bench spot, likely as a designated hitter and a backup at multiple positions. Joining Miller in the competition are Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith (thumb), players that also have experience in the infield and outfield.

Belt (illness) will start at first base and bat third in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

A stomach bug kept Belt from playing in Saturday's game against the Tigers, but he's apparently feeling fine one day later. Though he'll be picking up a start at first base Sunday, Belt is expected to serve as Toronto's primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching once the regular season gets underway.