MLB Player News

Turner (face) played catch and took swings off a tee Sunday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Sunday's work represents the first baseball activity Turner has participated in since getting hit in the face by a pitch last Monday. Surprisingly, he didn't sustain any fractures or lose any teeth. Turner was given the go-ahead to resume activities after having 16 stitches removed Saturday. "Hopefully just kind of keep ramping it up as long as there's no setbacks and hopefully be back out there as soon as possible," Turner said. He believes he can be ready for Opening Day.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested Sunday that Turner (face) could return to baseball activities as soon as Monday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

"[Turner is] gonna do a lot of stuff inside today in the training room and in the gym," Cora said. The infielder has made a fast recovery after a scary moment in which he was hit in the face Monday and required 16 stitches and a hospitalization. There's no guarantee that Turner will be ready for Opening Day at this point, though the 38-year-old indicated Sunday he expects to be good to go by that point, per Ian Browne of MLB.com.

Alvarez (hand) was able to hit soft toss in the batting cage Sunday and felt good, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez has taken swings in the cage two of the last three days, and both times the slugger has felt fine after the session. He's recovering from soreness in his left hand, and while the team has framed his absence from Grapefruit League precautionary, it's late enough in the spring season to grow concerned that he may not be ready to play on Opening Day. Astros manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that it's "still the plan" for Alvarez to be ready for the start of the season, however, and it's encouraging that he's feeling better swinging the bat at this stage.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hasn't ruled out Martinez playing some outfield this season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Martinez played primarily in the outfield for the first seven seasons of his career before transitioning to designated hitter in 2018. Last season with the Red Sox, he played all 139 of his games as the DH, and he hasn't played the outfield in a regular-season contest since Oct. 3, 2021. However, the veteran started in left field in Saturday's Cactus League contest against the Cubs and made a nice running catch on the first play of the game. Though Roberts' comments suggest Martinez could occasionally play defense this season, it's uncertain if he'd do so often enough to gain outfield eligibility in fantasy leagues. One reason the team may want to put Martinez in the field from time to time is that doing so could help get catcher Will Smith's bat in the lineup on days when he needs a break behind the plate.

Solak was reassigned to minor-league spring training Saturday.

Solak was acquired for cash considerations in November, but any hopes of him duplicating Brandon Drury's success from last season seems to have gone out the window with this move. Solak's career .252/.327/.372 slash line isn't good but is far from terrible, so if he does get a run of games for the Reds at some point, he could have fantasy value in at least deeper leagues. The fact that the Reds -- who don't exactly possess a roster packed with proven talent -- took him out of Opening Day consideration with nearly three weeks to go suggests his stock is quite low right now.

Manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that it's "still the plan" for Alvarez (hand) to be ready for Opening Day, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

He took swings in the batting cage Friday and the skipper's comments suggest Alvarez emerged from that session just fine. While more hand issues are concerning after he dealt with similar injuries last season, his time away from baseball activities seems precautionary in large part -- at least that's the way the team is framing it.

Turner (face) is making "big improvements," according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Turner might take batting practice Sunday.

In addition to taking BP in the near future, Turner is also getting his stitches removed after he was hit in the face by a pitch and taken to the hospital earlier this week. Turner received 16 stitches and dealt with significant swelling, but he cleared all is scans and appears tentatively on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Belt (knee) will serve as the designated hitter and bat third in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The veteran will don a Blue Jays uniform for the first time after 12 years with the Giants. Belt, who underwent right knee surgery last September, has been brought along slowly in camp thus far. If healthy, Belt should serve as the primary DH against right-handed pitching, ceding occasional starts to Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen among others.

Beer went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's spring game against the Reds.

Beer launched his first Cactus League home run in the first inning. He opened 2022 as part of the DH mix and hit well early, but a prolonged slump prompted a demotion to Triple-A Reno, where he languished with a .796 OPS in a hitter-friendly environment. The Diamondbacks have a plethora of DH candidates, and there's little room for him at first base, so Beer may have to recapture his offense at Reno in 2023.

Mariners manager Scott Servais mentioned Friday that Hummel will start moving around the field in upcoming Cactus League games, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Hummel has been focused on catching in the early part of camp, but the team wants to see him at several spots in the second half of the Cactus League schedule. Acquired from the Diamondbacks in the Kyle Lewis deal, Hummel will likely be the third catching option behind Cal Raleigh and Tom Murphy, but he could also see playing time at the corner outfield and infield positions.