MLB Player News

McCutchen (hand) will serve as the Pirates' designated hitter and No. 3 batter in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

McCutchen exited early in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Twins due to hand soreness, but as anticipated, his removal from that contest proved to be merely a precaution. At least at the start of the season, the 36-year-old should handle a near-everyday role as he opens his second stint in Pittsburgh, with McCutchen expected to move between the corner outfield and designated hitter.

Turner (face) has left the hospital and returned home to rest, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

According to an update from his wife Kourtney Turner, Turner had to undergo 16 stitches and is dealing with a lot of swelling, but the veteran suffered no fractures and cleared all of his scans. The injury occurred when he was struck in the face during Monday's Grapefruit League contest against the Tigers. It's very positive news, but the timetable as to when Turner will return to action this spring is not yet known.

Turner (face) is being treated for soft-tissue injuries and monitored for a concussion at a hospital after exiting Monday's game when he was hit in the face by a pitch, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The Red Sox say Turner is stable, alert and in good spirits, all things considered, which is very nice to hear. It does not appear he suffered any fractures as a result of the hit by pitch, but obviously he's far from out of the woods. Turner will be examined closely over the next few days and more should be known later this week about his status for the coming weeks and Opening Day. If he does need to miss time, it would open up some playing time in the Red Sox' designated hitter spot.

Alvarez (hand) is expected to resume swinging a bat "maybe by this weekend," Astros general manager Dana Brown said on the team's radio broadcast Sunday.

Alvarez has been battling nagging soreness in his left hand which has kept him from swinging a bat the last couple weeks. The slugger also dealt with soreness in both hands last season. There hasn't seemed to be any real concern regarding Alvarez's potential availability for Opening Day, but obviously it would be nice to see him take a step forward later this week.

Turner was taken to a hospital in an ambulance after being struck in the face with a pitch Monday versus the Tigers, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Turner was hit by a Matt Manning pitch in the first inning in a scary situation at JetBlue Park. The Red Sox have yet to offer any additional updates on Turner other than he's been transported to the hospital, but the team should have more on the infielder's condition later Monday.

McCutchen's (hand) removal from the Pirates' game on Sunday was precautionary and he's expected to be fine, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

McCutchen was lifted from the game against the Twins after being hit by a pitch, but it sounds like he probably could've remained in had it been a regular-season contest. The veteran outfield is expected to open 2023 as the Pirates' starting right fielder.

Turner was removed from Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Tigers after being hit in the face by a pitch, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

A pitch in the bottom of the first inning got away from Tigers right-hander Matt Manning, striking Turner. He eventually walked off the field with a trainer, holding a bloody towel to his face. The Red Sox should offer an update on Turner's condition before long.

Lewis started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's spring game against Cleveland.

Lewis made his spring debut after dealing with leg issues early in camp. It sounds like the Diamondbacks gave the 27-year-old outfielder, who is coming off a variety of knee injuries the last two seasons, extra preparation more than it was Lewis experiencing anything serious. He could remain a DH-only deployment in the short term before the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year gets a look in the field. Lewis gives the Diamondbacks a right-handed bench bat amid a lefty-dominant lineup.

Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters that Brantley (shoulder, personal) will hit second when in the lineup this season, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Jeremy Pena hit second for most of last year, but it's worth pointing out that was with Brantley missing a large portion of the season because of shoulder surgery. "If Brantley is in the lineup, Brantley is No. 2 ... I know Pena's been good, but Pena ain't been good as long as Brantley," Baker said. The veteran outfielder is away from the club now to deal with a personal matter, but a chance to hit second in the quality Houston lineup certainly doesn't hurt Brantley's fantasy potential.

Encarnacion-Strand has been one of the early stars in Reds camp this spring, highlighted by a long homer Saturday against A's starter Drew Rucinski, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He's had seven hits in 11 at-bats so far, with two homers and a double among those hits.

Encarnacion-Strand has been spending most of his time in spring training games at first base, and that appears to be his ultimate destination, as the Reds are deep in prospects on the left side of the infield. He had a brilliant season at the plate last year between Double-A and High-A, hitting .304/.368/.587. While there's some question whether his hit tool will translate at higher levels, he's made quite an impression so far this spring.