MLB Player News

Ohtani tossed his first live batting practice of spring training Wednesday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Aside from nearly being struck in the face by a comebacker off the bat of non-roster invitee Kean Wong, Ohtani had an uneventful throwing session, which qualifies as good news. The Angels are once again planning to implement a six-man rotation in 2022, affording Ohtani at least five days' rest rather than the standard four in between his pitching starts. He'll likely continue to hit for himself on most of his pitching days and should be a near-everyday designated hitter for the Angels on his non-pitching days, making him most valuable in fantasy leagues where he can be moved between both roles freely. Even in leagues with weekly lineup moves where Ohtani has to be locked in exclusively as either a pitcher or hitter, he should still rank among the top fantasy performers in either role.

Dickerson signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Atlanta on Wednesday.

Dickerson underwhelmed in 2021, as he slashed .233/.304/.420 with 13 home runs, 38 RBI and 37 runs across 111 appearances with the Giants. The 31-year-old will attempt to right the ship on his major-league deal with Atlanta, but he'll presumably have to compete for a roster spot during spring training since his salary isn't guaranteed. Even if he's able to make the team's Opening Day roster, Dickerson will presumably take on a backup role after Atlanta signed Eddie Rosario on Wednesday.

Texas manager Chris Woodward said Tuesday that Solak will primarily focus on left field in camp and spring training games, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Solak has experience at third base, and his name was floated as a candidate for the starting job at the hot corner, but Woodward burst that bubble. The manager talked more about Andy Ibanez and Yonny Hernandez competing for the job, while also throwing in the possibility of a platoon. Solak was Texas' starter at second base on Opening Day in 2021 but struggled at the plate and was eventually demoted to Triple-A Round Rock, where he mostly played second base.

Winker, who posted just 118 plate appearances against southpaws in 2021, is slated to see more at-bats against left-handed pitching this season, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The new trade acquisition's stellar .305/.394/.556 slash line for the Reds last season was largely built on the back of right-handed pitching -- Winker posted a .346 average and 1.070 OPS in 367 plate appearances in that split. Meanwhile, the lefty-swinging 28-year-old has just a .188 average and .600 OPS across 306 plate appearances in same-handed matchups, but manager Scott Servais noted he planned to give Winker more opportunities in those scenarios this season than he'd had in Cincinnati.

Miller agreed to a contract with the Rangers on Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Miller appeared in 140 games for the Phillies in 2021 and hit .227/.321/.453 with 20 home runs and 49 RBI, and he'll now head to Texas for 2022. The veteran infielder saw most of his action at first base but also played second base, third base, left field and right field. Miller will at least be a strong bench option for the Rangers and could push Andy Ibanez for the starting job at third base following the recent departure of Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Ford agreed to a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Tuesday.

Ford was traded by the Yankees in July after posting a .561 OPS in 72 plate appearances, and he had uneventful stints with the Rays and Nationals the rest of the way before being let go in late November. The 29-year-old made his big-league debut in 2019 and slashed .259/.350/.559 with 12 home runs in 50 games, but he's been unable to come close to matching that success over the past couple years.

Vogelbach signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Pirates on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. The contract contains a $1.5 million team option for 2023 and an additional $400,000 in performance-based incentives.

MLB's adoption of the universal designated hitter likely played a major part in Vogelbach earning a spot on the Pirates' 40-man roster, as the 29-year-old has historically been a liability defensively even at first base. With the DH now in place in the National League, Vogelbach should have a clear path to an everyday spot in the lineup against right-handed pitching, provided he can keep his strikeouts in check. For his career, the lefty-hitting Vogelbach has been a well above league-average performer versus righties, slashing .228/.357/.442 (117 wRC+).

Beer (shoulder) was a full participant in Monday's workout, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Beer, who underwent surgery last September, is expected to compete to earn a portion of the designated hitter at-bats. In five September games for Arizona in 2021, Beer went 4-for-9 with a home run, a double, three RBI and four runs scored.

McCutchen agreed to a contract with the Brewers on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Philadelphia declined McCutchen's $15 million option for 2022 back in November, and the veteran outfielder will continue his career in Milwaukee. The Brewers already have an established outfield group with Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, Hunter Renfroe and Tyrone Taylor, but the introduction of the designated hitter to the National League opens up some at-bats. McCutchen had a .778 OPS with 27 home runs and 80 RBI in 144 games last season, though he did most of that damage against left-handed pitching with a .293/.405/.622 slash line in 195 plate appearances.

Manager David Ross said Monday that Ramirez hasn't yet reported to spring training due to travel complications, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Ramirez was dealt from the Guardians to the Cubs in November of 2021, but he hasn't yet joined his new club for camp following the league's lockout. The 27-year-old made 99 appearances for Cleveland last year and hit .268 with seven home runs, 41 RBI, 33 runs and three stolen bases. Once he reports to camp, he'll attempt to carve out at-bats as a depth option in the outfield ahead of the 2022 campaign.