MLB Player News

Belt (heel/illness) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday against the Padres as a pinch hitter, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The 32-year-old has been playing catch-up throughout camp after undergoing heel surgery in October and then coming down with COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, but he's set to make his spring debut Wednesday. There's only eight days before Opening Day, so Belt is running out of time to play the field in a spring game before the start of the season. A short trip to the injured list to open the campaign wouldn't be surprising, though the Giants have yet to indicate whether he's expected to be ready for the season opener.

The White Sox announced that Jimenez was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics due to left shoulder discomfort.

The initial diagnosis doesn't provide much clarity regarding the extent of Jimenez's injury, but the White Sox should have a better idea about his condition when he's re-evaluated Thursday. The 24-year-old slugger sustained the shoulder injury while attempting to rob a home-run ball at the left-field fence.

Jimenez exited Wednesday's spring game against the Athletics in the top of the second inning with an apparent left shoulder injury, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Jimenez sustained the injury while reaching over the wall in left field to try to save a home run in the second inning. He was shaken up on the play and immediately left the game with a trainer. The exact nature and severity of the injury isn't yet known.

Choi received a second cortisone injection in his sore right knee Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The Rays remain optimistic that nothing is structurally wrong with Choi's knee, and manager Kevin Cash suggested that the first baseman could be ready to ramp up his activity as soon as Wednesday. Despite the positive news, Choi still appears unlikely to be available for Opening Day, though he'll likely only require a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season.

Rooker is in the mix to start in left field after Alex Kirilloff was sent to the minors, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Rooker started in right field in Tuesday's spring training loss to Pittsburgh and went 0-for-3. He's hitting .320 (8-for-25) with a home run this spring.

The Twins haven't revealed their plans, but a platoon of Jake Cave and Rookier, with Luis Arraez also getting some starts, seems like the most likely strategy until Kirilloff is recalled for everyday duty. Rooker will likely be in the mix given his strong spring; he's shown he's healthy after his 2020 season ended in mid-September due to a fractured right forearm that required surgery, and he's one of the few right-handed bats among the outfielders likely to make the final roster.

Martinez went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's spring game against Atlanta.

Martinez has extra-base hits in each of last two Grapefruit League games and is 11-for-41 with a .652 OPS over 14 spring contests. He's looking to bounce back from a miserable 2020 when he posted a .680 OPS over 54 games.

Carpenter is hitting .033 (1-for-30) with one RBI, seven walks, 13 strikeouts and a run over 14 Grapefruit League games.

Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Carpenter isn't in danger of missing out on the Opening Day roster despite his abysmal spring performance, especially considering he's due $18.5 million this coming season and the fact he isn't taking up a starting spot. Hummel also notes Carpenter's left-handed bat and defensive versatility are two other factors in his favor for the time being, but he adds it would naturally behoove the veteran to get off to a productive start after the type of spring he's had and in light of his pedestrian .216/.332/.372 line over the last two seasons.

Lewis was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks after running into the wall Monday against the Dodgers, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The Mariners reportedly aren't concerned about any particular injury with Lewis but still wanted to give him a day to recover. Sam Haggerty will slide to center field in his absence, with Jake Fraley entering the lineup in right.

Brantley went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Monday's spring game against the Mets.

Brantley's batting a middling .235 (8-for-34) this spring, but he leads Houston with seven RBI. Since joining the team, Brantley has been a clutch performer, as he's hit .347 (60-for-173) and knocked in 83 runs with runners in scoring position since 2019. Brantley will be Houston's everyday left fielder while batting third or fourth, where RBI opportunities should be plentiful.

Jimenez went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Monday's spring game against San Francisco.

The home run was Jimenez's second of the Cactus League. The young slugger has found his swing over the last week, going 7-for-17 with three extra-base hits and nine RBI over the last four games.