MLB Player News

Choi (knee) acknowledged Monday that he's unsure if he'll be available for the Rays' April 1 season opener versus the Marlins, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi expects to glean more clarity on his status for Opening Day when the Rays re-evaluate him this weekend or early next week after he completes a 7-to-10-day shutdown period. The Rays are hopeful that the time off will help resolve the ongoing right knee soreness/tightness that Choi has been managing this spring, but if not, the 29-year-old will be a candidate for the 10-day injured list. Choi's potential absence to begin the season would open up more reps at first base and/or designated hitter for Yandy Diaz, Austin Meadows and Yoshi Tsutsugo.

Alvarez made his Grapefruit League debut Sunday and went 0-for-3 in a game against Washington.

As expected, Alvarez slotted in at designated hitter while batting fifth in the order. Issues with both knees slowed Alvarez's introduction to game action and will likely limit him to DH-only duties in 2021. He missed all but two games in 2020, but Alvarez was productive in a mostly-DH role in 2019, when he won Rookie of the Year honors after posting a 1.067 OPS with 27 home runs over 369 plate appearances.

Rooker went 3-for-3 with a double in Sunday's spring training win over Boston. He's hitting .400 (6-for-15) with a home run this spring.

Rooker is competing for a bench role this spring. He could begin the season in a platoon in right field if the Twins send Alex Kirilloff to the minors, as he's one of the few right-handed bats among the Twins' outfielders. Rooker is showing he's healthy after his 2020 season ended in mid-September due to a fractured right forearm that required surgery.

Ohtani pitched 2.1 innings against the White Sox in a Cactus League contest Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and one walk while striking out four.

Ohtani looked good in the first frame, allowing one hit but striking out two batters. Things fell apart in the second, however, as Ohtani allowed five straight hitters to reach base before being pulled for a reliever. He ended up being charged with five runs in the frame, then came back out for the third inning (modified spring training rules allow such a move to take place) and got two outs before calling it a day. While the right-hander's outing certainly wasn't pretty, the good news is that he emerged from the appearance feeling fine, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, and touched 99 mph with his fastball. Ohtani's ability to throw heat this spring is encouraging given his recent arm issues, and he has now struck out nine batters over four total innings. Fantasy managers looking to invest in Ohtani may be wise to focus more on his velocity and arm strength than the final box score in a meaningless spring training game, though a strong performance his next time out -- currently slated for next Sunday against San Diego -- could help ease concerns about the oft-injured hurler.

Belt (heel) is playing first base in a simulated game Sunday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

It's been slow going in camp for the 32-year-old after dealing with COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, but he appears to be nearing his Cactus League debut for the Giants. Belt still has a couple weeks to prepare for Opening Day, but his conditioning may not be up to par after recovering from a pair of long-term ailments. He had a .309/.425/.591 slash line with nine home runs, 13 doubles, 30 RBI and 30 walks in 51 games during 2020.

Miller could require an MRI after he was unable to play in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to a right oblique injury, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Miller said Sunday that the injury was something that had been bothering him throughout the spring, but it wasn't until Saturday that the pain was significant enough for him to ask out of the lineup. The Phillies plan to give him a few days of rest with the hope that's enough to resolve the issue, but if not, Miller will likely be sent in for further diagnostic tests. The 31-year-old is competing for a role this spring as a left-handed bat off the Philadelphia bench.

Buxton (broken tooth) will start in center field and will bat seventh in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Buxton will rejoin the Twins' spring lineup for the first time in a week after he was sidelined with a cracked tooth that required a root canal. The brief absence shouldn't prevent him from being ready to fill a full-time role in the outfield for the Twins when Opening Day arrives.

Alvarez (knees) will serve as the Astros' designated hitter and will bat fifth in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 23-year-old slugger will be making his long-awaited spring debut in what marks his first game action since mid-August after a lengthy recovery from bilateral arthroscopic knee surgery. Per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, manager Dusty Baker said he expects Alvarez to receive only 2-to-3 plate appearances Sunday before checking out of the contest, but the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year should be able to play a full game by the time the Astros' Grapefruit League slate concludes. Given Alvarez's past knee issues, the Astros are expected to limit his defensive work throughout the spring, and if he does get on the field, he'll most likely play first base rather than the corner outfield. Because he played exclusively as a DH in his brief 2020 campaign, Alvarez may not carry eligibility in the outfield in certain fantasy leagues.

Vogelbach went 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI in Saturday's spring game against the Rangers.

Vogelbach got off to a slow start this spring, but he has picked up the pace lately, going 4-for-12 (.333) over his past five games. Hoping he would be able to see regular at-bats as the designated hitter, the Brewers re-signed Vogelbach over the offseason. With the NL not adopting the DH, though, he will be able to work in that role only in AL parks and is on track to serve as the backup first baseman behind Keston Hiura.

Dickerson is 2-for-12 with two runs, three walks and one stolen base through six spring games.

The 30-year-old is still seeing the ball well as the three walks suggest, but he otherwise hasn't found much success early in camp. Dickerson posted an impressive .298/.371/.576 slash line with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 27 RBI in 52 games last season, though he had only 12 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He could open 2021 working on the strong side of a platoon in left field, which would still afford him plenty of opportunities.