MLB Player News

McCutchen went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two runs scored in Saturday's game against the Tigers.

The strong showing means the veteran outfielder has now gone 6-for-18 with three extra-base hits through seven Grapefruit League games. Entering the season healthy is what's most important for the former MVP, who posted a career-low 103 wRC+ last season in his first year back from a torn ACL. Any boost he gets from a healthy offseason could be offset by the effects of aging for the 34-year-old, though he should still be a respectable cross-category contributor this season unless age hits particularly hard.

Miller suffered a ribcage injury Saturday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

It's not yet clear how much time Miller is expected to miss, but the Phillies should have a better idea soon as he's been sent for tests. Miller signed a major-league deal in February and should fill an important role off the bench if healthy, but even a minor setback at this stage of spring could send him to the injured list to start the year.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Saturday that Choi (knee) will be shut down for 7-to-10 days, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Choi has dealt with right knee soreness throughout most of spring training and was checked out by a team doctor Saturday. Cash reiterated that he isn't overly concerned about the injury, but he said that the team should have a better idea after his week of rest as to whether his absence will affect his availability for Opening Day.

Belt (heel) battled COVID-19 in January and mononucleosis in February, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Belt at least feels good in his recovery from October heel surgery, but it's been a brutal winter for the veteran first baseman. He hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day, but he's yet to get into game action this spring, so he appears to be running out of time. Even if he does make the Opening Day roster, he'll likely need frequent rest to start the season, as his conditioning presumably isn't where he'd want it to be after battling a pair of long-term illnesses. At-bats could be freed up early in the season for some combination of Wilmer Flores, Darin Ruf or Austin Slater.

Choi is dealing with soreness in his right knee again, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi was bothered by a sore right knee earlier in camp, and it appears that is an issue again. The Rays "are not overly concerned" about Choi, according to manager Kevin Cash, but he will be checked out by a team doctor Saturday and an update on his status figures to be released after that.

Alvarez (knee) is scheduled to start at designated hitter in Sunday's spring game against the Cardinals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The 23-year-old will make his spring debut after being limited to two games last season and ramping up his rehab work through the first few weeks of camp. Alvarez isn't expected to see any work in the outfield this season due to the knee issues, so he could operate exclusively as a designated hitter.

Jimenez went 2-for-3 with a triple and a solo home run in Thursday's spring game against the Reds.

The two extra-base hits were Jimenez's first of the Cactus League. Chicago's starting left fielder is 5-for-19 with three runs scored through seven spring games. Jimenez has established himself has one of the game's best sluggers and could put up monster counting numbers in 2021, the first year he'll have a chance to play a full 162-game schedule at the MLB level.

Stanton indicated Wednesday that he plans to spend some time playing in the outfield before the end of spring training, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

Stanton has been tabbed the Yankees' everyday DH for the coming campaign, but the veteran nonetheless hopes to get a chance to play the field during Grapefruit League play. Manager Aaron Boone was noncommittal when discussing such a scenario, saying that those discussions have yet to take place and that Stanton could "possibly" get some outfield reps. Given the slugger's recent injury history, it wouldn't be surprising for the organization to play it safe in spite of Stanton's wishes.

Pederson went 3-for-3 with two solo home runs and three runs scored in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rockies.

The game wasn't at Coors Field, but Pederson performed like it was. The outfielder has been on a tear to begin spring training, as he now has five home runs and a 2.071 OPS through seven games. Pederson should play every day for the Cubs and has the chance to put up good numbers in a lineup that also features the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Willson Contreras.

Harper isn't expected to play the field until sometime next week, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Harper dealt with back issues last season and has been brought along cautiously in camp, with his Grapefruit League appearances all coming as a designated hitter thus far. The Phillies haven't expressed much concern, but the way they're treating the star slugger nevertheless seems telling. It's possible Harper sees more frequent off days than he's used to this year as the Phillies strive to ensure his back problems don't reach the point that he needs to miss an extended period. It's also possible that this is simply standard spring caution and that Harper will be treated normally once the regular season begins.