MLB Player News

Cabrera (illness) will start in right field and bat fourth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

An illness has prevented Cabrera from playing since Thursday, but a couple days of rest has him ready to return to action Saturday. The 26-year-old has had a relatively nice camp, going 8-for-28 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored over 10 games.

Henderson said Saturday that his right intercostal feels "a lot better," and he's hoping to be available for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The 23-year-old suffered the mild intercostal strain in late February but resumed baseball activities this week and is hoping to return to game action before the end of the Grapefruit League slate. Henderson will likely need to ramp up his baseball work during the upcoming week to have a realistic shot at Opening Day.

Story (back) is starting at shortstop and batting cleanup in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The veteran shortstop was scratched early in the week due to back tightness but is ready to return to game action this weekend. Injuries remain a concern for Story given that he's played in just 69 games across the past two seasons, but he's currently healthy and on track to serve as Boston's shortstop for Opening Day.

Abreu (illness) is starting in right field and batting eighth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old has been battling a gastrointestinal issue throughout camp but has been cleared for his first game action of spring training. Manager Alex Cora previously indicated that Abreu wasn't likely to be ready for Opening Day since the outfielder has to rebuild strength after losing some weight, but the outfielder now appears to have a chance to be ready for the start of the season.

Devers (shoulders) is batting second as the designated hitter in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

It's the first official appearance of spring training for Devers, who was built up slowly during the first half of camp after his shoulder problems last year. The 28-year-old appears set to begin the season as Boston's primary designated hitter, as he said Thursday he's OK with being utilized that way after previously indicating that he was unwilling to move off third base. That development will allow Alex Bregman to step in at the hot corner after signing a deal worth up to $120 million in February, though the Red Sox haven't officially announced their plans on who will play where.

Perez (back) is starting in center field and batting leadoff in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

The 25-year-old has been dealing with lower-back tightness over the past week but will rejoin the starting nine Saturday after recently receiving a cortisone injection. Perez is expected to start in center or right field Opening Day for the Tigers since Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) will be unavailable to begin the season.

Rice went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run against the Phillies in a Grapefruit League victory Friday.

Rice's long ball was a 405-foot shot to right-center field in the first inning. It was the 26-year-old's second homer this spring, and he's added four RBI along with a .212/.278/.394 lash line. Rice is competing for an Opening Day roster spot as a backup to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Yankees manager Aaron Boone mentioned last week that Rice could also see time at DH if he makes the roster since Giancarlo Stanton (elbows/calf) isn't going to ready for Opening Day and could miss an extended period.

Escarra went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League win against the Phillies.

Escarra went deep in the seventh inning, blasting a 386-foot homer to right field. The 30-year-old has stood out this spring, slashing .355/.394/.645 with three homers, seven RBI and only six strikeouts over 33 plate appearances. Escarra thrived with a .930 OPS over 201 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, and he's competing for an Opening Day roster spot as New York's backup catcher behind Austin Wells.

Carrasco pitched 3.1 innings in a Grapefruit League start against Philadelphia on Friday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out six batters.

Carrasco gave up a second-inning run but retired five of the six batters he faced after that runner crossed the plate. He did hit a pair of batters, but overall this was another positive performance by the veteran righty. Carrasco has posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB over 11 innings so far this spring. He's in camp on a minor-league deal and wasn't expected to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he's now a candidate for some early season starts due to injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Luis Gil (lat). It remains to be seen, however, if Carrasco will break camp with the big club or be asked to accept a minor-league assignment to begin the campaign.

Kikuchi has added a sweeper to his pitch mix, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Kikuchi has worked with a four-pitch arsenal over the past two campaigns, but it appears he'll have another offering to attack hitters with this season. Bollinger notes that the lefty's new sweeper averages 81 mph with 16 inches of break, so it should give him a much different look than when he uses his traditional slider, which averages 87 mph with two inches of break. Kikuchi excelled in his second start of the spring Friday against the Royals, allowing one run on five hits while issuing three walks and striking out eight batters over 4.1 innings. He indicated that he'll take the mound one more time before the regular season kicks off, but the appearance will be either in a minor-league game or in a simulated setting. Kikuchi has been announced as the Angels' starter on Opening Day against the White Sox on March 27.