MLB Player News

Jones (back) is starting in left field for the Rockies' spring training game against the Cubs on Saturday, Patrick Lyons of Just Baseball reports.

Jones missed Colorado's last two exhibition games after being removed from Wednesday's contest due to lower-back tightness, but the issue seems to have subsided ahead of Saturday's game. Jones is 5-for-19 so far this spring with an RBI and four runs scored alongside six strikeouts.

Gasser tossed three scoreless innings of relief in an exhibition game Friday. He allowed two hits and posted a 3:1 K:BB in the outing.

Gasser allowed two earned runs over two innings in his lone start of the spring, but he has sandwiched scoreless one-inning and now three-inning appearances around that and owns a 6:2 K:BB over six total frames. Gasser is one of Milwaukee's top prospects and is in the mix for a rotation spot with the big club, but with him not yet on the 40-man roster, the Brewers could assign him to the minors in order to retain other pitchers that are.

Grandal is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his foot, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal hasn't caught a spring training game since the end of February due to his foot, but manager Derek Shelton said he expects Grandal to resume playing in games soon. The 35-year-old will operate as Pittsburgh's starting catcher during the regular season, but Shelton has stated that Grandal's workload will be limited due to his age.

Mitchell went 6-for-14 (.429) with a double, two RBI, two runs and a 3:4 BB:K over his last five spring games.

Mitchell got off to an 0-for-7 start in the exhibition season, but he seems to have found his swing over the last week-plus. A shoulder injury limited Mitchell to just 19 games in 2023, but he recovered late in the campaign and is fully healthy this spring. The Brewers are still evaluating how to best utilize their group of talented young outfielders, and it's unclear exactly how Mitchell will fit in. However, he brings enough power-speed potential to the table to warrant consideration from fantasy players.

Ortiz is 4-for-16 (.250) with a home run, a double, four RBI, two runs, a steal and a 2:4 BB:K through six games this spring.

Ortiz has fared well at the plate during the exhibition season, as after six appearances he owns an .833 OPS. The Brewers -- who acquired Ortiz as part of the Corbin Burnes deal -- are evaluating where he fits best, as he has already seen action at the three infield spots left of first base. Ortiz will be blocked at his natural position of shortstop as long as Willy Adames is around, but he is firmly in the mix for a role at both second and third base.

Sanchez (hand) is in the lineup for Milwaukee's Cactus League game against Seattle on Saturday.

Sanchez has spent the first portion of spring training recovering from a right hand injury he suffered during the offseason. He logged three hits over six at-bats while hitting on the back fields Wednesday and will make his spring debut as the Brewers' designated hitter -- a role Sanchez is expected to fill often in the regular season.

Gray (hamstring) has progressed to throwing from 120 feet and participating in agility drills, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol said there's a chance Gray could begin throwing bullpen sessions next week if Gray's recovery goes well over the weekend. The 34-year-old righty still isn't expected to start for the Cardinals on Opening Day, but it is appearing increasingly likely that Gray's early season absence will be a brief one.

After going 0-for-2 in a Cactus League game against the Mariners on Friday, Gomes is batting .286 this spring.

Gomes has only one extra-base hit so far in six spring games, though the .286 average is encouraging. The veteran catcher batted .308 for the Cubs last spring training, then went on to have a solid age-35 season, batting .267 and swatting 10 home runs across 116 games. His numbers may not jump off the page, but Gomes should be a solid complement to the younger Miguel Amaya this year, and both figure to see playing time.

Swanson, who went 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in a Cactus League game against the Mariners on Friday, is now batting .357 this spring.

Swanson appears to be in midseason form with his bat, as he's gone 5-for-14 so far with four walks and only four strikeouts. The shortstop batted just .244 in his first season with the Cubs in 2023, though he batted .278 a year earlier with Atlanta, so there is room for improvement in that area. Swanson's other numbers were fairly similar last season, and he reached the 20-homer plateau for the third straight year.

Hendricks, who allowed three runs over 3.1 innings in a Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks on Friday, now has a 7.56 ERA this spring.

Hendricks has made three short appearances so far in camp and has allowed runs each time. It's a small sample size of only 8.1 total innings, so alarm bells don't need to go off yet. However, fantasy managers may want to see the veteran righty get going a bit before the regular season to feel better about his prospects early in the year. Hendricks at least looks healthier this spring compared to last, when he had his throwing routine bumped back due to his recovery from a capsular tear in 2022.