MLB Player News

Guillorme (quad) took on-field batting practice Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Guillorme has been dealing with a sore quad lately but is now able to re-incorporate some baseball activities. The hope is that he will be ready to return to Grapefruit League play soon.

Murphy is slated to return to Atlanta's Grapefruit League lineup Friday against the Pirates after being sidelined by a stomach bug, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Murphy hasn't played in a week, and the illness provides an explanation behind his absence. Thankfully, he looks to be past the illness by this point, so he should be cleared to catch Friday, barring any setbacks leading up to the start of the game. Murphy -- who is 2-for-6 with two RBI this spring -- will be atop Atlanta's catching depth chart again in 2024, though Travis d'Arnaud should see plenty of reps as the No. 2 option.

Jones (back) is not in the Rockies' lineup for Thursday's Cactus League game versus the Royals, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.

He's not listed among the team's reserves, either. Jones had expressed optimism that he'd be able to play Thursday after departing Wednesday's game with lower-back tightness, but it's not a surprise the Rockies opted to hold him out at least a day. He should still be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Acuna (knee) will take batting practice on the field Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Acuna is not in Atlanta's Grapefruit League lineup Thursday against the Red Sox and won't play Friday versus the Pirates either, with manager Brian Snitker declining to offer an exact date as to when the reigning National League MVP will return to action. The 26-year-old remains day-to-day with right meniscus irritation, but the full expectation is that Acuna will be ready to roll for Opening Day.

Yamamoto was tagged for five runs on six hits and three walks over three innings Wednesday in Cactus League action versus the White Sox.

Yamamoto did notch four strikeouts, but on the whole it was a significant step back from his superb first spring start. Worth noting is that the Dodgers' infield defense behind the righty was pretty shaky, and if there's a weakness on the team that might be it, particularly the left side. Yamamoto is expected to start one of the Dodgers' games in their March 20-21 series in South Korea against the Padres, but he should have a couple more tune-ups before then.

Vasquez tossed 3.2 innings against Cincinnati in a Cactus League contest Wednesday, allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three batters.

Vasquez came into the outing having tossed two spring outings during which he allowed just one run on two hits and four walks with six punchouts over five frames. Wednesday's start was a step in the wrong direction, as the right hander served up five extra-base hits, including a trio of homers. Vasquez is in the running for one of two spots at the back of the Padres' rotation to begin the campaign, with Jhony Brito, Matt Waldron and Pedro Avila being his primary competition. One thing going for Vasquez is that he had moderate success with the Yankees in his first taste of major-league action last year. Over 11 outings (including five starts), he posted a 2.87 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 33:18 K:BB across 37.2 innings.

Keller sat between 90-92 mph for much of his spring training outing Wednesday against the Orioles, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The decreased velocity is a red flag not only for his potential level of performance but also as a potential indication of injury. However, he completed four innings -- his longest outing of the spring -- and told reporters after the game that he wasn't worried and that his velocity would ramp back up as the intensity of games increased. Though his results were inconsistent, Keller is coming off a breakout season during which he struck out 210 batters across 194.1 innings, and he'll take the mound on Opening Day against the Marlins.

Spiers allowed three hits and struck out five over four scoreless relief innings in Wednesday's spring game against San Diego.

The Reds are focused on getting their projected rotation members ramped up, but Spiers will be stretched out as organizational starter depth. The 26-year-old right-hander, who is expected to open at Triple-A Louisville, has allowed two earned runs over 8.2 innings, striking out 11 and walking one.

Arroyo has taken advantage of infield injuries to play early in training camp, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Arroyo is getting playing time due to Jonathan India (foot) and Matt McLain (oblique) still working their way back to game action. Noelvi Marte only recently returned from injury. Arroyo, acquired along with Marte in the trade that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle, has flashed highlight-worthy defense at shortstop. The 20-year-old is 5-for-12 with two doubles, a stolen base, three RBI and more walks (three) than strikeouts (two).

Hoerner went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Angels and is now batting just .188 this spring.

Hoerner has gone 3-for-16 with five strikeouts across six Cactus League contests, but he should still be locked in as the Cubs' leadoff hitter heading into the season. The infielder has batted .280 or better each of the last three years, and he also chipped in a career-best 43 stolen bases in 2023. With some strong hitters behind him, Hoerner should once again be an effective tablesetter for Chicago, with his fantasy value likely coming from steals and runs scored.