MLB Player News

Gonzalez will be sidelined for multiple weeks due to a hamstring injury, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Considered one of the best prospects in the Giants' farm system, Gonzalez is now slated to miss the start of the regular season while he recovers from the injury. The 18-year-old infielder slashed .288/.404/.455 across 228 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League last year and could be bumped up to Single-A once he's healthy.

Kochanowicz completed five innings against Cincinnati in a split-squad Cactus League game Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six batters.

Kochanowicz looked great Wednesday, logging his longest start so far this spring and working up to 74 pitches (50 strikes). The six punchouts were an aberration for him -- he's posted a meager 12.5 percent strikeout rate over 176.1 career big-league innings, which is a big deterrent in terms of fantasy appeal. Still, Kochanowicz has pitched well this spring, posting a 1.98 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB across 13.2 frames spanning four appearances (three starts). Meanwhile, Alek Manoah has stumbled to a 9.39 ERA and 2.41 WHIP in his five outings, putting his spot in the Opening Day rotation in serious jeopardy. Should Manoah not break camp in the Angels' rotation, Kochanowicz has made a strong case to step into the vacated role.

Hamilton cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Hamilton doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so the demotion to Triple-A will cost him his place on Atlanta's 40-man roster. The 30-year-old righty made just two appearances in the Grapefruit League this spring, giving up one run on three hits and two walks while striking out one batter in 1.2 innings.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a run-scoring triple Wednesday in a Cactus League win against the Angels.

Lowe was limited to the DH spot again as he continues to be cautious following his return from an oblique injury, but he looked very healthy swinging the bat and running the bases. The veteran outfielder drove home a run with a triple in the first inning and then pushed the Angels ahead for good with a grand slam in the seventh. Lowe reportedly played the outfield for a portion of a minor-league spring game Tuesday, and the expectation is that he'll be ready to play in the field for the Angels by Opening Day.

Manager Joe Espada announced Thursday that Sousa will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique injury, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Sousa injured his oblique during his last Grapefruit League appearance while playing the field. It's another blow to the Houston bullpen, as Sousa will join closer Josh Hader (biceps) on the injured list to open the season. The 30-year-old Sousa pitched in 44 games out of the Astros bullpen last season, logging a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 59:15 K:BB across 50.2 innings.

The Mets optioned Gerber to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Gerber pitched well during his brief stint in the majors last season, giving up just one earned run while striking out four batters over 4.1 innings. However, he will need to show consistent success before the Mets welcome him into their bullpen, especially after posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.46 across 43.1 frames in Triple-A last year.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a Cactus League win over San Francisco.

Freeman left the yard for the first time this spring with a solo shot in the third inning. The steady first baseman has hit well this spring, posting a .429/.500/.643 slash line with three doubles, 10 RBI and six runs scored. Freeman should be an everyday fixture in the Dodgers' lineup this season and could see a few more RBI opportunities with his anticipated move to the cleanup spot.

The Mets optioned Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Although he slashed .313/.389/.531 with five RBI, three runs scored and two steals through 13 spring games, Mauricio will not be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster. He may be called up during the season to serve as bench depth, but with Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor (hand) projected to start regularly in the Mets' infield, it would still be difficult for Mauricio to crack the starting nine if the infield group stays healthy.

Ohtani tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out four batters.

This was Ohtani's first outing of the Cactus League slate, as he spent much of spring with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The two-way star didn't pitch during the tournament, but he continued to work on his throwing progression with bullpen and live batting-practice sessions. Ohtani certainly didn't seem to be very far behind in his ramp-up Wednesday -- he threw 61 pitches (34 strikes) and topped out at 99.9 mph on his fastball, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. While Ohtani will likely have some slight innings limitations early in the campaign, he's slated to be part of the Dodgers' rotation from the get-go and may need only a few starts to ramp up to a full workload.

Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox on Wednesday, allowing two hits and issuing one walk while striking out four batters.

Lagrange entered in the third inning in a scoreless game and departed after the sixth with the score unchanged. The 22-year-old right-hander has wowed this spring, not only by regularly flashing a triple-digit fastball but also by putting together a sterling 0.66 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB over 13.2 innings spanning four outings (including one start). He's still unlikely to make New York's Opening Day roster, but Lagrange has certainly bolstered his prospect status with his dominant spring, and he could reach the big leagues (perhaps in a relief role) at some point during the campaign if he continues to pitch well in the minors.