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  • Bryce Harper DH | PHI

    Phillies' Bryce Harper: Misses workout due to illness

    Harper will miss the Phillies' first full-squad workout Monday due to illness, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

    Trea Turner is also away from the club because his wife recently gave birth. Turner is expected to join workouts Wednesday, and Harper will likely be ready by then, if not before.

  • Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD

    Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Hurls 14 pitches in bullpen session

    Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) threw 14 pitches in a bullpen session consisting of two-seam and four-seam fastballs Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

    Per manager Dave Roberts, Ohtani's velocity sat in the 92-to-94 mph range during the throwing session, which pitching coach Mark Prior described as the two-way star "dipping his toe back in the water." The bullpen was Ohtani's first this spring, though he's been using his full arsenal while throwing from flat ground. Ohtani isn't expected to pitch in any Cactus League games and is unlikely to take the mound in a regular-season contest until around early May, but he should be in the Dodgers' lineup as a hitter when the team plays its opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo, Japan on March 18-19.

  • Cubs' Alexander Canario: Getting reps at first

    Canario received reps at first base Tuesday as the Cubs explore their reserve options behind starter Michael Busch, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

    The 24-year-old Canario has a good chance to make the Opening Day roster since he's out of minor-league options, and adding some positional versatility might help him secure a bench job. Canario has played in just 21 big-league games, striking out 19 times in 45 plate appearances, which is consistent with his 30.4 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A Iowa last year.

  • Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD

    Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: First 'pen session set for weekend

    Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) said Wednesday that he expects to throw his first bullpen session of spring training this weekend, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

    Ohtani is on the mend from November surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder as well as the September 2023 Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but the two-way phenom took batting practice Wednesday without issue and will be ready to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter for the team's two-game season-opening set in Tokyo versus the Cubs on March 18 and 19. Manager Dave Roberts recently suggested that the 30-year-old could make his 2025 debut as a pitcher at some point in May, as Ohtani is already throwing his full repertoire off flat ground during camp and will take another step forward by getting on a mound this weekend. However, Roberts noted earlier Wednesday that Ohtani won't be cleared to pitch in any Cactus League games, so the four-time All-Star looks as though he'll have to gradually build up his pitch count through simulated games this spring and during the early portion of the season while he continues to play regularly as a DH.

  • Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD

    Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Won't pitch in Cactus League games

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Ohtani (shoulder/elbow) will not pitch in Cactus League games this spring, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

    The announcement comes as little surprise, as the Dodgers don't yet have a date for Ohtani to resume throwing full bullpen sessions. While Ohtani is unlikely to join the Los Angeles rotation until May as he works his way back from right elbow surgery and left shoulder surgery, he's fully expected to serve as the team's designated hitter for its season-opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo on March 18 and 19.

  • Cubs' Alexander Canario: Out of options

    Canario has a good chance at making Chicago's Opening Day roster in a bench role, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

    After appearing in six games for the Cubs as a rookie in 2023, Canario saw 15 games of action last year. He's still just 24 years old and hit for significant power at Triple-A last year (.514 SLG, .271 ISO), but the main reason he's a favorite to make the club is that he's out of minor-league options. Given that Canario has a 42.2 percent strikeout rate and 4.4 percent walk rate in the majors and struck out at a 30.4 percent clip in the minors last year, he'd likely be limited to work against southpaws if he makes the club.

  • Mark Vientos DH | NYM

    Mets' Mark Vientos: Sticking at third base

    Vientos is slated to remain at third base for the Mets following their re-signing of Pete Alonso, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

    Vientos was set to shift to first base when it looked like Alonso was headed elsewhere, but he'll now get to stick at the hot corner. The 25-year-old appears set to bat cleanup behind Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Alonso, setting him up for plenty of RBI opportunities.

  • Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD

    Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Expected to be pitching by May

    Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that having Ohtani (shoulder) pitching by May "sounds about right," Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

    Ohtani has yet to take the mound for the Dodgers after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2023, and he underwent another procedure to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder after the World Series last year. While his hiatus from pitching will seemingly extend about a month into the regular season, there's been no indication that the two-way superstar's surgeries will prevent him from being part of Los Angeles' Opening Day lineup. Ohtani has already proven that rehabbing from surgery doesn't bother him much at the plate, as he slashed .310/.390/.646 while recording the first 50-50 season in MLB history en route to being unanimously named the National League's MVP -- all while recovering from his Tommy John procedure.

  • Mark Vientos DH | NYM

    Mets' Mark Vientos: In line to shift to first base

    The Mets' current plan is to have Vientos be their first baseman this season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

    That's assuming Pete Alonso isn't re-signed, which is now the expectation. Vientos had a breakout season offensively in 2024, slashing .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs over 111 regular-season contests for the Mets before adding another five long balls and a .998 OPS in the playoffs. The 25-year-old earned minus-6 Outs Above Average at third base, so a move to the cold corner isn't a surprise. Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio (knee) and Luisangel Acuna are in line to compete for the third base job.

  • Luis Torrens DH | NYM

    Mets' Luis Torrens: Reaches deal with Mets

    The Mets and Torrens avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Thursday.

    Torrens was eligible for arbitration for the second time. He's slated to open the 2025 season as the Mets' backup catcher behind Francisco Alvarez.

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