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  • LaMonte Wade 1B | SF

    Giants' LaMonte Wade: Might bat leadoff this season

    Giants manager Bob Melvin indicated Thursday that Wade could bat leadoff this season, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

    If it happens, it would likely be only against right-handers, as Wilmer Flores (knee) is expected to fill the short side of a platoon at first base with Wade. If Wade does indeed hit leadoff versus righties, Jung Hoo Lee would be used in the three hole. Melvin also noted Thursday that Wade could see some action in the outfield this season in addition to first base. The 31-year-old has primarily been a first baseman over the last two seasons but made five starts in the outfield last year.

  • Darick Hall 1B | PIT

    Pirates' Darick Hall: Could get look at first base

    Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Wednesday that Hall will get additional reps at first base following the injury to Spencer Horwitz (thumb), Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

    Hall was signed to a minor-league contract with a spring training invite back in December. The 29-year-old has a .700 OPS with 10 home runs over 198 career plate appearances at the major-league level but spent all of 2024 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization. The Pirates' plan is to fill the void left by Horwitz internally, and while Jared Triolo and Billy Cook are probably the favorites to emerge at first base, Hall now has a fighting chance to make the Opening Day roster.

  • Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: On mend from hand surgery

    Horwitz said Wednesday that the surgery he underwent last week was to repair the extensor tendon in his right thumb, John Perrotto of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports. He's expected to face a recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks.

    The left-handed-hitting Horwitz's procedure was designed to address chronic symptoms with his wrist, but the surgery itself was actually performed on the thumb of his throwing hand. In any case, Horwitz's projected 6-to-8-week recovery timeline could keep him out of action for most or all of spring training and force him to open the season on the injured list. If Horwitz is shelved to begin the campaign, Pittsburgh could turn to Jared Triolo, Billy Cook or Bryan Reynolds to pick up starts at first base early on.

  • Reds' Christian Encarnacion-Strand: Will see action at third

    Reds manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that he'd like to see Encarnacion-Strand play third base during spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

    Encarnacion-Strand was expected to be the team's primary first baseman in 2024, but hand and wrist injuries limited him to 29 games. He started seven games at third base for the Reds in 2023, and the hot corner was a regular spot for Encarnacion-Strand in the minors and college. Francona indicated that several infielders will "move around" at the beginning of spring training before the manager settles on a position for players like Encarnacion-Strand, Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario.

  • Pirates' Spencer Horwitz: Battling wrist injury

    Horwitz will miss time during spring training due to a right wrist injury, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

    Horwitz was traded from Toronto to Cleveland and then Pittsburgh back in December and was expected to begin 2025 as the Pirates' primary first baseman. However, he suffered a wrist injury in the offseason that required surgery and has yet to shed his cast. There's no telling if the infielder's absence will extend into the regular season, but if he ends up beginning the season on the injured list, Jared Triolo would likely be the next man up to start at first.

  • Spencer Steer 1B | CIN

    Reds' Spencer Steer: Nursing sore shoulder

    Steer could be limited to designated-hitter duty at the beginning of the spring training schedule due to shoulder soreness, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    Steer battled some shoulder soreness late last season and apparently still isn't quite over the issue. It does not seem to be something to get overly worried about at this juncture, but that could change if the soreness continues to linger. It's not clear when exactly Steer's shoulder began bothering him last season, but he slashed only .165/.268/.294 in September.

  • Sal Stewart 1B | CIN

    Reds' Sal Stewart: In MLB camp

    Stewart (wrist) will be part of major-league camp in spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

    Stewart, the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 draft, batted .279/.391/.454 with eight home runs and 46 RBI over 80 games at High-A Dayton in 2024. A July wrist injury prematurely ended his season. An advanced approach at the dish is Stewart's calling card; he has nearly as many walks (138) as strikeouts (139) and owns a 15.7 career strikeout rate during his stay in the minors. Stewart split his time evenly between second and third base at Dayton and is expected to open this season at Double-A Chattanooga.

  • Pete Alonso 1B | NYM

    Mets' Pete Alonso: Staying in Queens

    Alonso agreed to terms on a two-year, $54 million contract with the Mets on Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

    Alonso previously rejected a three-year deal worth roughly $70 million, but the 30-year-old slugger will end up remaining in New York for the foreseeable future as the Mets' everyday first baseman. His new deal will pay him $30 million in 2025 and includes an opt-out after the first season, which could allow him to enter free agency once again next winter.

  • Matt Mervis 1B | MIA

    Marlins' Matt Mervis: Will get long look in camp

    Mervis will be given a chance to win a starting role with the Marlins in spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

    Jonah Bride is penciled in as the starting first baseman headed into camp, but the 29-year-old doesn't profile as much of an offensive threat given his career .667 OPS and 12 homers over 565 big-league plate appearances. Mervis is coming off a brutal 2024 campaign that included a .235/.329/.434 in 81 games for Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' system, but the 26-year-old was viewed as one of the top first-base prospects in baseball just one year before after slugging 22 home runs with a .282/.399/.533 line in 100 appearances for Iowa. If Mervis can regain that form, he should quickly seize a spot at the heart of a Marlins' batting order that is lacking in established power threats. Mervis and Bride could also end up platooning at first base, with Mervis on the strong side, if rookie Deyvison De Los Santos shows enough this spring to break camp as the team's starting DH.

  • Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Not yet running

    Freeman (ankle) said Saturday that he has resumed swinging a bat but has yet to begin running this offseason, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

    Freeman added that he likely won't be ready for the start of Cactus League play, but he expects to be active for the Dodgers' two-game series against the Cubs in Tokyo. The 35-year-old first baseman underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his right ankle in early December. He also reportedly tore ligaments in his ankle during the Dodgers' postseason run, but they healed before his procedure.

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