MLB Player News

Collins has been managing a back issue recently and will DH on Wednesday night before returning to playing the field later this week. The 28-year-old corner outfielder appears on track to be ready for next week’s season opener.

Freeman did plenty of sitting against righties for the first month of the season, but he’s now started four of the last five times the Rockies have faced them. He also started at second base for the second time on Sunday. If he emerges as a true full-timer and gains second base eligibility, he might have a little something to offer in mixed leagues. Since the beginning of last year, he’s hit .280 and stole 22 bases in 521 plate appearances.

There wasn’t much doubt that Friedl would be back in center tonight, but the Reds could have maybe dropped him in the lineup with him hitting just .185/.267/.274. Still, as poor as that is, it’s not like the team has much in the way of alternatives, aside from maybe just going with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart first and second, rather than third and fourth. But that’s not Terry Francona’s style. The Reds have been giving Noelvi Marte more time in center in Triple-A of late, so Friedl might need to get things going soon.

He struck out four. Bloss underwent surgery almost exactly a year ago. He’ll likely remain in Triple-A once his rehab is complete, but he could be an option as a starter for the Jays during the second half of the season.

The current CBA expires on Dec. 1, at which point MLB is widely expected to lock out the players. The league is going to argue for a salary cap system, which the players, of course, want no part of. Most likely, the lockout will linger into at least February and quite possibly March but hopefully no longer before an agreement gets done.

Murphy lasted just six days on the active roster before getting hurt on a catcher’s interference during Sunday’s game. Sandy Léon will place him as Drake Baldwin’s backup, but the bigger beneficiary here is Dominic Smith, who will resume seeing more time at DH against righties with Murphy absent.

The Braves released Léon last month so that he could go play in Mexico, but now with Sean Murphy hurt again and Jonah Heim gone to the A’s, he’s returning to serve as Drake Baldwin’s backup. Léon was 4-for-34 in Triple-A before leaving Gwinnett. He went 1-for-12 in five games with the Braves last year, with his lone hit being a homer off Craig Kimbrel.

Azócar appeared in two games for the Braves earlier this season, going 0-for-2. The former Padre is a lifetime .243/,288/.318 hitter in 420 plate appearances. He’ll occupy a bench spot until Ronald Acuña Jr. comes off the injured list.

Jarvis appeared in two games for the Braves, going 1-for-5. He’s expendable now that Ha-Seong Kim is back from the injured list.

The 21-year-old Ewing is joining a Mets club desperate for any sort of boost. He hit .339/.447/.514 with two homers and 17 steals in 30 games between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. The power won’t carry over very well, but the on-base skills might and he figures to remain aggressive on the basepaths, potentially making him of some use in mixed leagues. He figures to start regularly against righties at least until Luis Robert Jr. returns and the Mets reevaluate things.

Ibáñez’s brief Mets career is probably over after he went 0-for-6 with two sacrifice flies in three games. Including his time with the A’s, he’s 2-for-23 on the season.