San Francisco Giants rookie shortstop Marco Luciano (hamstring) has been scratched from Saturday's lineup against the Chicago Cubs, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. His injury was described as a minor hamstring issue on Friday, and while it's enough to hold him out of a game, this is likely an example of the Giants exercising caution. There's no reason to push players beyond their limits this early in Spring Training, so Luciano will get the day off Saturday before the club re-evaluates his status. Casey Schmitt will draw the start at shortstop in Luciano's absence.

San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow) threw 32 pitches during live batting practice on Friday, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. He expects that his next appearance will come in a game, and he hopes to be ready for the Padres' regular season-opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Korea. This is a noteworthy update out of Spring Training given that Darvish's 2023 season was cut short when he underwent surgery to address elbow inflammation. He finished the year with a 4.03 FIP, 9.31 K/9, and 2.84 BB/9 through 24 starts.

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (neck) and catcher Rafael Marchan (back) are both being held out of action due to their respective injuries, manager Rob Thomson told Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Bohm is dealing with neck spasms and won't play this weekend. It doesn't sound like this injury is too serious, and the talented infielder should be back in the mix soon. There's less clarity on Marchan, who is merely "being held out of action for now," according to Gelb. Marchan hasn't played in the majors since 2021, but he slashed .297/.391/.440 with an 11.6 BB% and 9.7 K% through 51 games at Triple-A last year.

The Cincinnati Reds have signed free-agent first baseman Mike Ford to a minor-league deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The deal includes an invitation to spring training, as well as additional opt-out clauses that would presumably come into effect if Ford doesn't make the big-league squad. Heyman notes that Ford would earn $1.3 million if he does make the majors, and he has an additional $125,000 available in incentives. The Reds already have a corner infielder on their bench in Christian Encarnacion-Strand, but Ford figures to compete for a role anyway. At the very least, he offers veteran depth and can contribute in the event of injuries.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (upper body) resumed full baseball activities on Friday after being held out of batting practice for two consecutive days due to tightness. The 21-year-old struggled through limited big-league action (37 games) as a rookie last year, but perhaps he'll benefit from additional reps as a projected starter heading into the 2024 campaign. He remains an appealing player at the plate while boasting impressive defensive skills (including a very strong, powerful arm).