MLB Player News

Eldridge went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double in Triple-A Sacramento's 2-1 exhibition win over the Giants on Sunday.

After being left off San Francisco's Opening Day roster, Eldridge looked sharp in Sunday's tune-up game. The 21-year-old hit a 444-foot home run to center field in the fourth and added a double in the seventh. He'll begin the 2026 campaign in the minors to get more reps at first base and continue working on his plate discipline, but he's likely to earn a call-up at some point this season. Over 19 Cactus League games this spring, Eldridge slashed .225/.380/.450 with eight runs scored, six RBI, one home run and a 9:19 BB:K across 50 plate appearances.

Lowe has made the Reds' Opening Day roster in a reserve role, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Lowe has made a strong case for a roster spot this spring, slashing .270/.357/.622 with three home runs, four doubles and eight RBI through 15 games. Though the veteran infielder will break camp with the big-league club, his fantasy value will likely be limited since the Reds are intending to use him in a bench role. Lowe signed with Cincinnati on a minor-league contract in mid-February, so he'll still need to be added to the 40-man roster ahead of Opening Day.

France will be part of the Padres' Opening Day roster, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

France joined the Padres in mid-February on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. He played well at the plate across 17 Cactus League games, posting a .318/.367/.545 slash line with two home runs and 12 RBI in 49 plate appearances. With Sung-Mun Song (oblique) expected to open the season on the IL, France could see a fair amount of playing time as a utility man for San Diego.

The Giants reassigned Bericoto to minor-league camp Friday, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Bericoto joined the Giants for spring training for the first time in his career, slashing .429/.432/.714 with 13 RBI, eight runs scored, three long balls and three doubles across 44 plate appearances in 19 games. The 24-year-old outfielder is a candidate for a big-league call-up at some point this season, and manager Tony Vitello spoke highly of Bericoto's work ethic. "He doesn't want anyone to outwork him," Vitello said. "He wants reps. I think we all know with experience, he's going to play at this level."

Atlanta signed Smith to a one-year split contract Saturday.

Smith was invited to spring training by Atlanta in mid-February and slashed .242/.342/.364 with one home run and four RBI in 38 plate appearances over 12 Grapefruit League games. If he makes the Opening Day roster, Smith could see some work as the designated hitter against right-handed pitching for as long as Sean Murphy (hip) is sidelined.

Tellez signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Tellez spent time with the Mariners and Rangers last season, slashing .228/.276/.443 across 312 total plate appearances. He's spent the entire offseason on the open market but still saw a little bit of action while playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, during which he went 1-for-9 with two walks and two strikeouts across four games. The 31-year-old will almost certainly begin 2026 as an organizational depth piece at Triple-A Gwinnett, but he'd be likely to join the big club if Matt Olson were to miss any amount of time.

The Giants optioned Eldridge to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Eldridge posted an .830 OPS with six RBI and eight runs scored through 19 Cactus League games, but 19 of his 40 at-bats resulted in a strikeout. The 21-year-old had been in the running to open the regular season as San Francisco's primary designated hitter, but he will instead report to Sacramento, which will allow him to continue developing his discipline while making regular starts at first base. Now that Eldridge is out of the picture, Jerar Encarnacion figures to be the most likely candidate at DH for the Giants.

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.

Santana started at first base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Cubs.

Santana played in his first Cactus League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, in which he played for Team Dominican Republic. For the Diamondbacks, Santana is expected to share first base with Pavin Smith (forearm) and get regular turns as a designated hitter.

The Giants reassigned Kennedy to minor-league camp Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kennedy had been attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee and ultimately fell short in his fight for a utility role with the Giants. The 27-year-old is expected to report to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season. Kennedy saw 13 games of big-league action in 2025, slashing .069/.156/.103 across stops with the Phillies, Dodgers and Blue Jays.