MLB Player News

The Cardinals optioned Young to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Young has slashed .210/.290/.435 across 69 plate appearances in his MLB career, but a .353 OPS during spring training will send him back to the minors for the start of the season. Young found plenty of success with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate last season, and a return to form at the plate could help him reach the majors again during his first season with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals optioned Rivas to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.

Rivas only managed seven hits in 36 at-bats during his first spring with the Cards while driving in three RBI and scoring six runs. The 27-year-old also only carried a .229 batting average across 48 major-league games last season, but his average jumped up to .332 over 58 games in Triple-A.

The Cubs informed Cooper on Friday that he made the team's Opening Day roster, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Cooper was brought into the Cubs' camp as a non-roster invitee, and he will claim a spot on the roster after going 6-for-26 with two home runs and five RBI across 10 games. He'll likely serve as the primary backup to Michael Busch at first base but could find himself in the lineup regularly against left-handed starters.

The Cubs released Smith on Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Smith exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract after being told he would not be part of the Opening Day roster. The 28-year-old posted a .909 OPS with one home run this spring. Smith could latch on with another club seeking first base depth.

Rizzo (lat) said Friday that he's "fully confident" he'll be ready for Opening Day, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Rizzo was a late scratch from Friday's lineup with some lat tightness, which is something he said he deals with from time to time. However, the scratch was made out of an abundance of caution and he's expected to be fine when the games begin to count. Fantasy managers who draft this weekend shouldn't have trepidation about rostering Rizzo.

Cron opted out of his minor-league contract with the Red Sox on Friday, giving the organization two days to add him to the big-league roster or release him, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Cron played in just five big-league games after signing with Boston as a non-roster invitee March 1, and he went 2-for-11 with three walks. The veteran slugger's .729 OPS in 71 games between the Rockies and Angels last season was the first time his OPS was below .780 since 2017.

The Royals optioned Pratto to Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

If decisions were made strictly on spring performance, Pratto would have made the club, as he slashed a robust .421/.476/.816 with four home runs. First base, the corner outfield spots and designated hitter are spoken for with the Royals though, so he'll head back to Omaha where he'll play every day.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on the YES Network broadcast Friday that Rizzo "didn't seem too concerned" about his lat tightness, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

The veteran first baseman was a late scratch from Friday's lineup due to the injury. Boone added that Rizzo said it's an issue which pops up on him occasionally, so he just wanted to be cautious in asking out of the lineup. It would appear to be a day-to-day situation that shouldn't affect his Opening Day availability.

Schanuel (back) could play in Saturday's Cactus League game against the A's, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Schanuel was a late scratch Monday due to back tightness but is closing in on his return to game action. The 22-year-old should be ready for Opening Day as long as he can return to the field within the next handful of days.

Flores (knee) is starting at first base and batting third in Friday's split-squad game against the Cubs.

The 32-year-old was scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to knee soreness, but he'll rejoin the starting nine two days later since it was a minor issue. Flores clubbed 23 homers in 126 games last season and should be a regular lineup piece again in 2024, but he'll likely need to move around the infield in order to see consistent playing time.