MLB Player News

Ortiz went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and three RBI in Monday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

Ortiz went just 1-for-10 in the four spring games he appeared in last month, but he has gotten hot since the calendar flipped to March, going 7-for-13 (.538) with four extra-base hits and three steals. The Brewers have not yet decided whether Ortiz or Brice Turang will be the primary shortstop, but expect Ortiz to see regular action one way or another.

The Diamondbacks optioned Tawa to Triple-A Reno on Monday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Tawa was added to the 40-man roster over the winter after slugging 31 home runs between Double-A Amarillo and Reno in 2024 and he will head back to Reno to begin the 2025 campaign. The 25-year-old can play all over the diamond, and his versatility should give him a chance to make his debut later this season.

The Reds optioned Callihan to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Callihan was added to the 40-man roster in November, but given that he has only four games of experience above the Double-A level in addition to the fact that Cincinnati is well stocked in the infield, he never looked like a serious threat to break camp with the big club. The 24-year-old will likely spend the majority of the season at Louisville after slashing .271/.345/.413 with eight home runs and 21 steals over his 282 plate appearances at Double-A Chattanooga in 2024.

Gorman is just 4-for-26 with a 9:1 K:BB over his first nine Grapefruit League contests this spring.

Gorman worked with new hitting coach Brant Brown over the offseason on his plate discipline, but he has struggled to put those tips into action so far in camp. The Cardinals have pledged to give the 24-year-old a long leash this season, so Gorman is expected to open the year with a regular role -- likely bouncing between second base and designated hitter -- regardless of how he performs this spring. Potential fantasy investors would still like to see him string together some hits, however.

The Marlins optioned Serna to Double-A Pensacola on Saturday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Serna appeared in six games at Triple-A Jacksonville at the end of last season, but the Marlins will send him back to Double-A to begin the 2025 campaign. The 22-year-old infielder went 4-for-7 with a home run, three runs scored and a stolen base in the Grapefruit League, and he may not have to wait long to return to Triple-A if his hot bat follows him to Pensacola.

Villar appears unlikely to win a roster spot as he's behind both Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt in the battle for San Francisco's final bench utility role, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Villar is out of minor-league options, so he may be auditioning for a job on another big-league roster this spring. He's hitting .176 (3-for-17) in nine Cactus League contests.

Frazier (back) will start at second base and bat fifth in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Frazier hasn't played in more than a week while dealing with a back issue, but he's feeling up to giving it a go Friday. The veteran is slated to serve in a utility role with the Pirates this season.

Marte batted leadoff and went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday's spring game against Seattle.

While Marte and Corbin Carroll (back) split leadoff duties in 2024, Marte has batted first in all nine of his Cactus League games so far this spring, including the times when both he and Carroll have played. Marte was the leadoff hitter for 58 games in 2024 and slashed .314/.384/.572 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in those contests.

Brujan plans to be more aggressive in attempting to steal bases this season with the Cubs, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Brujan stole only five bases and was caught six times in 2024 during his lone season in Miami, and he said the Marlins "didn't give me the green light that I needed." Following an offseason trade to the Cubs, the 27-year-old decided that he's "going to be myself" and "going to steal bases." Brujan was a prolific base stealer in the minors and his sprint speed was in the 91st percentile in his rookie season with the Rays back in 2021. However, he went only 9-for-17 in stolen-base attempts over 99 regular-season games across three seasons with Tampa Bay, and last year with the Marlins his sprint speed was down in the 53rd percentile. Brujan is already 4-for-4 on stolen-base attempts this spring, so he's held true to his word so far, and he's also posted a 1.042 OPS. That said, if the career .189/.261/.270 hitter doesn't improve at the plate, his intentions on the bases could be irrelevant. Brujan is aiming to win a utility role with Chicago this season.

Garcia went 1-for-1 with two walks and a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The second baseman got hold of a Valente Bellozo offering in the fourth inning for his first homer of the spring. Garcia is 3-for-8 with three walks against only one strikeout through his first four Grapefruit League appearances in camp, as the 24-year-old looks to demonstrate that his 2024 breakout was no fluke.