MLB Player News

Brujan appears likely to fill the last spot on the Mets' bench due to Mike Tauchman (knee) being headed for surgery, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Tauchman's strong spring, along with an even more impressive camp for top prospect Carson Benge, put Brujan's spot on the 26-man roster in jeopardy, as New York could have gone without a backup shortstop and relied on players like Bo Bichette or Marcus Semien to cover the position when Francisco Lindor (hand) was unavailable. Instead, Brujan's job now appears safe. The 28-year-old switch hitter has batted .273 (9-for-33) this spring with four steals in four attempts, and his speed and defensive versatility will be his biggest assets on the Mets' bench -- Brujan played every position on the diamond except catcher and first base in 2025.

The Dodgers optioned Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Kim batted .407 with one extra-base hit and five stolen bases in nine Cactus League games but won't open 2026 with the major-league club. The 30-year-old lost out on a bench role to Santiago Espinal and Alex Freeland even though Tommy Edman (shoulder) is poised to begin the season on the injured list.

Norby could see playing time in left field early in the season due to Kyle Stowers (hamstring) being set to begin the season on the IL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 25-year-old Norby looked set to be the Marlins' starter at third base due to a spring injury to Graham Pauley (forearm), but those plans are now in flux. Norby has played left field twice in recent days during Grapefruit League action, and Pauley is expected to be cleared for defensive duty Sunday. Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernandez are the top options in left field during Stowers' absence, but they're also at the top of the depth chart at DH. If Norby looks comfortable in the outfield, it would offer another path to keeping his bat in the lineup once Pauley's fully healthy. In 16 games this spring, Norby's batting .310 (13-for-42) with two homers and three steals, albeit with a worrisome 1:15 BB:K.

Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Saturday that Song will open the 2026 regular season on the injured list due to a right oblique strain.

Song suffered an oblique injury during batting practice in January and aggravated the issue in March. He's progressed enough in his recovery to hit in a cage and could start seeing live at-bats in the coming days, but it looks like the South Korean slugger will open the season on the Padres' IL, which would free up a roster spot for Ty France to make San Diego's Opening Day roster.

Arraez went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's 5-2 split-squad win over the Royals.

Arraez returned to Cactus League play after helping Team Venezuela win its first World Baseball Classic title. During the tournament, the 28-year-old slashed .308/.367/.692 with 10 RBI, six runs scored and two home runs across 30 plate appearances in seven games. The veteran infielder signed a one-year, $12 million pact with San Francisco in January and is expected to serve as the team's everyday second baseman. Over 154 games with San Diego in 2025, he slashed .292/.327/.392 with 66 runs scored, 61 RBI, 11 stolen bases and eight long balls in 675 plate appearances.

Marte batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's spring game against the Brewers.

This was Marte's first Cactus League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic. He batted leadoff against a right-hander Friday, which deviates from last year's pattern, when he led off against lefties and batted second against righties. However the order shakes out in 2026, Marte is expected to hit first or second when in the starting lineup.

The Brewers optioned Black to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Black played well for the Brewers in the Cactus League, going 11-for-20 with 14 RBI, six runs scored and three steals in just six games. He cooled down while playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, however, tallying just one hit and five strikeouts in his 10 at-bats. Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers are expected to receive the vast majority of starts at first base for Milwaukee, so Black will likely spend most of the season as organizational depth at Nashville.

The Mets optioned Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Although he slashed .313/.389/.531 with five RBI, three runs scored and two steals through 13 spring games, Mauricio will not be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster. He may be called up during the season to serve as bench depth, but with Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor (hand) projected to start regularly in the Mets' infield, it would still be difficult for Mauricio to crack the starting nine if the infield group stays healthy.

Moore (foot) exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract Thursday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

The Phillies will have 48 hours to add Moore to their 40-man roster or he'll become a free agent Saturday. Moore was removed from Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta with a bruised foot, but manager Rob Thomson downplayed the injury after the contest. The 33-year-old Moore has slashed .172/.265/.207 with one extra-base hit, four RBI, four runs scored, two stolen bases and a 3:8 BB:K across 34 plate appearances this spring. He's competing for a utility job.

The Dodgers selected Espinal's contract from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

Espinal signed a minor-league contract with Los Angeles in mid-February, and after dominating in spring training to the tune of a .389/.432/.639 slash line to go with two homers, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored through 15 contests, he's now officially claimed a spot on the team's Opening Day roster. The 31-year-old's clearest path to playing time early in the year will be in a short-side platoon role at second base, as Tommy Edman is expected to miss the first month of the regular season while recovering from ankle surgery. Once Edman returns, Espinal will likely be relegated to a bench role while Edman and Hyeseong Kim split reps at the keystone.