MLB Player News

Julien has unofficially won a spot on Minnesota's 26-man roster to begin the season with Austin Martin optioned to Triple-A, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Julien was on the roster bubble, but will make the team with both Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee set to begin the season on the injured list. Julien could get playing time at second base and DH early in the season against right-handed pitching.

Baldwin is among the candidates to see starts at shortstop for the White Sox, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth are back in the minors, leaving Baldwin, Jacob Amaya and non-roster invitees Nick Maton and Tristan Gray as candidates at shortstop in what will be a "mix and matching" situation, per manager Will Venable. Amaya is probably the favorite to see the bulk of the time at shortstop based on his defensive prowess. Baldwin, meanwhile, operated in a utility role during spring training and could continue to bounce around all over the field for the Southsiders.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Monday that Wetherholt will begin the season at Double-A Springfield, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wetherholt played just 29 games with Single-A Palm Beach in his pro debut last year but will skip over High-A Peoria and start the 2025 campaign in the Texas League. The 22-year-old will play shortstop with Springfield, but with Masyn Winn manning that spot in St. Louis, Wetherholt's eventual home could be at second or third base.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that he plans to start Donovan at second base and bat him third in Thursday's opener against the Twins, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Marmol indicated that the Cardinals' lineup for Monday's exhibition game versus Triple-A Memphis -- which features Donovan in the three spot -- is the same setup he is planning for Opening Day. It's a favorable RBI spot for Donovan, who will bat behind Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras.

Turang (shoulder) will play in a minor-league game Monday and is considered a "full go" for the Brewers' season opener Thursday versus the Yankees, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Though they'll be playing the Rockies on Monday in their Cactus League finale, the Brewers sent Turang to the minor-league camp for the day so that he can stockpile competitive at-bats in a more uncontrolled game setting. Turang had missed more than a week of Cactus League action before he returned to the lineup Sunday as a designated hitter, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. It's not clear if Turang will be playing the field at minor-league camp Monday, but the expectation is that he'll be in the lineup at second base Thursday.

Hoerner (forearm) is expected to be available for the Cubs' domestic season opener Thursday in Arizona, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Despite missing most of the spring training slate as well as the Cubs' two-game, season-opening set versus the Dodgers in Tokyo earlier this month, Hoerner looks as though he'll be able to avoid a stint on the injured list. He'll start at second base most days when available, though he can also give Dansby Swanson an occasional break at shortstop. Hoerner is likely to bat near the bottom of Chicago's lineup, unless he supplants Ian Happ as the leadoff hitter at any point. Hoerner's key fantasy asset is his speed, as he recorded a total of 74 stolen bases over the past two seasons, and he should run plenty no matter where he slots into the batting order.

Gasper said that he's fine after suffering a left ankle laceration in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, and noted Monday that he has been told he made the Twins' Opening Day roster, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Gasper received six stitches to seal the cut, which he suffered when he was spiked by teammate Brandon Winokur while attempting to field a groundball. The laceration is not expected to hinder him moving forward, and Gasper has earned a spot on the Opening Day roster after slashing .289/.404/.395 this spring. The switch hitter is capable of handling first base, second base and catcher.

The Rays reassigned Westbrook to minor-league camp Sunday.

The 29-year-old saw his first big-league action in 2024 with the Red Sox, but after producing a lowly .584 OPS over his 47 plate appearances, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in August. Westbrook became a free agent in the offseason and joined the Rays on a minor-league deal that included an invitation to big-league camp, but he faced long odds to win a spot on the Opening Day roster. He'll likely report to Triple-A Durham to begin the season and should serve in a utility role.

The Rays reassigned Montes to minor-league camp Sunday.

Montes joined the Rays on a minor-league deal in December and was given a chance to compete for a utility role on the Opening Day roster, but despite turning in an .800 OPS in Grapefruit League play, he wasn't able to secure a spot with the big club. The 28-year-old will head to Triple-A Durham and will look to impress with the hope of earning his first promotion to the majors since 2023, when he appeared in 18 games with the Rockies.

Donovan will start at shortstop for the Cardinals when Masyn Winn has a day off, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn's off days will be few and far between, but since the Cardinals aren't carrying a traditional backup shortstop on the roster, Donovan is poised for some reps there. Donovan does have some limited experience at shortstop, having made seven starts there in his career but just one over the last two seasons. It opens up the possibility of Donovan gaining additional position eligibility in fantasy. He will enter the season with eligibility at second base and the outfield and could add shortstop and third base to the list.