MLB Player News

Schuemann appears likely to win a roster spot in a utility role with the A's, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He's hitting .227 (5-for-22) in nine games this spring.

Schuemann made his big-league debut in 2024 with the A's and posted a .220/.311/.308 slash line with seven home runs and 14 steals in 133 games. He saw most of his playing time at shortstop, but Jacob Wilson appears set as the starting shortstop. Schuemann could be good source of speed (14 steals last season) if he finds significant playing time.

Julien appears to likely to win a spot on the major league roster even with Brooks Lee having a strong spring, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. Julien is hitting .273 (6-for-22) with a home run and three walks in eight games this spring.

Julien is competing with Lee for the starting second base job with Willi Castro also likely to get time at the position. Julien could also get time at first base as well. Julien has struggled in the field this spring (two errors at 2B, one at 1B), however. At this point it's still not clear what the Twins plan to do at second base, but Julien remains in the mix to win a roster spot and could still find playing time against right-handed pitching.

Rengifo (hamstring) participated in on-field drills Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The extensiveness of the workout isn't clear, nor is Rengifo's effort level while going through drills, but that he worked out at all seems like a good sign after Angels manager Ron Washington said Sunday that the club would "back off" the switch hitter as he deals with a hamstring problem. The Angels have not yet ruled Rengifo out for Opening Day, but he has played just one game so far this spring.

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.

Lopez is expected to be granted his release after the Cubs informed him Sunday that he won't be part of the team's 31-man travel roster for its season-opening series in Japan versus the Dodgers on March 18 and 19, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Lopez signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs on Feb. 2 and had been competing for a utility infielder job with the big club during spring training. Even though second baseman Nico Hoerner (forearm) won't be available for the two-game series in Tokyo, Lopez wasn't able to beat out Rule 5 pick Gage Workman or Vidal Brujan for a bench role. Lopez shouldn't have much trouble catching on with another organization on a minor-league deal.

Manager Ron Washington said Sunday that the club will "back off" Rengifo due to his hamstring injury, and he may not be ready for Opening Day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old downplayed the hamstring issue as a cramp after he was scratched from the lineup last Monday, but the injury appears to be a bit more problematic after he was scratched again Saturday. Rengifo has seen action in just one Cactus League game so far, leaving him just two and a half weeks to get right before Opening Day against the White Sox on March 27.

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.

Rengifo was scratched from Saturday's Cactus League game against the Brewers due to hamstring tightness, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rengifo was removed from Monday's lineup due to the same issue, and it appears he needs more time to recover from the injury after initially being slated to return Saturday. The Angels will likely take a cautious approach to Rengifo's rehab, but to this point there has been nothing to suggest he's in jeopardy of missing the start of the regular season. Christian Moore will take over for Rengifo at second base for Saturday's game.