MLB Player News

Baldwin went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in Atlanta's Grapefruit League game against the Twins on Sunday.

The 24-year-old backstop took Taj Bradley deep in the third inning, the only run Atlanta scored off the right-hander. Baldwin took home NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2025, slashing .274/.341/.469 over 124 games with 19 homers and 80 RBI, and he'll be a key part of Atlanta's offense this season.

Ballesteros reported to spring camp Sunday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Ballesteros has officially joined the Cubs for spring camp after dealing with visa issues entering the United States. Just 22 years old, Ballesteros could compete for the Cubs' DH job after slashing .298/.394/.474 with two homers, 11 RBI and 12 runs across 66 plate appearances for the team in 2025.

Sanchez (knee) will DH and bat second in Sunday's spring training game against Kansas City.

Sanchez missed the final months of the 2025 season with a knee injury, but he's seemingly fully recovered from the injury. The veteran catcher returns to Milwaukee after a one-year stint in Baltimore, where he slashed .231/.297/.418 with five home runs, 24 RBI and 13 runs scored across 101 plate appearances. The 33-year-old catcher is slated to back up William Contreras, but could see occasional playing time at DH.

Ballesteros (personal) is expected to report to spring camp Saturday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

After working through visa issues that have delayed his entry into the United States, Ballesteros will finally be able to begin preparing for the regular season. The 22-year-old's poor defense will likely keep him from starting behind the plate with the Cubs, but after slashing .298/.394/.474 across 66 regular-season plate appearances last year, he could earn a job as Chicago's primary DH.

Alvarez isn't expected to see game action this spring until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.

The Mets are bringing a number of key position players along slowly this spring, including Luis Robert, Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty (hamstring). Alvarez underwent thumb surgery right after the end of last season, which explains the team's caution with its starting catcher, but the 24-year-old appeared to be fully healthy when he reported to camp. The Mets are hoping that good health extends into the regular season -- Alvarez played only 76 games in 2025, his lowest total in three years since becoming a big-league regular.

Herrera (elbow) did outfield drills in Cardinals camp Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The catchers were working on pop time drills and throws to second base, something Herrera is not yet cleared for as he returns from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. The plan is for Herrera to return to catcher in 2026 after the elbow issue limited him to designated hitter for the final few months of last season. He did play four games in left field in 2025, and if catching doesn't work out, Herrera could give the outfield a try again or possibly first base.

Del Castillo said Monday that he expects to be sidelined for around one month due to his left calf injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

While Del Castillo is hopeful that he'll be able to play in at least one Cactus League game or exhibition before the beginning of the regular season, the extended time he'll miss this spring could end up costing him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Arizona is expected to head into the season with Gabriel Moreno and James McCann as its top two catchers, so Del Castillo would merely provide a third option at the position and would likely see most of his playing time at designated hitter. Because the 26-year-old still has a pair of minor-league options remaining, the Diamondbacks may prefer to option Del Castillo to Triple-A Reno, which would allow him to play on a more regular basis once he overcomes the calf issue.

Realmuto is an option to bat cleanup in 2026, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Manager Rob Thomson considers Alec Bohm the favorite for the role, and it sounds like Adolis Garcia is in contention as well. Realmuto enters his age-35 campaign in fairly evident decline, considering his OPS has dropped steadily in each of the past four seasons, but the possibility of hitting fourth in Philadelphia's lineup at least gives him some upside as a late-round catcher option in fantasy drafts.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Ballesteros (personal) isn't expected to report to camp until next weekend at the soonest, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs are short on catching depth for the early part of camp, as Ballesteros and non-roster invitee Christian Bethancourt continue to work through visa issues that have delayed their arrival in the United States. A poor defender, Ballesteros likely won't be counted on to make frequent starts behind the plate with the Cubs in 2026, but he's an impact bat who could push his way into the everyday lineup as a designated hitter. Ballesteros didn't look overmatched in his first exposure to big-league pitching last season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with a 13.6 percent walk rate and 18.2 percent strikeout rate over his 66 regular-season plate appearances for Chicago.

The Mets claimed Rortvedt off waivers Sunday.

Rortvedt has been continually on the move during the offseason, and he's now been claimed via waivers for a third time since the beginning of November. The 28-year-old likely won't have much roster security with the Mets since Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are locked in as the big club's top catchers.