MLB Player News

The Cardinals reassigned Pozo to minor-league camp Monday.

Pozo received a late invitation to big-league camp but never made much of a push for a spot on the Opening Day roster with the Cardinals likely to begin the season with Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera as their catching tandem. The 27-year-old Pozo hasn't seen MLB action since 2021 with the Rangers and will likely spend the majority of the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Memphis.

The Mets reassigned Meneses to minor-league camp Monday.

Meneses has produced at a near-league-average level at the plate over parts of three seasons in the majors with the Nationals, slashing .274/.322/.408 with a 101 wRC+ across 1,210 plate appearances. The 32-year-old's power production dropped considerably in 2024, however, with Meneses slugging just three home runs in 313 plate appearances before the Nationals demoted him to Triple-A last July and kept him in the minors for the remainder of the season. He caught on with the Mets on a minor-league deal in the offseason, but Meneses' declining production and lack of defensive flexibility made it unlikely that he would win a bench role on the Opening Day roster. Meneses will likely open the season at Triple-A Syracuse, and it may take a Pete Alonso injury in order for him to get a look with the big club.

Kjerstad went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit and is now batting .257 (9-for-35) with one home run, six RBI and one stolen base this spring.

The 2020 first-rounder appears to be on track for a bench role to begin 2025, but Kjerstad's most likely pathway to regular at-bats looks to be blocked at the moment by veteran slugger Ryan O'Hearn at designated hitter. With that said, O'Hearn has gone just 4-for-30 with a lone extra-base hit during spring training, and he could start to feel Kjerstad nipping at his heels for work at some point if his struggles carry into the regular season. Kjerstad could be hard-pressed to find reps in the outfield early on, with Colton Cowser going 12-for-31 with two homers, six RBI and two steals in exhibition action.

Garver (hand/wrist) went 0-for-2 with one walk in his return to the lineup during Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

After being hit in the hand by a pitch in Monday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Garver was back in action Saturday as the cleanup hitter. The veteran slugger has excelled this spring, batting .400 (8-for-20) with three home runs and six RBI. With Mitch Haniger dealing with a shoulder injury, Garver is mainly competing with Donovan Solano for at-bats as Seattle's primary designated hitter.

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters Friday that Stanton is working through a calf injury in addition to tennis elbow in both arms, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Stanton has returned to Yankees' spring training camp after traveling to New York on Monday to receive a third round of platelet-rich plasma injections in his elbows. His most recent calf injury was called "fairly minor" by Boone, but it's yet another issue that Stanton will need to rehab through. The tennis elbows are the more pressing and severe issue, and it's possible that Stanton undergoes surgery and miss the entire 2025 season.

Harper said recently that he would be willing to move back to right field if the Phillies were able to acquire an impact first baseman at the trade deadline, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported this week that Harper told the Phillies over the offseason he would be open to shifting to the outfield if the club could acquire a marquee first baseman. That never came close to happening, but the offer remains on the table should an opportunity present itself. Harper has turned himself into an excellent defensive first baseman and will, in all likelihood, remain at that position over the long haul, but having the flexibility and willingness to move back to right field could come in handy, both for the Phillies and for anyone with fantasy shares in the 32-year-old star.

The Astros plan to rarely use Alvarez in left field this season, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez played 53 games in left field in 2024, a number that manager Joe Espada wants to reduce in 2025. That plan has been made clear by the likely shift of Jose Altuve into left field, though there are still question marks with Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick in center and right field, respectively. Espada's hand could be forced if that duo underperforms again, but Alvarez's lengthy history of knee injuries is clearly on the mind of the team.

Baker has shown increased bat speed this spring and has hit a team-leading three home runs in 11 Grapefruit League games, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Baker made it a point over the offseason to increase his bat speed, and it sits at 79 mph this spring, up 5.1 mph over his 73.9 mph average from 2024. The 79 mph average would have ranked second in all of baseball last season, behind only Giancarlo Stanton (81.2 mph). Baker should open the season as a starter versus left-handed pitching, being used both at designated hitter and first base. If he can carry over the increased bat speed into the season, it's possible he works his way into some playing time against righties.

Pederson started at first base and went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's Cactus League game against Cincinnati.

Pederson walloped a three-run homer in the first inning. It was his third of the Cactus League and second driven to the opposite field. Pederson is expected to mostly see time at DH in 2025, but he'll get opportunities to fill in for Jake Burger at first base.

Garver said Wednesday that his hand/wrist feels about 80 percent healed, and he hopes to take some swings within the next few days, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

X-rays on Garver's hand/wrist came back negative after he exited a Cactus League contest Monday when he was hit by a pitch, but he's dealing with some bruising and swelling and will miss a few games. As long as the issue doesn't linger, he'll be fine for Opening Day. Garver has three home runs and a 1.420 OPS this spring and is in line for significant playing time at designated hitter for the Mariners.