MLB Player News

Lawlar started in left field and batted ninth in Monday's spring game against Cleveland. He went 0-for-1 with a walk.

Hitting at the bottom of the order appears to be Lawlar's landing spot, whether he's in left or center field. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo plans for Lawlar and Alek Thomas to toggle between the two positions until Lourdes Gurriel (knee) returns. Lawlar reached base at a .446 clip this spring after posting a .364 OBP last September, which bodes well for his projected deployment out of the No. 9 spot ahead of Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo.

McLain will not play in Monday's exhibition game versus the Brewers due to illness, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

McLain caught a flu bug that made its way around the Reds' clubhouse, but the team anticipates the second baseman playing in Tuesday's exhibition finale. The 26-year-old is slated to open the 2026 campaign as the Reds' two-hole hitter.

Abrams went 1-for-4 in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The 25-year-old shortstop is batting a tepid .244 (10-for-41) this spring with zero homers and just one steal in two attempts, but Abrams appears to be finding a groove as the Grapefruit League schedule wraps up. He's hit safely in five straight games, going 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, a triple and a 1:2 BB:K during that stretch. This could be a critical campaign for Abrams, who has yet to fully capitalize on his athletic tools despite averaging 19 homers and 36.3 steals over the last three seasons.

Hamilton is a "leading candidate" to share playing time at third base with Luis Rengifo, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Rengifo is widely expected to serve as the Brewers' primary third baseman, though McCalvy notes that it's possible the left-handed-hitting Hamilton draws the start at the hot corner Opening Day against righty Shane Smith of the White Sox. Hamilton has slashed just .222/.283/.359 in the majors but has had a great spring, hitting .298/.365/.468 with one home run, five stolen bases and a 5:8 BB:K. The 28-year-old is most known for his speed, and he is likely to be an asset in the stolen-base department if the at-bats are there.

Amaya was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Amaya put together a productive spring training after joining Arizona as a non-roster invitee. The infielder batted .341 with two home runs, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored and three stolen bases over 44 at-bats in 17 contests. Amaya will likely begin the 2026 campaign with Triple-A Reno, and he certainly did enough during the spring to potentially warrant an elevation to the major-league roster down the road this season.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said Sunday that Ritter has secured a spot on the Rockies' Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Ritter is expected to fill a utility role for the Rockies after slashing .333/.404/.529 with two home runs and three stolen bases over 57 plate appearances in the Cactus League while seeing playing time at three infield spots as well as in left field. He should be in line for regular playing time versus left-handed pitching and could earn more opportunities against righties early on if Tyler Freeman (back) requires a stint on the injured list.

Freeland was informed Sunday that he made the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Freeland struggled to a .116/.286/.233 slash line in 18 spring games, but an 11:11 BB:K showcased his patience at the plate. He should operate as a utility infielder to begin the season.

The Pirates reassigned Williams to minor-league camp Sunday.

Williams will start at second base and bat ninth Sunday against the Red Sox in the Pirates' Grapefruit League finale, but the 27-year-old will fall short in his bid for a utility spot on the Opening Day roster. He's expected to report to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he spent the entire 2025 season while slashing .268/.329/.392 with nine home runs and four steals across 394 plate appearances.

The Phillies reassigned Peguero to minor-league camp Sunday.

Peguero is expected to open the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley after falling short in his bid for a utility spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old went just 6-for-42 (.143 average) over 17 Grapefruit League games.

The Padres optioned McCoy to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.

McCoy has struggled with the bat this spring, slashing a meager .154/.214/.231 through 18 games. He has a paltry .494 OPS through his first 43 MLB contests, so it remains to be seen if he'll ever hit well enough to stick in the big leagues. McCoy did look better with El Paso last season, slashing .272/.354/.450 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI and 17 stolen bases across 90 contests.