MLB Player News

The Athletics are planning on having Butler (knees) make his Cactus League debut Tuesday versus the White Sox, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Butler's spring debut has been delayed after he underwent surgery on his right knee in October to repair a torn patellar tendon, as well as receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. Though the 25-year-old has been able to stay on top of his hitting progression, he's needed more time to complete a running program and take part in full defensive drills. Butler appeared to be running the bases at full speed during his workout Sunday, so the outfielder may have cleared the final hurdle in his long recovery process. Since he's already been able to get plenty of competitive at-bats in through live batting practice sessions and simulated games, Butler may need to play just a couple of Cactus League games to prove that he's ready to go for Opening Day.

The Rangers outrighted Diaz to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

After signing a one-year deal with Texas in December, Diaz entered spring training with a chance to stake his claim to the closer job in an unsettled bullpen. The right-hander's lack of command during spring training ultimately resulted in him not only falling short of a high-leverage role, but a spot on the 40-man roster. He'll remain in the Texas organization after drawing no interest on the waiver wire, having yielded eight earned runs on three hits and four walks over 1.2 innings in the Cactus League.

The Rangers reassigned Bride to minor-league camp Sunday.

Bride had been competing for a utility spot on the Opening Day roster but didn't help his case by slashing an underwhelming .226/.368/.290 over 38 plate appearances. The 30-year-old infielder is likely to begin the campaign at Triple-A Round Rock.

The Rangers optioned Corniell (triceps/back) to Double-A Frisco on Sunday.

Though he was able to make his big-league debut late last season, Corniell will end up dropping back down to the Double-A level to begin the 2026 campaign after back and triceps injuries prevented him from gaining much momentum this spring in his bid for a spot in the bullpen. Corniell at least appears to be heading into the season healthy after making his Cactus League debut Friday, issuing one walk and allowing no hits over a scoreless inning of relief.

The Rangers optioned MacIver to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Texas looks set to head into Opening Day with Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka (back) as its two backstops, but MacIver should be first in line for a call-up if another catcher is required. The 29-year-old made his big-league debut last season for the Athletics, slashing .186/.252/.324 with three home runs and three stolen bases over 111 plate appearances.

The Guardians optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.

Rodriguez played in 31 games for Cleveland during the regular season last year and had a .626 OPS with two home runs and a 28.6 percent strikeout rate. He batted .273 across 25 plate appearances during spring training and failed to record any extra-base hits.

The Mariners reassigned Rucker to minor-league camp Sunday.

After sitting out the entire 2025 season, Rucker signed a minor-league deal with the Mariners in January and had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee. He's expected to open the upcoming campaign at Triple-A Tacoma and will serve as bullpen depth. The 31-year-old previously saw big-league action with the Cubs in 2021-23, logging a 4.96 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 123.1 innings across 96 regular-season relief appearances.

The Rangers announced Sunday that Eovaldi will start Opening Day against the Phillies on March 26.

The veteran right-hander is getting his third straight Opening Day nod for the Rangers, though he may more realistically be considered the club's No. 2 pitcher behind Jacob deGrom. Eovaldi was limited to 22 starts last season due to shoulder issues, but he was dominant when available with a 1.73 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 129:21 K:BB across 130 innings.

The Red Sox are monitoring Story's workload this spring and will continue to do so during the regular season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Story is being held out of the lineup Sunday for a third consecutive game, but the Red Sox are merely exercising caution with the 33-year-old. The club plans to give him a little more rest in 2026 after Story, who missed significant time in the first three years of the contract he signed with Boston in 2022, played 160 games last year, including playoffs.

Gomber allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out two over 4.1 innings in Saturday's spring start against the Reds.

Gomber's been a forgotten arm during spring training since he signed a minor-league deal with the Rangers in January. The competition for a spot in Texas' rotation has been focused on Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker, but Gomber's name should be added to the calculus. Saturday's outing was his second Cactus League start, and he upped his pitch count to 73 (47 strikes).