MLB Player News

The Angels signed Toussaint to a minor-league contract March 21.

Toussaint split last season between the the majors with the White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte, holding a 7.43 ERA in 11 relief appearances at the big-league level. The 28-year-old was with the Angels for part of the 2022 campaign and will give them swingman depth at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Scherzer (thumb) is "still going in the right direction," and the team expects him to be ready to start Saturday against the Orioles, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Scherzer dealt with a nagging right thumb injury this spring, but he's been trending in a positive direction of late and is in line to take his first turn in Toronto's rotation. He threw 62 pitches in his final Grapefruit League start, so Scherzer should be capable of throwing 80 or so Saturday as long as the thumb issue doesn't flare up again.

Moore has been assigned to Double-A Rocket City to begin the season, MLB.com reports.

Moore had an opportunity early on in Angels camp to win the starting second-base job, but he struggled in Cactus League play, collecting a .616 OPS and 32.7 percent strikeout rate. The top prospect also struck out at nearly a 30 percent rate in his 23 games with Rocket City last season, so he still has work to do in the minors even while he was productive in 2024 with a .984 OPS over two levels. The Angels don't have many roadblocks at second base and are typically aggressive in promoting their prospects, so Moore still has a good chance to make an impact at the big-league level in 2025 if he can get off to a nice start at Rocket City.

The Tigers optioned Foley to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Foley allowed five runs over 7.1 innings during Grapefruit League play but also had a 10:0 K:BB. The 29-year-old led the Tigers with 28 saves last season and had seemed to be firmly in the picture to close heading into 2025, but Detroit will give him time in the minors first to sharpen up. Beau Brieske, Tyler Holton, Tommy Kahnle and Will Vest are among the candidates to see save chances for the Tigers in what looks like a murky situation for fantasy.

Kurtz will begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, MLB.com reports.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Kurtz impressed in spring training with the Athletics, putting up a .973 OPS with two home runs and a 5:7 K:BB. He finished his brief, 12-game pro debut at Double-A Midland and will move up a level to begin the 2025 campaign. Kurtz will be just a step away from the big leagues and has a good chance to make his major-league debut at some point this season.

Williams will begin the season at Triple-A Durham, MLB.com reports.

Williams, 21, slashed .256/.353/.469 with 20 home runs and 33 stolen bases at Double-A Montgomery in 2024 and will move up to Durham to start this season. The shortstop has a chance to debut in 2025 if things go well in the International League.

Bazzana will begin the season at Double-A Akron, MLB.com reports.

The first overall selection in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Bazzana did not receive an invitation to the major-league side of spring training with the Guardians but still saw action in seven games, going 2-for-12 with a home run and a 4:4 K:BB. Bazzana made his pro debut at High-A Lake County last season and will move up to Akron to begin the 2025 campaign. The Guardians' second-base job is wide open, and Bazzana has a chance to claim it at some point this season.

Ortiz allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out one over four innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Diamondbacks.

This was Ortiz's final outing of the preseason, which was a rocky one for the Guardians' winter acquisition. The right-hander finished with 14 strikeouts and 13 walks over 17.1 innings this spring. Despite his struggles, Ortiz is expected to start the third game of the regular season Sunday against the Royals.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Mahle will likely start the Rangers' third game of the season Saturday against the Red Sox, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The skipper had previously indicated Mahle would start the second game of the regular season. However, Bochy has since changed his tune, and it now sounds as though Jack Leiter will start Friday ahead of Mahle and Jacob deGrom in Games 3 and 4, respectively. Mahle required an MRI on his forearm earlier this spring, but he was able to turn the page in a hurry and convince the team of his readiness for the start of the 2025 campaign.

Bliss has won Seattle's starting job at second base, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Dylan Moore (illness) and Leo Rivas, the latter of whom was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, were also competing for the gig this spring, but Bliss put together the most impressive camp. The 25-year-old will be part of the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career after hitting .308 with two RBI, two stolen bases and a .787 OPS in 40 Cactus League plate appearances. Although Bliss has earned a starting position to open the season, his fantasy upside will likely remain limited he is hitting in the lower part of the lineup and also playing at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park for home games.