MLB Player News

Atlanta returned Cairo to the Guardians on Wednesday.

Atlanta selected Cairo in the Rule 5 Draft in December, but the 23-year-old infielder failed to make the big-league roster after slashing .179/.294/.250 during spring training. He'll be stripped of a 40-man roster spot upon returning to his original organization and will likely report to Triple-A Columbus for the start of the new season.

Sabrowski (elbow) extended his throwing distance to 90 feet Wednesday.

Sabrowski started playing catch from 60 feet out last Wednesday, and the Guardians seem to be building him up relatively slowly. Assuming he doesn't run into any setbacks in his rehab from an anti-inflammatory injection, the 27-year-old southpaw could return to game action sometime in late April or early May.

Matzek (oblique) has resumed his throwing program and is scheduled for a bullpen session Thursday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Matzek was diagnosed with an oblique strain in early March, and he could start the regular season on the injured list. He threw a bullpen Monday and will need to have more sessions without suffering a setback before facing live hitters. Matzek appeared in 11 regular-season games for Atlanta in 2024 and posted a 9.90 ERA and 1.90 WHIP across 10 innings after missing most of the season due to an elbow issue.

Alcala is expected to be included in Minnesota's Opening Day bullpen, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports. He's thrown nine scoreless innings with a 5:2 K:BB ratio this spring.

Given Alcala's 3.24 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 54 outings in 2024, his roster status shouldn't really be in question, but the Twins curiously sent him to the minors several times last year. Alcala has outstanding velocity with an average fastball of 97.9 mph, reaching a career-high 101.2 mph last summer. His strikeout rates haven't been as overpowering (8.95 K/9 last season) as he's struggled to get hitters to chase with a 19th percentile chase rate, but he limits hard contact (91st percentile hard-hit rate). He should be in the setup mix again this season if he can stay healthy and could be a good source of holds.

The Rays optioned Driscoll (ankle) to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Driscoll reached the majors for the first time in September and was given the chance for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he didn't make much of a case this spring. He played in just two Grapefruit League games before going down with a right ankle injury that has kept him out of action since Feb. 25. If he's able to move past the injury within the next week, Driscoll should be in store for regular at-bats at Durham, while the Rays proceed with Danny Jansen and Ben Rortvedt as their catching tandem at the big-league level.

The Red Sox optioned Grissom to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Grissom had seemingly fallen to third in line behind Kristian Campbell and David Hamilton in the second base competition, so it's not a surprise he's being cut from big-league camp. The 24-year-old has batted just .176 with a .535 OPS in 13 contests this spring.

The Rays optioned Mangum to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Along with Kameron Misner and Chandler Simpson, Mangum was one of three players vying for a backup outfield role that was sent to the minors Wednesday. The 29-year-old Mangum is still waiting to make his MLB debut, but the Rays thought highly enough of him to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and add him to the 40-man roster this winter after he slashed .317/.357/.442 with six home runs and 20 stolen bases over 428 plate appearances for Durham last season.

The Rays optioned Misner to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Along with Jake Mangum and Chandler Simpson, Misner was one of three players vying for a backup outfield role that was sent to the minors Wednesday. Misner saw action in eight games with Tampa Bay in 2024 but otherwise spent the entire season at Durham, where he slashed .248/.360/.442 with 17 home runs and 30 stolen bases over 519 plate appearances.

The Rays optioned Sulser to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Sulser was one of eight players dismissed from big-league camp in the Rays' latest round of roster cuts. The 34-year-old reliever split time between the Triple-A level and the majors in 2024 between his stops in the Mets and Rays organizations. He made 10 big-league appearances and turned in a 2.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 16.1 innings.

The Rays optioned Waguespack to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.

Despite putting just six baserunners on and striking out seven over six innings in Grapefruit League play, Waguespack was unable to secure a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen. The 31-year-old righty will begin the season at Durham, where he could operate as a swingman after starting in four of his nine appearances for the affiliate in 2024.