MLB Player News

The Athletics optioned Ruiz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Ruiz once looked to be one of the more intriguing prospects in the Athletics system after he was acquired from the Brewers in December 2022. Though he led the American League with 67 steals in 2023, Ruiz slashed just .254/.309/.345 over his first full season in the big leagues and seems to have since been passed up by other outfielders on the organizational depth chart. He spent most of the 2024 season either on the injured list or stuck in a bench role with the Athletics, and Ruiz will now have to head to Triple-A to begin the 2025 campaign due to the logjam in the big-league outfield.

The Athletics optioned Ginn to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Ginn was in contention for a spot in the Athletics' Opening Day rotation heading into camp, but he'll open the season in the minors after struggling over his five Cactus League outings (7.62 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB in 13 innings). If the right-hander can iron out his control issues at Triple-A, he should be one of the top candidates to enter the rotation if the Athletics are in need of another starter at any point this season.

Loperfido has received most of the playing time in center field this spring while Daulton Varsho (shoulder) has been limited to DH duties, and the former Astro is the favorite to be the Blue Jays' Opening Day center fielder, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Loperfido hasn't done much with his bat in Grapefruit League action, batting .160 (4-for-25) with a 3:7 BB:K and zero home runs, but three of his four hits have gone for extra bases. The 25-year-old struggled at the plate last season as well after being acquired from Houston, but Toronto still believes in his potential after he slashed .256/.352/.498 with 18 homers and 13 steals in 71 games for Triple-A Sugar Land prior to being part of the Yusei Kikuchi deal.

The Athletics optioned Hernaiz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Hernaiz turned in a lowly .503 OPS over 48 games in the majors with the Athletics last season and hit just .194 in Cactus League play, so he never seemed to built much of a case for a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old infielder should get the chance to play on an everyday basis at Triple-A.

Lee is starting at third base and batting seventh in Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Pirates.

Royce Lewis strained his left hamstring strain during Grapefruit League action Sunday and is slated to open the season on the injured list. Lee could be the first choice to occupy the hot corner while Lewis is shelved, which would lead to more reps at second base for Willi Castro and Edouard Julien, who is starting at the keystone Monday.

Carrasco is likely to open the season in the Yankees' rotation, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

In camp as a non-roster invitee, Carrasco has pitched well during Grapefruit League action, holding a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 12:6 K:BB over 11 innings. Injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Luis Gil (lat) have opened up two spots in the Yankees' rotation. Marcus Stroman is expected to fill one of the spots, and it sounds like Carrasco might be favored over Will Warren to occupy the other.

The Rays reassigned Krehbiel to minor-league camp Monday.

Krehbiel has spent parts of four seasons in the majors, but he pitched exclusively at the Triple-A level in 2024 as a member of the Mariners organization, logging a 3.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 58 innings. He caught on with the Rays on a minor-league deal in January, but after falling short in his bid for a spot in the big club's Opening Day bullpen, Krehbiel will likely begin the campaign at Triple-A Durham.

The Rays reassigned Acton to minor-league camp Monday.

Acton reached the big leagues in 2023 with the Athletics and made six appearances out of the bullpen, but he was released later that summer after he required Tommy John surgery. The right-hander caught on with Tampa Bay in December 2023 on a two-year, minor-league deal, and after spending his first season in the organization rehabbing his elbow, he's ready to pitch again in 2025. Look for Acton to open the season in the bullpen at Triple-A Durham.

Manager John Schneider announced Monday that Berrios will start the Blue Jays' March 27 season opener versus the Orioles in Toronto, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Though Max Scherzer (thumb) and Kevin Gausman also represented worthy candidates for the Opening Day nod, both have been eased along more slowly in spring training, which may have factored into Schneider's decision to go with Berrios in the first game of the season. Berrios has already made four Grapefruit League starts and struck out seven over six scoreless innings in his most recent outing Sunday versus Atlanta, so he should be able to give the Blue Jays plenty of length right away to begin the season. Berrios is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he submitted a 3.60 ERA and 1.15 WHIP -- his best marks since 2021 -- but his strikeout rate dropped to 19.5 percent, his lowest of any season in which he made at least 15 starts.

Schmidt (shoulder) said he felt "great" during a 24-pitch bullpen session Monday and expects to be ready to make his season debut April 3 against the Diamondbacks, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Schmidt threw a bullpen session instead of a scheduled Grapefruit League start because he's had some trouble bouncing back in between outings. However, Schmidt doesn't look to be in danger of missing his first turn through the rotation once the regular season begins.