MLB Player News

Cabrera went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk Sunday in a Grapefruit League victory against the Rays.

Cabrera reached in all four of his plate appearances, and his performance was highlighted by a solo shot to left-center field in the fourth inning. Though he played first base in the contest, Cabrera could fill in as New York's starting third baseman with DJ LeMahieu likely to open on the IL due to a left calf strain. Cabrera has proved worthy of a chance to start with his play this spring, as he's slashing .333/.405/.515 with two homers, three RBI, five runs and a stolen base over 37 plate appearances.

Rice went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League win over Tampa Bay.

Rice batted leadoff in the spring game and played the entire contest at DH. His big hit was a two-run blast to left-center field in the fourth inning. That marked the second homer in three days for Rice, and he has five hits during that span. The 26-year-old is competing for a spot on the Yankees' Opening Day roster as the backup first baseman behind Paul Goldschmidt, and he could also log significant time at DH with Giancarlo Stanton (elbows/calf) having no timeline for his return.

Soderstrom started at catcher in Sunday's spring training loss to the Giants. While it's unlikely that Soderstrom will be the backup catcher in addition to being the starter at first base, manager Mark Kotsay said he could play the position during the regular season, MLB.com reports.

Jhonny Pereda has likely won the backup catcher job behind Shea Langeliers, but it's possible Soderstrom could get enough playing time at catcher to qualify in some fantasy leagues. Soderstrom played just one game at catcher in the majors but logged 21 games at the position in Triple-A in 2024.

The Athletics optioned Alvarado to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

After being claimed off waivers from the Pirates in January, Alvarado was given the chance to compete for a spot in the Athletics' Opening Day bullpen. The 25-year-old right-hander fell short in his bid for a spot with the big club, but he should have a good chance of making his MLB debut later in 2025. He spent the 2024 season in the Miami organization and posted a 2.79 ERA and 71:38 K:BB over 48.1 innings at Triple-A Jacksonville.

The Athletics optioned Holman to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Holman allowed two earned runs and didn't issue any walks over six innings during Cactus League play, but the fact that he had minor-league options remaining likely worked against him in his bid for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The 24-year-old righty received his first taste of the big leagues in 2024, posting a 4.02 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and 16:9 K:BB in 15.2 innings over 18 appearances for the Athletics.

Robles went 1-for-11 in four Cactus League games in February, but he's hitting .250 with one home run, two doubles and one stolen base over 24 at-bats since the start of March.

Robles is slated to serve as a table setter in Seattle's lineup in 2025, as he perhaps stands out as the most likely candidate to work as the leadoff hitter to begin the campaign. After the former top prospect was discarded by the Nationals in 2024, Robles went on to slash an impressive .328/.393/.467 with four homers, 20 doubles, 30 stolen bases and 41 runs scored across 262 plate appearances with the Mariners. Even if Robles experiences some regression as a hitter this year, the veteran outfielder's glove and speed should keep him in the lineup regularly.

Crawford is batting just .214 with one home run and two RBI over 28 at-bats in the Cactus League, but he enters the 2025 season with a clean bill of health, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Following an injury-plagued season that saw him deal with an oblique strain and a fractured hand, Crawford is looking to put his tough 2024 campaign behind him. "I couldn't get in a rhythm and every time I started to hit good, those injuries popped up," Crawford said this past Monday. "It pretty much hurt every time I swung the bat." However, the 30-year-old infielder believes he's "in a great spot" health-wise this spring, and he's set to reprise his role as Seattle's everyday shortstop after hitting a career-low .202 across just 105 games last season.

Topa (shoulder) is scheduled to pitch in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Topa exited his most recent Grapefruit League appearance back on March 6 due to right shoulder tightness, but he seems to be feeling fine after throwing 22 pitches Friday in a minor-league game on the back fields of camp. Assuming his appearance Monday goes without a hitch, Topa could avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the season.

Suarez picked up the win in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers after allowing one run on four hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out four.

Suarez is battling with Cade Povich for Baltimore's final rotation spot to begin the year in Grayson Rodriguez's (elbow) stead, and Sunday's effort should help his case of beginning 2025 as a starter. After giving up seven runs across 4.1 innings in exhibition play during February, Suarez has bounced back with a 2.84 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 12 strikeouts over 12.2 frames in March. It's possible the veteran right-hander gets one more spring start before the Orioles make a final decision between Suarez and Povich.

Manager Matt Quatraro announced Thursday that Ragans will start Opening Day against the Guardians on March 27, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The announcement comes after Ragans surrendered two runs across 2.2 innings on 83 pitches in a Cactus League game against the Rockies on Sunday. The 27-year-old has had a bumpy spring training, but in 2024 he notched a 3.14 ERA across 186.1 innings in 32 games. This will be the ace's second Opening Day start after getting the nod in 2024.