MLB Player News

Baz was happy with his outing Thursday against the Nationals despite allowing four earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and no walks across 4.1 innings, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Baz was hit hard early, as he allowed two singles and a homer to the first three batters he faced. He managed to settle in from there, and more importantly, both he and manager Kevin Cash were happy with the shape and execution of his pitches. Baz has allowed 10 earned runs with a 4:5 K:BB across 9.1 innings this spring, though his rotation spot seems secure given there haven't been signs of panic from either he or the team.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, two total runs and four total RBI in a Grapefruit League victory against Detroit on Thursday.

Goldschmidt belted a massive 447-foot solo homer in the fourth frame and added a three-run double in the following inning. The veteran first baseman is enjoying a productive spring, slashing .300/.323/.700 while tying for the team lead in home runs (three) and RBI (10). Goldschmidt posted a career-worst .716 OPS with the Cardinals last season, but he could benefit from a change of scenery in what will be his first campaign as a Yankee.

Dominguez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run and a walk in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over the Tigers.

Dominguez put the Yankees on the board in the fourth inning, smashing a 381-foot homer to right field off Jackson Jobe. The long ball was the second of the spring for Dominguez, who is batting .229 with five RBI, seven runs, two stolen bases and 10 strikeouts over 35 at-bats. Dominguez has had some defensive troubles in left field during the exhibition slate, but the expectation remains that he'll be the Yankees' everyday left fielder upon the kickoff of the campaign.

Otanez is expected to fill a key setup role alongside Jose Leclerc and Tyler Ferguson ahead of closer Mason Miller, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Otanez has a 3.38 ERA with a 11:6 K:BB ratio in 5.1 innings this spring, which is a continuation of his 36.4 percent strikeout rate last year. Unfortunately, he's also displaying his control issues as well (13.2 percent walk rate in 2024). Otanez has a closer-in-waiting profile if he can improve his control, but even with the high walk rate he's still worth a dart in deep fantasy leagues for his strikeout upside.

Fried pitched four innings in a Grapefruit League game against Detroit on Thursday, allowing one run on one hit while striking out three batters.

Fried gave up a solo home run to Gleyber Torres with one out in the first inning, but the Tigers were unable to put any additional runners on base against him. The southpaw threw 35 of his 57 pitches for strikes and sat at 94 mph with his fastball, per Statcast. Fried's role in the Yankees' rotation has taken on added importance with Gerrit Cole (elbow) slated to miss the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery Thursday. Fried figures to slot in as New York's ace following Cole's injury, though the Yankees may opt to keep Fried on schedule and have another hurler start on Opening Day, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Renfroe is hitting just .188 (3-for-16) with a home run this spring, but he says a return to full health has been his priority after a back injury, a broken left toe and right hamstring strain slowed him last season, MLB.com reports. "It was a big issue," Renfroe said. "Toward the middle part of the season, some things popped up. And that led to lower back, hamstring. It's all connected. But it feels good now. I was hoping that when I started up this offseason that I wouldn't feel it, and I didn't, which was great."

Renfroe had a disappointing 2024 season by hitting just .229 with 15 home runs and a .689 OPS over 120 regular-season games. His performance this spring isn't inspiring confidence that he'll have a bounceback season, but he appears set for an everyday role in right field.

Vaughn has only one extra-base hit across 26 at-bats in Cactus League action.

Vaughn has seven hits this spring, leading to a decent .269 average. The lack of pop could be a concern, though he's been very consistent across his four big-league seasons by posting ISOs between .156 and .171 in each campaign. Vaughn doesn't appear to have much upside heading into the 2025 season -- especially considering the state of the White Sox's lineup -- but he should be a near everyday player hitting in the middle of the order.

Thaiss is projected to be on the White Sox's Opening Day roster by Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

Thaiss joined the White Sox this offseason and has had a decent spring, collecting six hits across 19 at-bats while striking out only three times. While much of Chicago's roster lacks standout talent, catcher is the exception with the pair of Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero --both promising prospects -- knocking on the door of the majors. That could ultimately cost Thaiss playing time later in the season, but he appears to still have a decent shot to make the Opening Day roster.

Witt, who was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's game, has a left forearm contusion and will continue to be evaluated in the coming days, MLB.com reports. "It was scary in the moment," he said. "But any time that happens, it's always scary. You never know what the results are going to be. But if it was October or April or March 27, I'd be good."

X-rays on Witt's forearm did not show any broken bones, but the report adds if it doesn't improve he'll have more imaging. He'll have limited activity the next few days as a result. Still, given his comments there's currently no reason to think he'll miss Opening Day. Witt has had a great spring by hitting .276/.364/.586 with two homers, four RBI and five runs scored over 11 games.

Tauchman has gone 3-for-23 with nine strikeouts in Cactus League action.

Tauchman is projected to be the White Sox's primary right fielder, but he's had a dismal spring. He was productive across the last two seasons for the Cubs with a .732 OPS, but given that he's 34 and on a rebuilding roster, he'll likely need to perform early in the regular season to maintain steady plate appearances.