MLB Player News

Lee (hand) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

Lee suffered a bruised hand during Wednesday's contest and had to make an early exit, but the discomfort has subsided ahead of Saturday's game. The 26-year-old has gone 3-for-9 with two RBI and two runs scored over five games this spring and figures to open the season as Chicago's primary catcher.

The Yankees optioned Arias to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.

The Yankees acquired Arias from the Cubs in January, and he'll officially be headed to Triple-A to begin his tenure with his new organization. The 23-year-old reached Triple-A for the first time last season, finishing with a 5.45 ERA and 2.11 WHIP across 36.1 innings at Iowa.

Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Bello (shoulder) is still behind schedule but is progressing well, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Bello began experiencing shoulder soreness early on in camp, and with just over two weeks left in spring training, it's becoming increasingly likely that he'll require a stint on the injured list to open the season. Should that be the case, Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts would be the leading candidates to fill the open spot in Boston's rotation.

Kittredge underwent successful left knee debridement surgery Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Lingering soreness in Kittredge's knee prompted an MRI on Wednesday, and he went under the knife days later. He's now on the mend, but Kittredge is expected to miss multiple months, which leaves Seranthony Dominguez as the clear backup to primary closer Felix Bautista in Baltimore. Bautista is not expected to pitch back-to-back days early on this season as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Perez (back) plans to play in Monday's spring training game against the Yankees, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

While he has missed close to a week of action with lower-back tightness, Perez is said to be feeling "great." All indications are that he will be back in short order and ready to serve in a utility role come Opening Day.

Cole said Saturday morning that he is "concerned" about what the imaging on his right elbow will show, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cole said his elbow pain is the same as last year, and according to Randy Miller of NJ.com, "you could tell in [Cole's] voice, not just his words, that he is very worried." The right-hander is already talking about second opinions, which is an ominous sign. Cole and the Yankees expect to know more in the coming days, and it sounds like both sides are preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Torkelson went 3-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs in Friday's Grapefruit League win over the Orioles.

After his disastrous 2024 season, It can be rather easy to forget that Torkelson has a 31-homer season in the majors under his belt, and he's still just 25 years old. He reminded everyone of his power with Friday's multi-homer game, bringing his OPS up to 1.181 this spring, although it's uncertain where exactly Torkelson fits in on this Tigers club that is expected to have Colt Keith at first base most days, Gleyber Torres at second and Kerry Carpenter at DH.

O'Neill (rib cage) will go through a full workout Saturday and hopes to return to exhibition play Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

O'Neill appears to be trending in a positive direction with his injury, which is something he says he would have played through if it were the regular season. Barring any setbacks, O'Neill should be just fine for Opening Day, though this rib cage issue should serve as a reminder of the injury baggage he carries with him at 29 years old.

Rafaela (hamstring) is in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

A bout of hamstring tightness has kept Rafaela out of action since last Sunday, but he is now ready to resume his preparations for the start of the season. Rafaela wasn't much above replacement level last season by fWAR, but he moved the needle for fantasy managers with 15 homers and 19 steals in 152 games. The 24-year-old is expected to once again serve as Boston's primary center fielder in 2025.

Young was optioned to minor-league camp Saturday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

The 26-year-old right-hander made three appearances in the Grapefruit League in his first big-league camp, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five over 6.1 innings. While a tad on the older side, Young is a legitimate major-league prospect and he figures to debut at some point this season after being added to the Orioles' 40-man roster in November.