MLB Player News

Rivas (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

Rivas has been sidelined since late February after turning his left ankle while participating in infield drills. After a week of rest, he's been cleared to return to game action and continue competing for a spot on Seattle's Opening Day bench.

Sanchez (illness) will start at catcher and bat seventh in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Sanchez has been out since Monday due to an illness, but he seems to have recovered ahead of Thursday's contest. The 32-year-old backstop is 2-for-10 with two walks and five strikeouts so far this spring, and he still projects to make the Opening Day roster as Adley Rutschman's backup.

Westburg (back) will start at second base and bat fifth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

It's the first game action Westburg has seen since the Orioles' spring opener, as he has been dealing with lower-back soreness caused by a mattress he was sleeping on being too soft. Most of Westburg's playing time this season is expected to come at third base, but he's getting the start at second base in this one.

Matthews was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees due to an apparent ankle injury, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Matthews slipped on his right foot/ankle while fielding a grounder in the fourth inning. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, which is a positive sign, but the Twins will likely take a closer look at the 24-year-old to confirm he didn't suffer any serious damage.

Caminero was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game versus the Phillies due to lower-back tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Caminero struck out in both of his plate appearances before exiting. The Rays should offer an update on the young third baseman's condition after the contest.

Loftin (wrist) will start at third base and bat fourth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Loftin was a late scratch from the lineup prior to Sunday's contest due to wrist soreness, but he appears to be feeling better after a few days of rest. The 26-year-old has fared well in his pursuit of an Opening Day roster spot, going 6-for-11 with three RBI and two runs scored across six spring games.

Walker said Thursday that he underwent an ultrasound on his left oblique but is waiting for the inflammation to subside before having additional imaging done, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Walker had to be scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Cardinals due to the oblique injury. The first baseman missed five weeks of action for the Diamondbacks with a similar injury during the second half last season, but he said Thursday that his current injury isn't as severe. A stint on the injured list to begin the season remains a distinct possibility, but more will be known about Walker's status following the additional imaging.

Santander went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The veteran slugger got hold of a Carson Fulmer fastball in the sixth inning and crushed it over the right-field fence. It was Santander's first long ball of the spring, and after racking up a career-high 44 homers and 102 RBI for the O's in 2024, the free-agent signing is being counted on to supply big power numbers this season from the heart of the Blue Jays' order.

Kirk went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The backstop supplied the Blue Jays with their only run off Mitch Keller through the first four innings, lofting a hanging curve to straightaway center field. It was Kirk's first homer of the spring, but he's been making strong contact so far, going 5-for-15 (.333) through seven appearances. His line-drive swing probably won't ever provide consistent power numbers, but Toronto would be happy if Kirk can supply something close to the .285 batting average and .372 OBP he produced in 2022 over 541 regular-season plate appearances.

Gausman topped out at 96.2 mph with his fastball during his spring debut Wednesday against the Pirates, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports. The 34-year-old right-hander walked one and struck out two over 1.2 scoreless, no-hit innings while tossing 23 of 38 pitches for strikes.

Gausman dealt with shoulder trouble last spring that prevented him from getting fully stretched out ahead of Opening Day, and he seemed to be playing catch-up all season with both his velocity and his command on his breaking pitches. Gausman finished with a 3.83 ERA and 21.4 percent strikeout rate -- his worst numbers in those categories since 2019 -- over 181 regular-season innings while averaging just 93.9 mph with his fastball. He spent this winter putting on extra muscle, and it showed in his first Grapefruit League action as he averaged 94.9 mph with his heater. If Gausman begins this season healthy, a bounce-back campaign could well be in the cards, as he produced a 3.16 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 31.1 percent strikeout rate as recently as 2023.