MLB Player News

Carter (illness) will start in center field and bat third in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Brewers.

Carter was scratched from Friday's lineup due to an illness, but his health seems to have improved ahead of Saturday's game. The 22-year-old is 1-for-7 with a double and two strikeouts across three games so far this spring.

Meadows was diagnosed with a nerve issue in his right upper arm Saturday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Meadows has been pulled off all baseball activities for now and is set to be re-evaluated in a few weeks. Manager A.J. Hinch said it's still too early to rule out the 25-year-old for Opening Day, though a stint on the IL to begin the season doesn't seem unrealistic.

Rodriguez (ankle) began a running progression Saturday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Rodriguez has been sidelined since mid-February due to a sprained left ankle, but he's now been given the green light to begin testing it out with some running. The 22-year-old outfielder also spent the offseason recovering from thumb surgery, so the Twins will be a bit more cautious getting him ready for game action after his extended absence.

Raya suffered a mild left quad strain Tuesday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The Twins will look to get Raya throwing off a mound again Tuesday, and if all goes well, he'll face live hitters shortly thereafter. The 22-year-old righty is expected to report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the regular season.

Raley (undisclosed) will start at first base and bat fourth in Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Raley was a late scratch from Tuesday's lineup due to an undisclosed injury, but he appears to be feeling better ahead of Saturday's contest. The 30-year-old first baseman is 1-for-3 with a stolen base and two strikeouts so far this spring.

Higashioka went 2-for-2 with two home runs and six RBI in Friday's spring game against the Cubs.

Higashioka belted a two-run homer in the second inning, produced a run on sacrifice fly in the fourth and then launched a three-run shot in the sixth. He blipped the fantasy radar in 2024 when the right-handed hitter knocked 17 home runs in 84 games for the Padres. The catcher's also drawn reviews this spring for his handling of the pitching staff, Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports. The Rangers are expected to have a relatively even split behind the plate between Higashioka and Jonah Heim, who had some alarming drops in advanced metrics last season and is no stranger to second-half fades.

Burger went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's spring game against the Cubs.

Burger has a hit in three straight games, including his first home run as a member of the Rangers on Thursday. The move to Texas could prove beneficial for the slugging first baseman, who will play half of his games at Globe Life Field, the fourth-best park in the league for right-handed power by MLB's three-year rolling park factors.

Bradford allowed three hits and one walk while striking out three over three scoreless inning in Friday's spring start against the Cubs.

This was Bradford's second Cactus League start, and the left-hander upped his pitch count to 48 (34 strikes). Among those 48 pitches, 26 were the four-seam fastball, which induced eight called strikes or whiffs, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. "Extension helps a lot," the 27-year-old said of his fastball. "It's got a little bit of a hop. There's some vert to it. It's pretty efficient. And, probably, I'd say, command [makes a difference]." Bradford looks primed to push for a rotation spot; he's yet to allow a run over five innings this spring, striking out five and walking one.

Yoshida (shoulder) will make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Yoshida will be limited to DH during his first several appearances, as he's only progressed to throwing from 45 feet out since undergoing surgery on his right labrum in October. If he's not ready to return to the field by the end of spring, the Red Sox may opt to put him on the injured list for the beginning of the season.

Clase (hamstring) is in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Assuming there are no further issues with his hamstring, Clase should be able to start the season on time. While he appears headed for a limited role after mostly struggling as a rookie between Seattle and Toronto, the 22-year-old Clase has shown offensive potential on the farm, and his sprint speed was elite last season at 30.0 ft/sec.