MLB Player News

Roden went 2-for-2 with a walk, two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Getting the start in left field and hitting fifth in a lineup with no projected Opening Day starters, Roden made a quick impact by lacing a two-bagger off Garrett Crochet to lead off the second inning. Roden would likely need an injury or two in the Blue Jays' outfield to begin the year on the 26-man roster, but the 25-year-old appears ready to make his big-league debut after slashing .314/.406/.510 over 70 games for Triple-A Buffalo in 2024.

Silseth (elbow) allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits and two walks while striking out one batter over 1.1 innings Sunday in a Cactus League contest against Cleveland.

Silseth ended last season on the minor-league injured list and underwent right elbow surgery in early August. He struggled in his first game action this spring, giving up a Steven Kwan solo homer on the first pitch he threw and allowing the following four batters to reach base (though one was due to an Angels error). Silseth was pulled after recording just one out, but under spring training rules, he was allowed to come back out for the next frame and looked much better, retiring the side in order. Still, it wasn't a promising beginning to the exhibition slate for the right-hander, who is competing for a rotation spot this spring. If Silseth is unable to win that battle, he could end up in the big-league bullpen or at Triple-A to begin the campaign.

Bautista (elbow) will throw one more live batting practice session this week before getting into a spring training game, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Bautista threw 25 pitches in a live batting practice session Sunday and will throw to hitters again either Wednesday or Thursday. The next step could be his Grapefruit League debut, perhaps in the first week of March. He still has to hit these checkpoints, but Bautista's recovery appears on track for him to be Baltimore's closer at the start of the season.

Caglianone hit a 435-foot home run with a 115.4 mph exit velocity in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the White Sox, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Caglianone has at least 70-grade raw power and is in his first big-league camp. The Royals coaches were very complimentary of Caglianone, who is working on not swinging as hard as he can every time, and letting his natural raw power do the work while chasing less. If he can develop even just a 50-grade hit tool, Caglianone could annually be among the league leaders in home runs. He is likely to open the year at Double-A, but from there, he'll climb as quickly and as far as his talent takes him.

Gausman threw live batting practice Sunday and will do one more such session before making his first spring start, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Gausman is seemingly a little behind the rest of the Jays starters, as Easton Lucas is currently working in Gausman's spot in the Jays' Grapefruit League rotation. It sounds like Gausman is on track to potentially make his first spring start next week. He showed up to camp intentionally carrying more weight because he says he loses weight throughout the MLB season and wanted to better hold up over the full season. In 2024, he had his lowest strikeout rate (21.4 percent) since 2018 and his highest walk rate (7.4 percent) since 2017.

Wong (shoulder) is not in Monday's lineup against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

It was reported Sunday that Wong had a sore shoulder and would likely return to action Monday, but he's absent from the lineup in favor of Omar Narvaez. Wong should be considered day-to-day.

Barger (hand) will try to hit Monday and is considered day-to-day, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Per manager John Schneider, Barger's right hand is swollen and he had a blood blister after getting hit by a Garrett Crochet pitch Sunday. The Jays game was rained out Monday, but Barger wasn't in the lineup, although it sounds like he'll get back in there once the swelling in his hand goes down. Barger showed up to camp in great shape and has intriguing tools (plus bat speed, above-average foot speed) if he can earn a role either in the outfield or at third base.

Francis, whose scheduled start Monday against the Tigers was rained out, will follow Max Scherzer in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Jays will still get Francis the same amount of work, he'll just be pitching a day later and coming in after Scherzer. Francis would seem to be locked in as Toronto's fifth starter in 2025 following a surprise 2024 season in which he logged a 2.92 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 77 innings over 13 starts after moving from the bullpen to the rotation.

Meadows will undergo further testing on his injured biceps Monday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Meadows tweaked his biceps Saturday. The Tigers do not appear overly concerned about the injury, but more will be known Tuesday when the test results are revealed. Regardless of the test results, Meadows is expected to receive a few days of rest.

McCullers (forearm) will be cleared for live batting practice if he gets through a bullpen session Monday with no issues, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCullers has thrown several recent bullpen sessions without any hiccups and is almost ready to face hitters. The right-hander will not be ready in time for Opening Day, but he hopes to make some Grapefruit League appearances before the schedule runs out. McCullers hasn't appeared in a big-league game since the 2022 World Series due to multiple arm injuries.