MLB Player News

McKenzie allowed one run on one hit and struck out one over two innings in Saturday's spring game against the Reds.

McKenzie is looking to turn the page on a disappointing 2024, when he finished the season at Triple-A Columbus. He mainly used his four-seamer, which was noticeably faster than the 91.1 mph it averaged last season, and gave up a lot of hard contact, including a first-inning home run to Elly De La Cruz. It was an efficient outing for the right-hander, who got several quick outs during his first Cactus League outing.

Wong is dealing with shoulder soreness but is expected to be in the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

It's unclear when exactly Wong sustained the injury, but it's not expected to keep him sidelined for long. The 28-year-old is poised to operate as Boston's No. 1 catcher this season after he posted a .280/.333/.425 slash line with 13 homers and eight steals in 126 games in 2024.

Duran was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League lineup due to calf soreness, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

It's not believed to be serious concern, but the Red Sox are unsurprisingly exercising caution early in spring training. Duran could be back in the lineup after a few days off, and at this point there's no reason to suspect his availability for Opening Day will be affected by the injury.

Castro signed a minor-league contract with the Astros in November that includes an invitation to spring training.

Castro hasn't seen action in affiliated baseball since 2021 and spent the past few seasons playing in independent ball and the Venezuelan Winter League. The 29-year-old had a 1.095 OPS and 24 homers in 95 games with the Staten Island Ferry Hawks in the Atlantic League last year and is likely to begin 2025 at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Montgomery went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Cactus League loss to the Cubs.

Montgomery, a first-round pick in 2021, is on the verge of debuting in the majors after logging essentially a full season at the Triple-A level in 2024. Interestingly, MLB.com is projecting Montgomery to be the Opening Day shortstop for the White Sox. The soon-to-be 23-year-old could perhaps benefit from more seasoning in the minors, but he will have the opportunity to force the team's hand this spring.

McCormick is likely to begin the season as Houston's starting right fielder, but he will be on a short leash, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCormick had a very disappointing 2024 season, maintaining only a 66 wRC+ across 267 plate appearances. Due to Houston's lack of offseason additions in the outfield, he's likely to maintain a starting role by default, though he'll need to return to the form he showcased earlier in his career to maintain that status. McTaggart named Taylor Trammell (calf) as a potential playing time winner should McCormick continue to struggle.

Vargas added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vargas had considerable prospect pedigree while rising through the Dodgers' system, though he's hit just .204 with 13 home runs across 591 big-league plate appearances. His struggles in 2024 were at least partially blamed on the fact that he lost 12-to-14 pounds during the season, causing him to prioritize adding muscle this offseason. Vargas made his spring debut Saturday against the Cubs and went 0-for-2 with a walk.

Caballero went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Caballero didn't have a notable day at the dish, but he did start in right field. While Caballero boasts defensive versatility along the infield, he has only one appearance in the outfield across two seasons in the majors. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays are hoping that Caballero proves capable of handling corner outfield duties as a reserve option during the regular season.

Lofton will compete with Cavan Biggio and Harold Castro for a utility role this spring, the Kansas City Star reports. He's 3-for-4 in his first two spring games.

Loftin had a .803 OPS in his first taste of the majors in 19 games in 2023, but he struggled last season with a .518 OPS in 57 games. He still hit .302 with a .857 OPS at Triple-A last season. He can play several positions in the infield and outfield -- he played second base Saturday -- but the Royals may prefer a left-handed hitter in the role (both Castro and Biggio hit lefty). At just age 26 this season, Loftin may have the most upside among the group.

Simpson made two strong defensive plays in center field in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Simpson has elite speed and recorded 104 total stolen bases between High-A and Double-A in 2024. Despite that, Simpson's defensive ability has surprisingly been questionable, though he made two diving plays in center field during Saturday's game. He also has three hits in his first four at-bats while also swiping a bag.