MLB Player News

Lugo threw five innings in a minor-league game Thursday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Lugo threw 72 pitches without issuing a walk and worked through some traffic, reportedly feeling great as he returned to camp after participating in the World Baseball Classic for Puerto Rico. After posting a 4.15 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 26 starts and 145.1 innings in 2025, Lugo was shut down in September due to a back injury, though the issue doesn't appear to be lingering into the spring. The veteran righty will slot into the Kansas City rotation and look to get closer to his 2024 production, when he posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 206.2 innings.

Rocchio is projected to be the Guardians' Opening Day starter at second base, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

This comes as no surprise, as Rocchio was pegged all along to be the team's starting second baseman. He and Gabriel Arias will form the double-play combo for Cleveland. Rocchio's strong second half in 2025 carried over into the Cactus League, as he's slashed .313/.389/.531 with four doubles, one home run, four RBI, two steals and three runs scored over 12 contests. The job may not be his for the whole season, however, as prospect Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, is expected to make his debut some time this summer.

Messick allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out three over 5.2 innings in Thursday's spring start against Kansas City.

The positives are that Messick ran his pitch count up to 87 (57 strikes), didn't walk a batter and pitched into the sixth inning for the first time this spring. Unfortunately, the left-hander was touched for three solo home runs in his fourth Cactus League appearance (third start). Messick entered the game with a 1.93 ERA and a strong case to be named the fifth starter over fellow lefty Logan Allen. A roster projection posted Friday by Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal has Allen winning the job and Messick headed to Triple-A Columbus, however. Each pitcher has minor-league options remaining, so the decision could come down purely to spring performance, and even after Friday's outing Messick would seem to have the edge there -- Allen has an 18.00 ERA and 9:8 K:BB through 10 Cactus League innings, compared to Messick's 3.60 ERA and 11:4 K:BB in 15 innings.

Basallo went 3-for-3 with two solo homers during Thursday's Grapefruit League win against the Pirates.

Basallo has crushed the ball during spring training and is batting .375 with four doubles, three homers, nine RBI and nine runs in 12 games. The 21-year-old is expected to open the season as Baltimore's primary designated hitter while also operating as the No. 2 backstop to Adley Rutschman. Basallo had a .165/.229/.330 slash line over 31 games in his first taste of the majors last year, but he enters 2026 with high expectations as one of the top prospects in baseball.

Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's spring game against the Royals.

Ramirez returned to the lineup for the first time since an issue with his left shoulder cropped up last Sunday. He showed the shoulder was in fine shape when he swatted a no-doubt home run in his first plate appearance. The homer was Ramirez's third of the Cactus League, and an indicator that he'll be ready for Opening Day next week.

Soderstrom was removed from Thursday's Cactus League game against Seattle "out of precaution" after being hit by a pitch on the knee, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Soderstrom was nailed by a Randy Dobnak changeup in the fourth inning. The outfielder initially remained in the game and even scored in the same frame on a passed ball, but he was then substituted for in left field for the bottom of the inning. That being said, it doesn't sound like Soderstrom is dealing with a serious injury, so at this point his availability for Opening Day doesn't seem to be in jeopardy.

Kikuchi is slated to start the Angels' second game of the regular season -- which will take place Friday, March 27 in Houston -- and is expected to be "full-go" for that outing, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Kikuchi spent much of his time this spring with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic, but he had a small workload, tossing just four innings across two appearances and giving up three runs on seven hits with a 5:0 K:BB. The southpaw recently returned to the Angels and started against the Royals on Thursday, tossing 4.2 innings during which he allowed one run on two hits and three walks while fanning two batters. Kikuchi worked up to just 64 pitches in the start, but even with Opening Day just a week away, it sounds like the club feels that Kikuchi will be able to handle a full workload right away.

The Guardians optioned Brito to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Brito logged an .820 OPS over 24 Triple-A games last year, but his attempt at making Cleveland's Opening Day roster will fall short after he slashed just .154/.313/.269 over 32 plate appearances in the Cactus League. The 24-year-old utility man has yet to make his MLB debut, though his defensive versatility figures to help his chances of receiving a midseason promotion.

Severino will start the Athletics' March 27 season opener versus the Blue Jays in Toronto, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

This will be Severino's second consecutive Opening Day start and his third overall. The 32-year-old is coming off the worst season of his MLB career (20-start minimum) as he had a 4.54 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 124:50 K:BB over 162.2 innings last year. The two-time All-Star has not been able to recapture the stretch he had from 2017 to 2022, when he had a 3.10 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Since then, the right-hander has had a 4.71 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across the past three seasons.

The Angels reassigned Siri to minor-league camp Thursday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Siri signed a minor-league contract with the Angels at the beginning of February after he slashed just .063/.167/.125 across 36 plate appearances for the Mets in 2025. In 36 plate appearances for the Angels in spring training, the outfielder had another low slash line of .194/.237/.250.