MLB Player News

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Berrios has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow and won't be available for Opening Day, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Schneider noted that Berrios is pain free, and the hope is that the right-hander will resume throwing soon with the intention of pitching through the injury. With Shane Bieber (forearm) opening the season on the injured list and Trey Yesavage being brought along slowly to monitor his workload, Berrios could still have a significant role this season after finishing the 2025 campaign in the bullpen, but first he'll need to show he can be effective despite the elbow issue.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Dezenzo won't do any throwing over the next few days after his right elbow flared up while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Espada noted that the injury isn't affecting Dezenzo at the plate, so the 25-year-old should still be available as a designated hitter over the Astros' final handful of Grapefruit League games. That said, Yordan Alvarez will be in line to serve as the Astros' primary designated hitter once the regular season gets underway, so Dezenzo will likely need to prove that he's able to throw at full distance and velocity before the end of camp to have a realistic shot at making the Opening Day roster as a backup corner infielder and corner outfielder.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Pena (finger) has resumed throwing and will start swinging a bat with both hands this weekend, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Pena has been out of action since fracturing the tip of his right ring finger while corralling a groundball for Team Dominican Republic in an exhibition game two weeks ago. The injury kept Pena from playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he was able to resume taking part in limited baseball activities last week and will take another step forward by throwing and swinging the bat. Espada said Wednesday that Pena "has not been ruled out" for Opening Day, but the shortstop's availability for the start of the season will depend on how his injured digit responds to the increased activity over the next few days. Carlos Correa would likely slide over from third base to cover shortstop if Pena needs to miss time to begin the season.

Butler (knees) started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the White Sox.

Butler made his long-awaited spring debut after being eased into action following October surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, as well as a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. The 25-year-old had a quiet day at the plate, going hitless with a pair of strikeouts in his final two at-bats, though simply getting into game action is more notable than the results themselves. The Athletics have Wednesday off, but Butler could make his Cactus League debut in the outfield as soon as Thursday.

The Orioles optioned Espada to minor-league camp Wednesday, Cordell Woodland of 105.7 The Fan Baltimore reports.

Espada had spent the entire 2025 season in the minors before earning a call-up to Baltimore in September and making one relief appearance for the big club. The 29-year-old righty had been competing for a spot in the Orioles' Opening Day bullpen but wasn't able to secure a spot despite pitching well in the Grapefruit League (two unearned runs on one hit and one walk over four innings). He'll likely report to Triple-A Norfolk for the start of the 2026 season.

Naylor introduced a toe tap late in the 2025 season and became one of the Guardians' top hitters over the final month of the regular season, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

It was a very up-and-down 2025 season for Naylor until he pivoted away from a leg kick to a toe tap in August. "We don't get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. After implementing the toe tap and getting accustomed to it, the catcher took off in September. Over 19 games, Naylor slashed .290/.324/.548 with a 136 wRC+ and a 48.1 percent hard-hit rate. Those results have carried over to the spring in both the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada and in Cactus League games. Naylor slashed .353/.353/.588 in four WBC games and is slashing .385/.467/.615 in five Cactus League contests.

Falter allowed no hits or walks across three scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Dodgers. He struck out five.

Falter was originally slated to start Tuesday's contest, but manager Matt Quatraro instead deployed the southpaw out of the bullpen to evaluate his versatility and adaptability, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Falter responded with his best outing of the spring, entering in the fourth inning and striking out five of the nine batters he faced while averaging 93.6 mph on his fastball, up from 92.1 mph last season. The 28-year-old appears to be on the outside looking in for a spot in the Royals' rotation, especially if the club sticks with a traditional five-man group, so his ability to pitch effectively in relief could boost his chances of making the roster as a left-handed bullpen option.

Valera (calf) began running Tuesday as part of his activity, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Valera had begun throwing and hitting earlier in the week, and the Guardians are hopeful he can return to game action in the coming days. Based on the calendar, there is some question whether Valera will be ready to go by Opening Day. Cleveland's outfield picture is unclear beyond Steven Kwan, and Valera is one of seven outfielders competing for three or four spots.

Murakami went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-4 Cactus League win over the A's.

It was the first Cactus League home run for Murakami, who now owns an even 1.000 OPS through 17 plate appearances with the White Sox this spring after joining the club on a two-year, $34 million contract in December. Back from the World Baseball Classic, Murakami told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, "Compared to when I left Arizona, I feel much better as far as conditioning, as well. I'm seeing the ball better, I'm swinging better, so I'll keep that approach up and try to hit as much as possible." The 26-year-old is slated to open the season as the starting first baseman on the South Side.

Boyle allowed two runs on two hits and four walks in three innings during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out six.

Through four Grapefruit League outings (two starts), Boyle now has a 3.72 ERA, a shaky 1.66 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB covering 9.2 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander is in contention for a bullpen spot with the Rays this spring as a long reliever, but he's not in position to begin the year in Tampa Bay's rotation after closing 2025 as a starter. Last year, Boyle recorded a 4.67 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 58:28 K:BB over 52 regular-season frames (nine starts).