MLB Player News

Schneemann (ankle) is expected to be back in the Guardians' lineup in the next couple of days, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Schneeman was scratched from Friday's Cactus League game against the Angels due to a right ankle sprain. The injury doesn't appear to be a long-term concern and shouldn't impact Schneeman's availability for the start of the 2026 campaign. He appeared in 131 regular-season games for the Guardians in 2025 and finished with a .206/.283/.354 slash line with nine steals (on 12 attempts), 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 422 plate appearances. Schneeman is projected to make the Opening Day roster as a utility man.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters Saturday that Valera is rehabbing from a mild left calf strain and will not play over the next few days, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Valera has not appeared in a Cactus League game for the Guardians since Monday due to his injury, and he'll have his workload limited over the coming days to reduce the risk of aggravating the injury. He made his major-league debut in early September and appeared in 16 regular-season games for the Guardians, posting a .748 OPS with two home runs and five RBI in 48 plate appearances. Valera is competing against Chase DeLauter and CJ Kayfus for an everyday spot in the outfield, but an extended absence would put Valera in jeopardy of being omitted from the Guardians' Opening Day roster.

Kwan is not in the Guardians' starting lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to an upper respiratory infection, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Kwan will likely sit out for the next couple of days while battling through his illness, but there's no indication that it will impact his availability for Opening Day. Kwan has been seeing more playing time in center field during spring training, and across 28 Cactus League games he has slashed .259/.355/.593 with two home runs and five RBI in 31 plate appearances.

The Angels optioned Paris to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Paris made the Angels' Opening Day roster for the 2025 season and got off to a roaring start with a 1.263 OPS, five steals, five home runs and eight RBI in his first 15 games. However, his production at the plate fell off a cliff after that opening stretch, as he slashed .106/.165/.176 over his next 28 outings before being optioned to Triple-A in late May. Paris will start the 2026 season in the minors, though he could see some major-league action early on if Vaughn Grissom (hand) misses time.

The Angels optioned Moore to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Moore entered spring training as the presumptive frontrunner for the Angels' everyday second base job, but he didn't make much of a case for showing that he belonged on the Opening Day roster. Over 14 Cactus League games before being sent out, Moore went 7-for-40 (.175 average) with one home run, three RBI, one stolen base and 11 strikeouts. With the Angels also demoting Kyren Paris to Triple-A on Saturday, non-roster invitee Adam Frazier now looks like the favorite to begin the season as Anaheim's top option at the keystone.

Springer went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

The 36-year-old is batting just .167 (3-for-18) so far this spring in limited action with zero extra-base hits and a 5:3 BB:K. Springer was one of the biggest surprises for the Blue Jays last season during their run to an AL pennant, with his 32 homers and .959 OPS in 140 games being his highest marks since 2019, but regression is very likely in 2026.

Varsho went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

The center fielder took Mick Abel deep for a two-run shot in the first inning before clobbering a three-run homer off Zak Kent in the fifth. Varsho is batting .452 (14-for-31) this spring with eight extra-base hits, including three long balls, and an impressive 1:1 BB:K, an early sign that last year's career-high .548 SLG may not have been a smaller-sample fluke.

Garcia (elbow) threw off a mound Saturday for the first time this spring, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manager John Schneider noted that Garcia is a "huge part" of Toronto's bullpen and that it was "pretty cool" to see him back up there. It has already been confirmed that Garcia won't be ready for Opening Day, but he will continue his throwing progression and should return to a late-inning role early in the season if he avoids setbacks.

Uceta (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Saturday, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

This is the first time Uceta has thrown off a mound since getting a cortisone shot for shoulder inflammation in mid-February. It was reported March 2 that Uceta was unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, but he hasn't been ruled out yet. Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger and Bryan Baker are the top candidates for high-leverage work in the meantime.

Ben Joyce (shoulder) is expected to begin the season on the injured list and Robert Stephenson (shoulder) recently suffered a setback, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange-County Register reports, which positions Yates to potentially begin the season as the favorite for saves in Anaheim.

Yates signed with the Halos on a one-year contract in December, with GM Perry Minasian indicating when the deal was announced that the veteran will need to earn closing opportunities. The 38-year-old has given up one earned run with three strikeouts and a walk over three innings during spring training, but he struggled to a 5.23 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 50 appearances for the Dodgers last year. The Angels also added Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano to the bullpen mix this winter, but Yates should be at the head of the pack, at least until Joyce and/or Stephenson are available.