MLB Player News

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Wednesday that Loftin is dealing with a jammed left thumb but should return to the lineup for Thursday's Cactus League game against the Padres, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Loftin was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with the injury, but he's feeling better and is expected back in action imminently. The utility player is competing for a reserve role with the Royals and has had a nice spring, slashing .318/.423/.682.

Brash (mouth) is listed among the Mariners' available relievers for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Brash will be making his first appearance of the spring after he had been delayed in his throwing progression during camp due to a tooth extraction he had a couple of weeks ago. Since Brash primarily functioned as a one-inning reliever for Seattle last season, he shouldn't require more than a handful of appearances in Cactus League games or on the back fields of Mariners camp over the next two weeks to ensure he'll be available for Opening Day.

Teel (hamstring) was removed from Team Italy's World Baseball Classic roster Wednesday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Teel injured his right hamstring while legging out a double in Team Italy's win over Team USA on Tuesday. The severity of the injury is unclear, but it's bad enough that Teel will not be available for the rest of the tournament. The White Sox should have more on Teel's status after he returns to their camp. Per Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, Mickey Gasper is expected to take Teel's spot on Team Italy's roster.

The Athletics optioned Estes to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.

After overcoming a herniated disc in his lower back, Estes threw 2.2 scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the White Sox in his spring training debut. He now finds himself cut from big-league camp a day later. Estes is ticketed for the Triple-A Las Vegas rotation at the start of the season.

The Angels reassigned Kavadas to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Kavadas logged 129 plate appearances with the Angels over the past two seasons, but after losing his spot on the 40-man roster back in September, he never appeared likely to break camp as a member of the Opening Day squad. The 27-year-old first baseman/designated hitter should settle into an everyday role at Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season.

The Angels reassigned Perdomo to minor-league camp Wednesday.

The 31-year-old lefty had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee but didn't appear in any Cactus League games before the Angels removed him from the competition for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. Perdomo has previously seen big-league action in parts of four seasons from 2020 through 2025, accruing a 5.54 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 14 appearances.

The Angels optioned Mederos to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Mederos entered the spring facing long odds to win a spot in the Angels' Opening Day rotation and didn't help his case by yielding six earned runs on seven hits and four walks across 4.1 innings between his two Cactus League outings. The right-hander should continue to make regular starts at Salt Lake to begin the season but won't necessarily be the Angels' first choice for a call-up if a spot in the big-league rotation opens up.

Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt said that Naylor will be included in the lineup for Wednesday's matchup with Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic after being hit on the right elbow in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Team Puerto Rico, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Naylor was able to take his base after being hit in the third inning and ended up finishing 0-for-4 on the day. The 28-year-old apparently didn't experience any residual soreness overnight, so he'll be ready to go for the final game of pool play in a must-win contest for both Canada and Cuba.

Brieske (ribcage) faced hitters in a simulated game Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Brieske was lifted from his most recent spring appearance March 2 due to right ribcage tightness, but assuming he experienced no discomfort during Tuesday's sim game, he could be cleared to rejoin the Grapefruit League pitching schedule within the next few days. The right-hander will likely be in line for a low-leverage role out of the Detroit bullpen if he's able to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster.

The Tigers announced Tuesday that Sweeney (shoulder) is completing a return-to-play hitting progression, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Sweeney might be ready to make his Grapefruit League debut as a designated hitter at some point in the near future, but the Tigers haven't provided word regarding when the shortstop might be ready to begin throwing again as he works his way back from a left shoulder strain. Detroit is unlikely to carry Sweeney on its Opening Day roster if he's available only as a DH, so at this point, he could be trending toward a stint on the injured list to begin the season.