MLB Player News

The Angels reassigned Rada to minor-league camp Saturday.

Rada was a longshot to make the Angels' Opening Day roster, and the 20-year-old will start the 2026 season in the minors. He ended the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake, where he slashed .323/.433/.416 with 20 steals (on 26 attempts), one home run and 17 RBI in 201 plate appearances. Rada lacks power, but his ability to make contact and his prowess on as a baserunner could net him some major-league opportunities in 2026.

Murray was removed from Saturday's Cactus League game against the Mariners after being struck by a pitch on his right pinky finger, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Murray was hit by a pitch in the second inning and proceeded to take his base and steal second base before being removed from the contest. The good news for Murray is that X-rays came back negative, though the injury could limit his playing time over the next couple of days. Murray was acquired by the White Sox from the Rays in November after spending the entire 2025 season with Triple-A Durham, where he slashed .241/.299/.400 with five steals (in nine attempts), 18 home runs and 58 RBI in 572 plate appearances.

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said Friday following his team's 15-5 win over Team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic that Buxton (elbow) is "feeling fine" after being hit by a pitch in the top of the fifth inning, Ryan Kelapire of MLB.com reports.

Buxton was replaced by Pete Crow-Armstrong after the former took a pitch to his right forearm, but DeRosa relayed that Buxton's removal was precautionary. X-rays on Buxton's forearm came back negative, and while he isn't in Team USA's starting lineup for Saturday's game against Great Britain, the 32-year-old center fielder isn't expected to miss significant time.

Higashioka was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Giants due to back tightness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Willie MacIver was a late addition to the starting nine at catcher in place of Higashioka, whose removal from the lineup has been described as a "precaution." The veteran backstop previously missed time earlier in camp due to the same injury, which has limited him to just seven at-bats in Cactus League play over the past 10 days.

Manager Kevin Cash said Saturday that he expects Lux (upper body) to make his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

General upper-body soreness has kept Lux out of Grapefruit League games up to this point, but he's begun to feel much better over the past several days. After he makes his spring debut, the 28-year-old will have two weeks to prepare before likely beginning the regular season as Tampa Bay's primary second baseman.

Simpson has been held out of Grapefruit League games since Wednesday due to renewed tightness in his left hamstring, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Left hamstring tightness pushed Simpson's spring debut into late February, and it appears he still hasn't fully recovered from the injury. However, manager Kevin Cash said Saturday that the Rays are being "overly cautious," and he expects Simpson to return to the lineup relatively soon. The 25-year-old outfielder is 5-for-10 with a stolen base through four games this spring.

The White Sox optioned McDougal to Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday.

McDougal was awarded with a spot on the White Sox's 40-man roster over the offseason after posting a 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 113.1 total innings between High-A and Double-A in 2025. The 22-year-old will be elevated to Triple-A to begin the regular season and could make his MLB debut sometime this year if he continues to pitch well.

The Royals optioned Zobac to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday.

Zobac was awarded a spot on Kansas City's 40-man roster during the offseason, but he'll return to Double-A to begin the new year. The 25-year-old righty posted a 7.68 ERA and 1.91 WHIP over 36.1 innings at Northwest Arkansas last season but pitched 2.2 scoreless frames this spring.

The Royals optioned Kudrna to Triple-A Omaha on Saturday.

Kudrna gave up 18 earned runs in just 11.1 innings during his first taste of Triple-A action last season. He continued to struggle this spring, allowing eight earned runs in 3.1 frames, and he'll now return to Omaha to right the ship.

Sandlin (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Saturday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

It's the first time Sandlin has faced live batters this spring, as he continues to work his way back from an arthroscopic elbow procedure he underwent in the fall. It's still unclear how far away he is from making his debut in the Cactus League, but he's likely to grab a spot in the Angels' bullpen once he's fully healthy.