MLB Player News

Melton went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

After joining the Rays this past offseason as part of the Brandon Lowe trade, Melton made a strong impression in his second game of the spring. While it looks like the 25-year-old outfielder is set to begin the year in a part-time role, a strong spring could increase Melton's chances of earning more frequent at-bats. It's worth mentioning Chandler Simpson is nursing a tight left hamstring, which further opens the door for Melton in the outfield for the time being.

Young was charged with a blown save during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, allowing one run on three hits and one walk in two innings. He struck out two.

Young served up a solo home run to Austin Slater in the third inning. The 27-year-old right-hander is in contention to begin the season in Baltimore's rotation, but he'll need to bounce back soon in order to keep pace with the club's other candidates. After posting a 6.24 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over 12 regular-season starts in 2025, Young appears initially to be the least likely of Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Cade Povich to crack the Opening Day rotation.

Bello allowed four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two over 1.1 innings during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. He didn't factor into the decision.

Bello got off to a rocky start in his first action of the spring, as he was touched up for four runs in the top of the first inning and then removed in the middle of the frame after hurling 24 pitches. He would return for the top of the second inning and responded well by firing a scoreless frame. Bello put together the best season of his young career a year ago, posting a 3.35 ERA with 124 strikeouts over 166.2 regular-season innings, so there's little reason to worry about a poor outing this early in the spring.

Roden went 2-for-3 with a grand slam during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Roden put his team in front during the top of the fifth inning by smacking a grand slam. It was evident he was seeing the ball well at the dish throughout the day, as he lined out to third base and singled to center in his other two at-bats. Roden's lack of power was a concern during his rookie campaign, so Sunday's showing is a promising start to the spring for the Creighton product.

Kurtz went 0-for-3 out of the leadoff spot during Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

Though this is only the first action of the spring for Kurtz, Martin Gallegos notes that there's a real possibility the slugger could man the leadoff role to start the 2026 campaign. Manager Mark Kotsay explained that the order isn't solidified at this point, and the reason for having Kurtz atop the order in spring games is to get him several at-bats early in exhibitions. However, he also likes the idea of Kurtz leading off, per Gallegos. "My opinion, getting the best hitter on the team the most amount of at-bats is productive," said Kotsay. "Especially when that at-bat comes around the 18th through the 21st out of a game when a starter is going through a lineup a third time, it's nice to get those guys an opportunity. It presents a leverage situation."

Manoah walked two batters and didn't allow a run over two innings during Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks. He didn't factor into the decision.

Manoah looked solid in his first start this spring and managed to work around a pair of walks by inducing two double plays. The right-hander's fastball was clocked at 93-to-94 mph in the first inning, which is a substantial uptick after he was sitting between 89 and 92 mph last September in the minor leagues, per Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Manoah's velocity dipped a bit in the second inning, as his fastball sat around 91-92, but it was still a successful spring debut for the 28-year-old, who will need to impress in camp to earn a spot in the Angels' rotation.

Eaton went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Eaton didn't draw the start Sunday, but he took advantage of his opportunities after entering the game in the top of the sixth inning. He drove home a run in the bottom of the sixth on a double to left field and returned to the dish later that same inning to deliver a ground-rule double to plate Braiden Ward. This is a great start to camp for Eaton, who is competing for a bench spot on the Opening Day roster.

Blanco is being sent for further evaluation after getting struck in the helmet by a pitch during Sunday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Blanco was initially able to remain in the game after being checked out by a team trainer, but manager Matt Quatraro noted after the exhibition that Blanco is headed for further evaluation after experiencing dizziness. He can be considered day-to-day until further notice.

Eeles left Sunday's spring training game against the Tigers due to left shoulder discomfort, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Eeles suffered the injury on a collision with teammate Enrique Bradfield in the outfield. Eeles is aiming to earn a bench spot on the big-league roster, so this injury certainly won't help his cause if it forces him to miss additional time. He can be considered day-to-day moving forward.

Areinamo was pulled from Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Pittsburgh due to right hamstring tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Areinamo started at third base for the Rays on Sunday, but he was replaced by Logan Davidson in the third inning. Prior to exiting, Areinamo went 1-for-1 with a run scored. Tampa Bay is calling his removal precautionary.