MLB Player News

Kjerstad went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

Kjerstad launched his first homer of spring training Sunday. The 27-year-old is battling for an Opening Day roster spot, but Baltimore's offseason acquisition of Taylor Ward certainly makes it more difficult for Kjerstad to make the cut this spring. Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras appear to have a leg up on Kjerstad to open camp, but the Orioles are likely to have the three outfielders battle it out during exhibition action to determine who makes the team.

Bradish allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in two innings during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit. He struck out two.

Following a clean first inning, Bradish struggled in the second frame while yielding a pair of runs. The 29-year-old right-hander threw 22 of his 35 pitches for strikes, and his sinker topped out at 95.8 mph. The Orioles are expected to have some form of limitations in place for Bradish in 2026 -- Tommy John surgery has held the righty to 14 starts since 2024 -- and Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com also notes that Bradish is prioritizing his health as opposed to increasing his velocity. Baltimore's plans for his workload could become clearer as spring training progresses.

Slater went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

Slater connected in the third inning for his first home run of the spring slate. The 33-year-old joined the Tigers earlier this month on a minor-league contract with a chance to compete for an Opening Day roster spot during camp. Slater had an OPS under .650 each of the last two seasons with a batting average under .220, so he doesn't figure to offer a ton of offense. However, he is a versatile defender who could carve out a utility role in Detroit if he strings together more good performances in spring training.

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.