MLB Player News

The Pirates selected Stratton's (knee) contract Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Stratton ruptured the patella tendon in his left knee in late August, but he has ramped up this spring. He ultimately made his spring training debut Saturday, when he threw a scoreless inning while striking out two. Stratton could occupy a high-leverage role after maintaining a 3.58 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a 33:7 K:BB across 37.2 innings in 2024.

Palacios was designated for assignment Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

He was in the mix as a starting outfielder in Pittsburgh entering spring training, but the signing of Tommy Pham hurt Palacios' standing on the roster. He also didn't help his chances by hitting .211 with no extra-base hits across 19 Grapefruit League at-bats.

Cook was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Cook was in the mix for a role at first base and in the outfield, though he will ultimately begin the season in Indianapolis. He hit only .160 with one extra-base hit across 25 at-bats in Grapefruit League action, but his defensive versatility could earn him a spot in Pittsburgh at some point during the campaign.

Yorke was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Yorke looked to have a good chance to crack the Opening Day roster, particularly with Spencer Horwitz (wrist) sidelined. However, he collected only seven hits -- two of which went for extra bases -- across 34 at-bats in Grapefruit League action and will begin the season in the minors. Yorke should be in consideration for a promotion in the case of an injury or poor performance for a regular in Pittsburgh's lineup, so there's still a chance he can make an impact this season.

Davis was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Davis seemed to have the inside track to the backup catcher job for much of spring, and he performed adequately by collecting nine hits across 36 at-bats with four extra-base knocks. However, Endy Rodriguez was even more impressive and has secured a roster spot to begin the season. The Pirates presumably would still like to see Davis make an impact in 2025, so he should make his way to Pittsburgh at some point.

Turang (shoulder) was able to resume throwing Saturday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Turang began dealing with shoulder fatigue in mid-March and was unable to throw Monday when he first attempted to return to baseball activity. Given that, Saturday's progress is significant and indicates that Turang could be available come Opening Day.

Freeman was traded from the Guardians to the Rockies on Saturday in exchange for Nolan Jones, SI.com reports.

Freeman was in competition for playing time at second base with Cleveland this spring and maintained an impressive 1.080 OPS across 39 at-bats -- including eight extra-base hits. He's struggled to turn his contact-heavy approach at the plate into meaningful big-league production in partial playing time across the last three campaigns, but playing at Coors Field could help him turn a corner. Freeman should get regular run at second base to begin the 2025 season with Thairo Estrada (wrist) sidelined, and he could also fill a small-side platoon in left field.

Quintana will likely need two additional starts before he is able to make his 2025 debut, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Quintana was signed in early March and has since made two Cactus League starts. The most recent came Saturday, when he completed three innings of work. Though the team's plans haven't been made official, this report suggests Quintana would be able to take the mound at some point during the second week of April.

Norby exited Saturday's Grapefruit League game due to left side discomfort, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Norby was sliding into third base in the second inning and stretched awkwardly as he tried to stay on the bag. There's no indication of the severity of the issue, though a stint on the injured list to begin the season is seemingly a possibility.

The Brewers optioned Durbin to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday.

Durbin entered camp with a good chance to make the Opening Day roster and to possibly win a starting job in the infield. He slashed .250/.322/.404 with two homers, seven RBI, 12 runs scored and seven stolen bases across 17 games, but the Brewers will opt to give the 25-year-old a few more reps in Triple-A before he makes his MLB debut. With Durbin now in the minors, the Brewers may turn to Oliver Dunn or Vinny Capra to start at the hot corner.