MLB Player News

Horn was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on Thursday.

The 27-year-old southpaw endured a rough spring, allowing four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one batter over 2.1 innings in the Grapefruit League. Horn will now be subjected to waivers and could attract interest from teams in need of lefty relief help. While he has mostly struggled against big-league competition, Horn put up a 2.15 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 21 appearances with Boston's Triple-A affiliate last season.

Falter did not recover well from his catch session Wednesday and is no longer scheduled to pitch in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said the move to scratch Falter was made out of an "abundance of precaution," adding that Falter is dealing with "general body soreness" and will instead play catch again Thursday before the team determines the next steps. Falter is expected to have a spot in the Pittsburgh rotation to begin the season, but this issue could throw a wrench into those plans if it delays the lefty longer than expected, with Opening Day just two weeks away.

Atlanta reassigned Leblanc to minor-league camp Thursday.

Leblanc faced an uphill battle to make the roster out of spring training. He fared reasonably well in the Grapefruit League, going 5-for-16 with a home run and a steal, but it wasn't enough to break camp with the big club. The 28-year-old will likely open the season at Triple-A Gwinnett after spending most of last season with Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization.

Stephenson was scratched from Wednesday's lineup because of lower-to-mid back pain, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson was scheduled to be the designated hitter and was replaced by Blake Dunn. Cincinnati manager Terry Francona downplayed the injury, indicating Stephenson will be fine and that there was no need to push him.

Lowder (elbow) has been throwing off flat ground the last few weeks since being cleared by the medical staff, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Lowder said he's progressing through the throwing program and believes he'll be on the "mound here shortly," although there's been no schedule established. The recently turned 23-year-old right-hander had been a candidate for the rotation, but it now appears likely he'll begin the season on the injured list before eventually heading to Triple-A Louisville. Lowder was impressive in a brief stint in the majors at the end of the 2024 regular season, posting a 1.17 ERA over six starts (30.2 innings).

Steer (shoulder) took swings in a batting cage Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

This was the first time Steer had a bat in his hand since getting a cortisone shot in his right shoulder March 1. He took flips in the cage before heading to the weight room. The next step is to see how the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder responds to the activity. Steer believes he can still get ready for the regular season, but in the words of manager Terry Francona, "we want his shoulder to tell us that - not Opening Day."

Abbott (shoulder) made his spring debut in a minor-league game Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. He went two innings and stuck out one.

Abbott retired the first six batters faced, and the relaxed rules on the practice field allowed him to face a fourth batter in his second inning, whom the left-hander walked. Abbott was encouraged by the results. including the ability to throw strikes and the nature of the balls put into play. After throwing 31 pitches in the game environment, he tossed 11 more in the bullpen. Abbott, who missed the final six weeks of the 2024 regular season with a left shoulder strain, was on a slower path this spring and never showed signs of injury or a setback. The Reds will examine him Thursday and figure out the next step. There's one available spot in the rotation, and the club would like to see Abbott work up to five innings. An early off day in the regular season means the Reds would not need a fifth starter for the first turn of the rotation, which would buy some time. Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers are also in the mix.

Suwinski is projected to make the Opening Day roster as a reserve outfielder by Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.

Suwinski has had 25 plate appearances in spring training and has tallied four extra-base hits. As has been the case since making his MLB debut in 2022, Suwinski has also struggled to make consistent contact as he's racked up a 28 percent strikeout rate. The Pirates' decision for a final bench spot appears to come down to Suwinski, Billy Cook and Nick Yorke.

Davis is projected to make the Opening Day roster by Alex Stumpf of MLB.com.

Davis has had impressive moments in spring training, with the team particularly happy that he's hit the ball to all areas of the field. He has a .238 ISO across 23 plate appearances to show for it, though he's also struck out at a 26.1 percent clip. Joey Bart will begin the season as the starter behind the plate, but Davis would potentially start a few times per week if he cracks the roster.

Campusano may be trailing Elias Diaz in the battle to be San Diego's No. 1 catcher, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Following the departure of Kyle Higashioka to Texas in the offseason, San Diego's primary catcher role for 2025 appeared to be wide open. That's still the case, as none of the Padres' backstops has hit well this spring. Campusano has gone just 2-for-16 so far, while Diaz is 3-for-18. Meanwhile, San Diego's other backstop options, Brett Sullivan (2-for-15) and Martin Maldonado (0-for-13), have been equally unproductive. Cassavell speculates that Diaz's reputation as a strong defender could have him leading the race to start Opening Day, though the Padres don't appear to have made a decision in that regard to this point. Campusano finished last season at Triple-A and has one minor-league option remaining, so it's not certain that he'll even break camp with the big club.