MLB Player News

The Giants optioned Basabe (shoulder) to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday.

After reaching the majors with the Rays in 2023 and appearing in 31 games, Basabe spent the entire 2024 campaign in the minors and struggled during his time in the International League, slashing .248/.293/.336 over 283 plate appearances. The Giants acquired him in February and handed him a spot on the 40-man roster, but Basabe was unlikely to break camp even a strained right shoulder hadn't kept him from playing in the Cactus League since Feb. 25. If he's healthy to begin the minor-league season, Basabe should be in line to handle a near-everyday role with Triple-A Sacramento.

Marte (knee) will serve as the Mets' designated hitter and No. 6 batter in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Marte will be making his spring debut Monday after a lingering bone bruise in his right knee prompted the Mets to take it slow with him during camp. Though the 36-year-old will join the lineup in a non-defensive role, he's expected to resume seeing action in the outfield in the coming days, which should clear up any concern about his status heading into Opening Day. Marte has been a regular for most of his first three seasons in New York, but he'll likely be headed for more of a short-side platoon role in 2025 as the Mets aim to preserve his health for the long haul while opening up more opportunities against right-handed pitching for the lefty-hitting Jesse Winker.

Cortes gave up one earned run over 2.2 innings in Sunday's spring game. He allowed four hits, struck out two batters and walked one.

Cortes joined the Brewers over the offseason in the trade that sent Devin Williams to the Yankees, and he got into his first game with his new club Sunday. Cortes averaged under a strikeout per inning in 2024, but he posted a respectable 3.77 ERA over a career-best 174.1 regular-season innings, so expect him to occupy a rotation spot when the regular season gets underway.

The Reds optioned Callihan to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Callihan was added to the 40-man roster in November, but given that he has only four games of experience above the Double-A level in addition to the fact that Cincinnati is well stocked in the infield, he never looked like a serious threat to break camp with the big club. The 24-year-old will likely spend the majority of the season at Louisville after slashing .271/.345/.413 with eight home runs and 21 steals over his 282 plate appearances at Double-A Chattanooga in 2024.

The Reds optioned Phillips to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Phillips reached the big leagues for the first time in 2023 and made five starts for the Reds, but he appears to have since been passed up by other arms on the organizational pitching depth chart. Though he closed the 2024 campaign on a high note with a 2.49 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 21.2 innings in his final five outings, his season-long ratios at Triple-A were still unsightly (8.01 ERA, 2.03 ERA, 4.3 K-BB% in 78.2 innings). Phillips' control problems once again cropped up this spring, as he had walked six of the 19 batters he faced in Cactus League play. He'll likely need to have a sustained run of success at Triple-A before garnering consideration for a return to the big leagues.

The Reds optioned Zulueta to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

The hard-throwing Zulueta struck out 20 batters over 16.1 innings in relief in his first taste of the big leagues in 2024, but a 10.1 percent walk rate prevented him from gaining much traction in higher-leverage spots. Spotty command had been an issue again for Zulueta in his limited sample of innings this spring, so the Reds will send the 27-year-old to Louisville to work out the kinks. He'll likely rank near the top of the list for a promotion whenever Cincinnati requires a fresh arm out of the bullpen.

The Reds optioned Marte to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

After serving an 80-game suspension to begin the past season, Marte was unable to find a rhythm at the plate once he was cleared to rejoin the Reds in late June. He finished the season with a lowly .549 OPS over 242 plate appearances with the big club, and Marte's struggles have continued this spring, with the 23-year-old slashing .150/.182/.400 with eight strikeouts over 11 games. The Reds are hoping that the assignment to Louisville to begin the season will allow Marte to regain confidence and rediscover the plate approach that helped him make a splash as a rookie in 2023, when he hit .316 and got on base at a .366 clip over his 123 plate appearances with the big club. Until Marte proves he's worthy of another look in the majors, the Reds are likely to get by with Gavin Lux and Jeimer Candelario as their primary options at third base.

The Marlins reassigned Curry to minor-league camp Monday.

Curry has pitched well this spring with just one unearned run allowed over six innings, although he's managed just two strikeouts. The 26-year-old will begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville as starting pitching depth.

The Reds optioned Hinds to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Hinds made waves last summer when he was called up from Triple-A in July and proceeded to hit five home runs in his first six big-league games, but he faded badly thereafter, slashing .042/.148/.083 with nine strikeouts in his final 27 plate appearances of the season with Cincinnati. Making consistent contact had remained an issue this spring for Hinds, who struck out in six of his 14 at-bats in Cactus League play. He should handle an everyday role in the outfield as he heads back to Louisville to begin the upcoming season, but Hinds likely need to refine his approach at the plate and cut down on strikeouts before garnering serious consideration for a promotion back to the majors.

Fortes (groin) will start at catcher and bat second in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Fortes will rejoin the lineup for the first time since last Wednesday, when he sustained a groin contusion after being struck by a foul ball while catching. The missed time shouldn't put Fortes at any risk of not being ready for the start of the season, when he'll project to serve as Miami's No. 1 backstop.