MLB Player News

Miller (illness) worked around a hit batter and a base hit while recording three strikeouts over a scoreless inning in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Royals in Cactus League play.

The lefty reliever made his spring debut Saturday, after he had previously been delayed due to finger numbness and then an illness. With Miller returning to action Saturday with an impressive appearance, the missed time shouldn't affect his chances of securing a spot in San Francisco's Opening Day bullpen. Over his 73 appearances with San Francisco in 2024, Miller covered 67.1 innings and registered a 3.88 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 87:38 K:BB while collecting four wins and 14 holds.

Lamb (quadricep) will serve as the Giants' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Before striking out in his lone at-bat as a reserve DH in Saturday's 7-3 win over the Royals, Lamb hadn't played since Feb. 27 while managing a left quad strain. He hasn't resumed playing defense, but his presence in the starting lineup Sunday suggests the quad injury isn't anything that will make or break his chances of winning a spot on the Opening Day roster. Lamb is attending Giants camp as a non-roster invitee after signing a minor-league deal in January.

Torrens is expected to start the season as the Mets' No. 1 catcher after Francisco Alvarez was diagnosed with a hand fracture Sunday, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

Alvarez is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks after undergoing surgery Monday, creating a hole behind the plate for the Mets. Barring an outside addition, Torrens will be the primary beneficiary of the injury after he posted a .229/.292/.373 slash line over 48 regular-season games in Queens last year. Jakson Reetz and Chris Williams are the top internal options to fill the backup job, but neither player is on the 40-man roster.

The Reds optioned Mey to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

Cincinnati thought highly enough of the 23-year-old righty to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster over the winter, but Mey -- who has yet to pitch above the Double-A level -- was never a threat to win a spot in the Reds' Opening Day bullpen. He'll get his first taste of Triple-A to begin the 2025 season after he turned in a 3.44 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 63:43 K:BB over 55 innings between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga in 2024.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Alvarez has been diagnosed with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand and will be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks after he undergoes surgery Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Alvarez last saw Grapefruit League action Friday against the Nationals, but it's unclear exactly how he suffered the injury. The 23-year-old missed over seven weeks in 2024 due to a torn UCL in his left thumb, and he struggled to find much consistency when healthy with 11 home runs and a .237/.307/.403 slash line over 100 regular-season games. Making his 2025 debut in late April is likely the best-case scenario while coming back from a fracture in his glove hand, but there's a real chance Alvarez doesn't return from the injured list until May. Luis Torrens is poised to take over as the No. 1 catcher in the interim, though the Mets could look outside the organization to bolster their depth behind the plate.

Horwitz (wrist) was cleared to begin hitting off a tee Sunday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 27-year-old is about a month removed from undergoing surgery on his right wrist and continues ramping up his hitting program. Horwitz was given an initial recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks and appears likely to be sidelined for Opening Day, but he may not miss much of the regular season.

Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's spring game against Arizona.

Encarnacion-Strand took advantage of a Jordan Montgomery fastball that stayed up for his third Cactus League homer. Coming back from a wrist injury that limited him to 29 games in 2024, Encarnacion-Strand appears healthy in camp. He's mainly batted in the lower half of the order this spring, but he could provide a middle-of-the-order presence if he continues to mash. Capable of playing both corner infield spots, Encarnacion-Strand has started mostly at first base and is looking like the favorite to win the job. His cause is aided by the shoulder injury to Spencer Steer, who may open the regular season on the IL.

Walker (knee) progressed to hitting soft toss Saturday and is set to be re-evaluated Monday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Nursing some inflammation in his left knee, Walker had taken dry swings Friday and has also played some catch. The young outfielder should be cleared to ramp up his activities if his evaluation Monday goes well. Walker is projected to be the Cardinals' primary right fielder this season.

Naylor went 1-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's split-squad game against the Athletics.

After going hitless in his Cactus League debut, Naylor has hit in eight consecutive games and is 11-for-24 (.458) with four doubles and three RBI on the spring. He may not be able to replicate the defense of three-time Gold Glove winner Christian Walker, Arizona's starting first baseman in 2024, but Naylor's bat is expected to replace the production lost when Walker signed with Houston this offseason.

Puk allowed one hit and struck out two over one scoreless inning in Saturday's spring game against the Reds.

Puk worked a scoreless fifth inning and has yet to allow a run over four Cactus League innings. He's given up two hits and two walks while striking out five. The left-hander was followed by righty Justin Martinez, who gave up three runs over a third of an inning. The two are considered the front-runners for save opportunities this season in Arizona.