MLB Player News

Burleson is not expected to be used in the outfield this spring, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Even with outfielder Jordan Walker (knee) slated to miss the next week of action with a knee issue, Burleson will stick to the designated-hitter spot and first base. The overwhelming majority of Burleson's starts at the major-league level to this point have come in the outfield, but he's slated to be the club's primary DH versus righties this season while also seeing some action at first base on days Willson Contreras serves as the DH.

The Cardinals are planning to use Munoz in a relief role this season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

A waiver claim from the Marlins in November, Munoz has fired three perfect innings with five strikeouts so far this spring. He does have minor-league options remaining, however, which could hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster. Munoz made 17 starts and one relief appearance in 2024 for Miami, collecting a 6.53 ERA and 70:42 K:BB over 82.2 innings.

Gray was tagged for three solo home runs across 2.2 frames Wednesday versus the Astros in his Grapefruit League debut.

Gray was facing a lineup comprised mostly of Houston regulars, and Jeremy Pena, Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve all got to him for long balls. On a positive note, the veteran righty recorded three strikeouts on the day and didn't issue a walk. Gray is likely to be the Cardinals' Opening Day starter March 27 against the Twins, although manager Oliver Marmol hasn't officially named him as such yet.

Alcantara will be on an innings limit, particularly early in the season, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Alcantara made Passan's list of the "10 players scouts are buzzing about" this spring, with the right-hander throwing in the upper 90s and generally looking like his old self following 2023 Tommy John surgery. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald recently suggested Alcantara may not have any set restrictions this season; however, it now sounds like the team will take measures to limit Alcantara early on, in part to entice contenders, who would then in theory have the 29-year-old fully available in October if they were to acquire him via trade.

King tossed two scoreless and hitless innings in Wednesday's Cactus League contest against Colorado, allowing two walks while striking out three batters.

King didn't have great control in the outing -- only 17 of his 35 pitches were strikes -- but he didn't allow any hits and got six whiffs on the 11 swings against him. The right-hander is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign (his first with the Padres and as a full-time starter) during which he posted a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 201:63 K:BB over 173.2 regular-season innings. King and Dylan Cease are expected to work as San Diego's top hurlers in 2025.

Strahm recorded two outs in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, giving up four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out one.

While Jordan Romano is the early favorite for saves after signing in December, the situation isn't fully settled given Philadelphia's propensity to mix-and-match the ninth inning. Strahm has now allowed six runs in 1.2 frames this spring, which isn't going to help his cause as a candidate for ninth-inning work as he looks to cement his status as Philadelphia's top left-handed bullpen option over Jose Alvarado. Strahm is still likely to begin the campaign as a high-leverage arm after boasting a 1.87 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 79:11 K:BB over 62.2 frames a year ago, and he could be worth a late-round flier given his strikeout upside, especially in leagues that count holds.

Through nine Cactus League games, Ornelas is slashing .421/.522/.789 with a home run, two RBI, four runs, four walks and just one strikeout.

Ornelas is one of San Diego's top prospects and is coming off a 2024 campaign during which he posted an .871 OPS with 23 homers and 93 RBI at the Triple-A level. That performance and his hitting this spring have given the soon-to-be 25-year-old a chance at breaking camp with the Padres, and the fact that he's already on the 40-man roster also helps his case. However, Ornelas' path to a roster spot is clouded by the Padres' Feb. 7 signing of two veteran outfielders -- Connor Joe and Jason Heyward -- to replace Jurickson Profar.

Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Casparius has a solid chance to open the season with the Dodgers as a multi-inning reliever, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Casparius debuted in the majors last season, allowing two earned runs while striking out 12 batters over 8.1 innings in three regular-season appearances. The Dodgers simply have too much talent in their rotation for Casparius to win a starting job, but he appears to have put himself on the inside track for a long-relief spot this spring. It's worth noting, however, that Los Angeles is dealing with a plethora of injuries in its bullpen, so the 26-year-old righty may be pushed back to the minors once the unit starts returning players.

Manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Frazier hasn't played in a spring game since Feb. 26 due to a back injury, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 33-year-old signed a one-year, $1.525 million contract with the Pirates in January but appeared in just three Grapefruit League games before the back injury surfaced. Frazier could return to game action before the end of the week, which would put him on track for the start of the regular season.

Parker didn't pitch in Wednesday's Grapefruit League against the Marlins as anticipated due to neck stiffness, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Manager Dave Martinez said Parker initially reported the issue Tuesday and is now feeling a bit better, but the team decided to keep him out of action Wednesday as a precaution. The Nats will likely wait until he's back to 100 percent before sending him back on the mound in a Grapefruit League game.