MLB Player News

Luciano went 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout in Monday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

"He's got power and he looks like there's more presence in the batter's box right now," said manager Bob Melvin of Luciano after the game. "More confidence, even in his batting practice, he's pulling the ball more and driving the ball." It was an impressive homer by Luciano, as he had the platoon advantage and hit it off the batter's eye in dead center. Luciano is in camp as an outfielder for the first time as the Giants look to reduce his defensive responsibilities in hopes of getting more offensive production out of him in his age-23 season.

Edman is starting at second base and batting second in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

Hyeseong Kim's bat might not be ready for primetime, so the Dodgers could open Kim at Triple-A and give Edman the second-base job instead, at least to open the year. Edman is only eligible in the outfield in formats that require 20 games played at a position the prior season, but he is a good bet to add second base or even shortstop eligibility in season.

Kim could open the year in the minors as he continues to make swing adjustments, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Kim has drawn rave reviews for his infield defense, but he was a light-hitting player even in the KBO, where his career high in homers was 11. Given the Dodgers have a bevy of strong options, they can afford to ease Kim into things against Triple-A pitching if they think he will be overmatched at the plate in the majors. Tommy Edman's versatility could allow him to play second or shortstop alongside Mookie Betts while Andy Pages potentially takes on a prominent role in the outfield.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Grove (shoulder) will not be ready for the start of the season, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Grove was shut down with a shoulder injury during the NLDS last season, and he got a late start to his offseason throwing program. The 28-year-old made 39 regular-season appearances for the Dodgers last season, including two starts, and finished with a 5.12 ERA and 54:16 K:BB across 51 innings.

Hicks caught Sandy Alcantara on Sunday, and the Marlins' ace came away impressed by his game-calling and pitch framing, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Hicks was selected in the Rule 5 draft from Detroit, giving Miami every incentive to keep him on the 26-man roster, but Hicks is showing early in camp he can make an immediate contribution as well. The 25-year-old backstop went 1-for-2 at the plate Sunday, but it's his work behind the plate that will likely keep him in the majors. Hicks has yet to play above Double-A, and he slashed .264/.379/.357 over 113 games at that level in 2024 split between the Tigers' and Rangers' organizations. If he does secure a spot on the Marlins' roster, he'll back up Nick Fortes to begin the season.

Bukauskas will undergo surgery on his injured right lat and be sidelined for 9-to-10 months, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Bukauskas pitched in just six big-league games last season due to injuries and appears set to miss the entirety of the 2025 campaign with this lengthy recovery timeline. Bukauskas has been dealing with lat issues, as this is the fourth time he's injured the same one. The hope is that surgery will finally correct the issue for good and Bukauskas can return to full health for the 2026 season.

Bummer is expected to become Atlanta's top left-handed setup man in front of closer Raisel Iglesias following the offseason departure of A.J. Minter (hip), David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

After recording 46 holds over his last three years with the White Sox, Bummer was dealt to Atlanta in November 2023 but had a bumpy 2024 debut with his new team, managing only two holds in 56 regular-season appearances with a 3.58 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 69:18 K:BB over 55.1 innings. The 31-year-old was the victim of some extraordinary bad luck however, as highlighted by his 2.22 FIP -- Bummer's barrel rate was in the 100th percentile and his groundball rate in the 98th percentile, but the squibs and flares he gave up kept finding holes. Dylan Lee could also see plenty of high-leverage work against southpaw hitters, but Bummer will get first crack at being the eighth-inning bridge to Iglesias, along with right-hander Pierce Johnson.

Black (back) hit off a tee Tuesday and is hoping to make his Cactus League debut next week, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Black tweaked his back last week and has been dealing with some stiffness. The first baseman got into 18 games with the Brewers last season, slashing .204/.316/.245 with a pair of doubles, two RBI and three stolen bases across 57 regular-season plate appearances. Black is considered a long shot to make Milwaukee's Opening Day roster barring injury.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday that Wood (quad) could be ready to serve as the team's designated hitter Thursday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Wood has yet to see any action during Grapefruit League play as he overcomes left quad tendinitis. He has been working out lately without any apparent issues and appears nearly ready to at least hit in games. Barring a setback, Wood's Opening Day availability shouldn't be in question.

Nardi (back) played catch Monday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Recovering from a lower-back injury, Nardi has a rest day Tuesday and then will play catch again Wednesday if he feels up to it. The left-hander should have time to get ready for Opening Day if he progresses well from here on out, but it doesn't seem as though he's particularly close to pitching in a game.