MLB Player News

Assad (oblique) could throw off a mound this week, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season is possible, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Assad is working his way back from a mild left oblique strain suffered early on in camp. He could have enough time to ramp up for Opening Day if he does indeed get back on a mound this week, but a stint on the injured list to begin the season has not been ruled out. Assad came into camp as the presumed favorite to serve as the Cubs' fifth starter, but if he's not ready, Colin Rea, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown would compete to fill in.

Singer allowed two hits and a walk while striking out four over two scoreless innings in Monday's spring game against the Dodgers.

Singer, who was acquired during the offseason in the trade that sent Jonathan India to the Royals, made his debut for the Reds. The right-hander threw 33 pitches (23 strikes) and worked out of a second-inning jam, inducing a double play with one out and two on.

Lux started at third base and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base in Monday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

Lux made his second Cactus League appearance for his new team. He started at second base in one of Saturday's split-squad games before moving to the hot corner Monday. Expect to see his name at many positions this spring, and the versatile player may never settle into one home on the diamond.

Friedl started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Monday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

After offseason rumblings about Matt McLain moving to center field, Cincinnati manager Terry Francona stated McLain would play second base, which puts Friedl atop the depth chart in center field. Friedl was beset by injury during 2024, playing 85 games with a .690 OPS, but he should reclaim a role as the team's primary center fielder and leadoff batter this coming season.

Hays started in left field and went 3-for-3 with a double, two home runs and six RBI in Monday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

Hays, who was signed by the Reds less than a month ago, looked like the power-hitting righty bat the club sought during the offseason. He knocked in a pair of runs in the first inning with a double, then launched a pair of two-run homers in the fourth and fifth innings. Hays suffered through an injury-filled 2024 and is eyeing a comeback season in 2025.

Vasquez allowed one run on five hits while striking out two batters over two innings in a Cactus League contest against the Cubs on Monday.

Vasquez allowed constant traffic on the basepaths, but four of the five hits he surrendered were singles, and he managed to yield just one run. The most impressive parts of Vasquez's outing were the seven whiffs he registered on 31 pitches and the six different pitch types he deployed. Vasquez is battling for the final spot in San Diego's rotation, with Kyle Hart, Matt Waldron, Jhony Brito and Stephen Kolek all in the mix as well.

Darvish won't appear in a Cactus League contest until early March, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Darvish isn't dealing with any injury, but rather than ask him to take part in Cactus League competition, the Padres have thus far had him toss a simulated game and then throw in an intrasquad game. The veteran hurler tossed two scoreless frames Monday in the intrasquad affair, and he expressed afterward that he was happy with the results. Darvish figures to slot in behind Dylan Cease and Michael King in San Diego's rotation this season.

Richardson (undisclosed) allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one over one inning during Saturday's Cactus League game against the Brewers.

Richardson has returned to health after an unspecified injury sidelined him near the end of the 2024 season. This wasn't a great start to camp for someone who is competing for a big-league roster spot, though he should get a few more opportunities to show what he can do.

Perdomo (elbow) pitched a scoreless inning during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

Perdomo failed to make an appearance in 2024 while on the mend from Tommy John surgery. Saturday's outing was a great spring debut for the southpaw, who will likely be brought along slowly following a lengthy recovery.

Rosario seems to "have a leg up" on a bench spot on San Diego's Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Rosario has gotten off to a great start this spring, going 3-for-8 with a home run and a double. Additionally, he's played three different positions -- second base, third base and left field. The latter position is a new one for Rosario, and if he handles it well it could further help his bid for a roster spot after the team lost Jurickson Profar, who played left field last year, to free agency during the offseason. Rosario posted an .814 OPS over a small sample size (57 plate appearances) last season, but he did almost all of his damage against southpaws, posting a .368 OPS against right-handers. To that end, he mentioned specifically working on hitting righties in the Dominican League this winter, and all three of his hits so far this spring have come against right-handed pitchers.