MLB Player News

Perkins was diagnosed with a right leg fracture Saturday after fouling a pitch off his shin during live batting practice, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Manager Pat Murphy said Perkins will require 3-to-4 weeks to recover, and he likely won't be able to play in games for the Brewers until May. The 28-year-old entered camp as the favorite to win a roster spot as Milwaukee's reserve outfielder, but his injury likely leaves the newly signed Manuel Margot as the frontrunner for the job.

Sanchez, who is dealing with elbow inflammation, might be used as the Marlins' regular DH to begin the season, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The elbow issue isn't expected to force Sanchez to the injured list for Opening Day, but Miami might limit how much time the 27-year-old sees in the outfield until he's 100 percent healthy. Sanchez saw a career-high 537 plate appearances in 2024, turning that workload into 18 homers, 16 steals, 64 RBI and 60 runs along with a .252/.313/.417 slash line, and he's being counted on to fill a key spot in the Marlins' batting order.

Norby believes his can hit 30 homers this season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 24-year-old spent the offseason refining his swing mechanics to keep his bat in the zone longer, and Norby is confident his natural loud contact will produce plenty of power without him needing to sell out and swing for the fences. "I'm here to prove that I want to be one of the best players in the league, and I think I can do that," Norby said this week. "That's what it's about -- and helping the team win games." Thirty homers may not be an unreasonable goal for Norby, even if loanDepot Park tends to suppress right-handed power. Over 139 games last season split between Triple-A and the majors in the O's and Marlins organizations, he went yard 26 times.

Strider (elbow) threw to batters Friday, using both his fastball and curveball as he continues his recovery from last April's elbow surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

It was the first time this spring Strider had thrown more than just a bullpen session, although the hitters stepping into the box against him were instructed not to swing. The next step for the right-hander will be live batting practice, but Atlanta hasn't indicated yet when that might happen. "We've done such a good job of building a base, making sure mechanics are in a good spot. My stuff and command have come along better than I could have expected," Strider said after Friday's session. After he added a curve to his repertoire in 2023, there had been some speculation he might abandon the pitch in case it had contributed to his latest elbow woes, but Strider has no intention of doing that. "I know some people have speculated, but those people, kindly, don't have all the information," Strider said. "So I appreciate their interest, but..." He remains on track to miss the first month or so of the regular season, but the organization has held off providing any sort of firm timeline for his 2025 debut.

Wood (quadriceps) is not in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Astros, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The 22-year-old outfielder has been limited this week due to left quad tendinitis, but at this point there doesn't seem to be serious concern surrounding his Opening Day availability. As long as Wood is able to start playing in spring games within the next couple weeks, he will still have plenty of time to build up for the start of the season as he looks to take the next step in 2025 following a highly successful rookie campaign.

Benson was not part of Cincinnati's Opening Day roster projection compiled by C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

Benson dropped off a cliff in 2024, posting a .187/.274/.376 line over 388 plate appearances, which puts an MLB job in jeopardy. There are still some moving parts before manager Terry Francona settles on a 26-man roster, so Benson to the minors is not a done deal. His eventual assignment hinges on the health of Spencer Steer (shoulder), and whether the manager has Gavin Lux stick mainly to infield duty.

Steer (shoulder) will serve as the designated hitter in one of Saturday's split-squad games, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Steer is nursing a shoulder injury but is expected to begin throwing soon, per manager Terry Francona. Steer might also play first base with the caveat that he's not to throw until he's ready. Steer, who made 100 starts in the outfield (98 in left field) last season and is expected to be in the outfield mix in 2025, will need to go through a progression before playing there.

Moreno started at catcher and went hitless in his lone plate appearance in Friday's spring opener against Colorado.

Moreno, who will be the primary catcher during the regular season, worked with Arizona's big-ticket offseason addition, Corbin Burnes, who praised the backstop's work in their first turn together. Burnes struck out the side and later told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that he left the pitch calling/sequencing up to Moreno. The catcher was also 2-for-2 on pitch challenges, as MLB experiments with the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) this spring.

Suarez went 2-for-2 with two RBI in Friday's spring game against the Rockies.

Suarez was one of several Arizona regulars to start the Cactus League opener. He batted cleanup and delivered a two-run single in the third inning. It was a good start to spring training for Suarez, who did not hit well in the spring of 2024, which carried over into the first half of the regular season (.668 OPS).

Thomas started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's spring game against Colorado.

Thomas singled and scored as part of a three-run third inning. He's competing for an outfield job with Jake McCarthy, who started in right field Friday. Thomas is the better defender, but the winner of the battle likely hinges on his contact this spring. Thomas smoked the single (106.4 mph) while the outs made were harmless groundballs without much exit velocity.