MLB Player News

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Butto will remain in the team's bullpen, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Butto made seven starts for the Mets in 2024 and has been a starter throughout his time in the minors, but he found his niche in the bullpen down the stretch last season, collecting a 2.00 ERA and 41:17 K:BB over 36 regular-season innings. The righty will be tasked with getting some key outs in a setup role.

Yelich (back) "has a chance" to be ready for Opening Day, but "it isn't a lock," Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Yelich underwent a microdiscectomy procedure in August to address a herniated disc in his lower back and will not be 100 percent at the beginning of spring training. His rehab has gone well to this point, but the big test will come when he ramps things up in workouts and games this spring. If Yelich does need a little time on the injured list to start the season, it could open up more playing time for Blake Perkins, Jake Bauers, Tyler Black and Isaac Collins, among others.

De La Cruz is expected to platoon in right field with Jarred Kelenic until Ronald Acuna (knee) is cleared to return to the lineup, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

As the right-handed hitter of the duo, De La Cruz would be on the short side of that platoon, although manager Brian Snitker could also choose to ride the hot hand. De La Cruz slashed .285/.309/.425 in 188 regular-season plate appearances against left-handed pitching in 2024, albeit with a 25.0 percent strikeout rate against a meager 3.2 percent walk rate, so he would appear to have a reasonable chance of thriving in that role over the first month or so of the season until Acuna is back in action.

Profar could hit leadoff for Atlanta until Ronald Acuna (knee) is fully healthy, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Michael Harris might also see action at the top of the lineup, but Profar appears to be the team's best leadoff option while Acuna completes his recovery from ACL surgery. In 83 regular-season plate appearances at leadoff for the Padres last season, Profar delivered an eye-popping .451 OBP, helping to fuel his career-high .380 season-long mark in that category. The 31-year-old also scored a career-high 94 runs in 2024, and he could challenge triple digits if he sees significant time hitting ahead of the likes of Austin Riley, Matt Olson and Marcell Ozuna this season.

Acuna (knee) will be brought along cautiously by Atlanta in order to try and avoid the struggles he experienced in 2022, after his first ACL surgery, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The star outfielder underwent surgery to repair his right ACL in July 2021 and was back in the lineup by April 28 the following season, but Acuna dealt with lingering soreness that year and wound up finishing 2022 with a disappointing .266/.351/.413 slash line over 119 regular-season games. This time around, Acuna is recovering from surgery on his left knee performed in June 2024, and while the extra month-plus of rehab will help, Atlanta still figures to be very careful with his return timeline. It wouldn't be a surprise if the 27-year-old didn't make his 2025 debut until early May.

The Phillies believe Stott's offense was limited by elbow soreness last season, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Stott never went on the injured list in 2024, but he evidently dealt with a sore elbow for much of the season that the club believes affected his ability to drive the ball. The numbers back up the theory, as the 27-year-old's regular-season slugging percentage fell from .419 to .356, his home-run total dropped from 15 to 11 and his doubles output dipped from 32 to 19. Stott is expected to be healthy at the start of spring training and could be in line for a bounce-back year at the plate.

Staumont signed Tuesday with the Reds on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to big-league spring training.

Staumont split time between the Twins and Cubs organizations in 2024, making all 25 of his big-league appearances with the former club and submitting a 3.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 18:14 K:BB in 24.1 regular-season innings. He'll get the chance to compete for a middle-relief role in Cincinnati's Opening Day bullpen during spring training.

Senga said Tuesday that he's felt fully healthy since the beginning of January, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Senga made just four appearances in 2024 between the regular season and playoffs due to shoulder and calf problems. He spent the first half of the offseason rehabbing but has gone through his normal throwing progression since then and won't have any restrictions at the start of camp. The 32-year-old had a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in the 2023 regular season and could be in line for a big bounce-back season in 2025 if he can stay off the injured list.

With Javier Assad (oblique) set to potentially miss some time, Rea may end up as the Cubs' fifth starter out of camp, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Assad is dealing with oblique soreness and was scheduled to undergo imaging Monday. It's unclear how long he might be out, but the MRI makes it seem like he could be on the shelf for a bit. If that ends up being the case, Rea would be a natural option to step in. The veteran righty has plenty of starting experience at the MLB level, including 27 starts for the Brewers last year. Rea turned in a 4.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 167.2 innings in 2024.

Workman, who was selected in the Rule 5 draft back in December, could make the Opening Day roster in a bench infielder role, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Workman, whom the Cubs poached from Detroit, has never appeared above the Double-A level, but the Cubs have to keep the Rule 5 pick in the majors all season if they want to retain him. While many Rule 5 picks get returned to their original team before Opening Day, it sounds like Workman's got a real shot to break camp with the Cubs. If Nico Hoerner (elbow) isn't tracking towards being ready for the start of the season, that would give Workman an even better chance of making the team.