MLB Player News

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday that Gilbert (hamstring) may not appear in any Grapefruit League games, but the outfielder is expected to be ready to play when Triple-A Syracuse opens its season March 28, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Gilbert was limited to just 56 games at the Triple-A level in 2024, with a hamstring issue costing him nearly three months of action. Though Gilbert was active to finish the season, he acknowledged prior to the start of spring training that he hadn't yet made a full recovery from the hamstring injury, prompting the Mets to take a cautious approach with his usage during camp. Gilbert hasn't suffered any reported setbacks since reporting to spring training, so as long as he's able to get some at-bats in on the back fields of camp in the weeks to come, he should be ready to handle an everyday role in the Syracuse outfield once the season gets underway.

Crow-Armstrong was scratched from the lineup for Monday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks due to right hamstring tightness, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs are labeling Crow-Armstrong's removal from the lineup as precautionary, but a hamstring injury is nonetheless worrisome, especially for a player who relies so much on his speed. Consider Crow-Armstrong day-to-day for the time being.

Kelenic went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

The 25-year-old outfielder took Wilking Rodriguez deep in the seventh inning, giving Kelenic his first homer of the spring. He's expected to begin the season on the strong side of a platoon in right field with Bryan De La Cruz, but the assignment will only be a temporary one as Atlanta waits for Ronald Acuna (knee) to be cleared for his 2025 debut. Kelenic saw a career-high 449 plate appearances last year, but he turned them into a tepid .231/.286/.393 slash line with 15 homers, 45 RBI and 49 runs.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday that Marte (knee) should get into games in "the next few days," Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

It's yet to be determined whether it will come in a Grapefruit League contest or a minor-league game, but either way it's a good sign for Marte's progression from right knee soreness. The veteran outfielder has been battling soreness in his right knee off and on since at least last summer. Marte is expected to be ready for Opening Day and is projected to serve in a short-side platoon at designated hitter.

Olson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

He went back-to-back with Austin Riley in the first inning off Marcus Stroman. The blast was Olson's second of the spring in 13 at-bats, and the 30-year-old first baseman will look to rebound this season after what was by his standards a disappointing 2024 campaign in which he produced "only" 29 homers and 98 RBI.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday that Nimmo has been dealing with a sore right knee but is expected to be back in the Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Cardinals, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Nimmo made his spring debut last Friday but hadn't played since then. While Mendoza described Nimmo's knee issue as a "low level of concern," it's not ideal that the outfielder is working through another injury, after he got off to a delayed start to camp while recovering from plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Riley went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

The third baseman took Marcus Stroman deep in the first inning for his first long ball of the spring. Injuries helped derail his 2024 campaign, and Riley saw his streak of consecutive seasons with at least 30 homers, 90 runs and 90 RBI end at three. The 27-year-old was healthy to begin camp however, and he's on track to reclaim his spot at the heart of Atlanta's lineup.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Monday that Carroll (back) is considered day-to-day, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Carroll had to be removed from Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rangers due to back tightness. The outfielder said after the contest that he was unconcerned about the injury, and Lovullo's comments Monday confirm that it's considered minor. Carroll has been excellent so far this spring, going 6-for-12 with three home runs and a pair of stolen bases.

Lopez threw 44 pitches (25 strikes) in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, allowing one hit and two walks over 1.2 scoreless innings. He struck out one.

The right-hander has yet to give up a run this spring, posting a 3:3 K:BB over 3.2 scoreless innings in two starts. Lopez had a breakout 2024 in his return to a starting role, delivering a 1.99 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 148:42 K:BB in 135.2 innings for Atlanta, and he's aiming to handle a 200-inning workload in 2025.

The Brewers agreed to terms on a one-year, $4 million contract with Quintana on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Quintana was left dangling on the free-agent market into March but has finally found a new club. The deal is worth $4-5 million, per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com, with more possible in incentives. It's not clear whether the veteran left-hander will have enough time to ramp up for Opening Day, but once he's ready Quintana will join the Brewers' rotation. The 36-year-old made 31 regular-season starts for the Mets last season, collecting a 3.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 135:63 K:BB over 170.1 innings.