MLB Player News

The Mets selected Benge's contract from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The Mets have long been telegraphing Benge as their likely Opening Day right fielder, and Mike Tauchman's knee injury essentially cinched the job for Benge. The 23-year-old Benge slashed .366/.435/.439 with one stolen base and a 4:9 BB:K over 46 Grapefruit League plate appearances. A left-handed hitter, Benge could cede starts to Tyrone Taylor versus southpaws, but the bulk of the playing time in right field will go to the rookie.

Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a home run, two total runs and three total RBI in Sunday's exhibition win over the Angels.

Hernandez put the Dodgers on the board in the third inning with a solo shot to right-center field. He added a two-run single in the third. The veteran outfielder has swung a hot bat this spring, slashing .457/.490/.804 with four home runs (tied for most on the team), four doubles, 12 runs and a team-leading 20 RBI over 17 games. Hernandez said in mid-February that he played through a groin issue much of last season, which may have been a factor in his OPS dropping over 100 points (to .738) from the previous campaign. A healthy Hernandez could be in store for a rebound year, though he was still pretty productive during the 2025 regular season, recording 25 home runs, 89 RBI, 65 runs and five stolen bases over 134 contests.

Tibbs went 1-for-2 with a solo home run Sunday in a spring-training win over the Angels.

It's been a great spring for Tibbs, who is slashing .333/.396/.711 with four home runs and 11 RBI through 21 games. He's also struck out 20 times in 45 at-bats, so there are clearly still parts of his approach to work on, but Tibbs has nonetheless opened eyes at camp. He spent much of last season at the Double-A level and will likely bump up to Triple-A at some point this season.

Glasnow tossed five innings in an exhibition start against the Angels on Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters.

Glasnow gave up a solo homer to Jorge Soler in the second inning, but the veteran hurler was otherwise extraordinarily sharp, especially with his curveball -- all 11 of his punchouts came on that offering. The right-hander racked up a whopping 18 whiffs and worked up to 88 pitches, 50 of which were strikes. Glasnow has long flashed the stuff of a potential Cy Young contender, but he's had trouble staying healthy throughout his career. He'll look to change that narrative in 2026, beginning with his first projected regular-season start Friday at home against Arizona.

Buehler allowed seven runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out three batters over 3.1 innings in a Cactus League start against Arizona on Sunday.

Buehler had been pitching well this spring coming into Sunday, but he was roughed up badly by the Diamondbacks. Among the 11 hits the right-hander allowed, four left the park, marking the first long balls Buehler has given up this spring. Manager Craig Stammen said Saturday that Buehler will make the Padres' Opening Day roster, so despite the ugly outing one day later, the former Dodger is lined up to be part of the team's starting rotation. Buehler threw 79 pitches Sunday, so he appears ready to take on a near-full workload.

The Padres announced Pivetta as their starting pitcher for Thursday's season opener versus the Tigers at Petco Park.

The decision on an Opening Day starter came down to Pivetta and Michael King, with the former earning the nod on the back of his career-best season in 2025. The 33-year-old righty closed the regular season with a 2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 190:50 K:BB across 181.2 frames, then went on to strike out nine batters and allow two earned runs in five innings in his lone postseason start. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Pivetta dealt with some arm fatigue in the early stages of spring training but was able to get stretched out to 71 pitches and four innings Friday in his final start of camp. He should be ready to handle something close to a typical workload in the opener.

Brown will be on the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Brown's last two Cactus League appearances came in relief and totaled three innings, and it's in the bullpen where he's expected to open the 2026 campaign. He could be used as a multi-inning reliever initially, but Brown has the ability to work his way into a more integral role, either as a high-leverage bullpen option or as a starting pitcher if a need arises.

The Nationals optioned Ribalta to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.

Ribalta was one of the Nationals' better relievers in spring training, striking out six over 7.1 innings across seven Grapefruit League appearances while permitting one earned run on five hits and two walks. However, the 28-year-old righty has fared far worse in parts of two seasons in the big leagues (7.81 ERA, 2.06 WHIP in 27.2 innings), and that poor track record was likely a factor in him failing to make the Opening Day roster.

The Cubs optioned Assad to Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Marquee Sports Network reports.

Assad was terrific in three appearances during Cactus League play, allowing two runs (one earned) with an 8:1 K:BB over 6.2 innings. It wasn't enough for him to capture a spot on the Opening Day roster, but Assad will play a role on the Cubs in 2026, either as a long reliever, spot starter or both.

The Nationals optioned Franklin to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.

Franklin has yet to make his MLB debut, but he appeared to have a decent shot at being included on the Nationals' Opening Day roster after Washington had optioned fellow outfielders Robert Hassell and Dylan Crews to the minors in recent days. Ultimately, Franklin will wind up joining Hassell and Crews in Rochester, where all three should get the chance to play on a near-everyday basis. Franklin spent the entire 2025 season at the Triple-A level, slashing .272/.390/.427 with 12 home runs and 19 stolen bases in 117 games between the Cubs' and Nationals' top affiliates.