MLB Player News

Arenado batted fourth and went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Friday's spring game against Milwaukee.

Arenado's bases-loaded, two-out grounder down the third base line made it into the corner in left field and cleared the bases in the second inning. This was Arenado's second game back from the World Baseball Classic, and he's delivered five runs on two doubles from the cleanup spot. This late in spring training, a batting order tends to resemble what it might look like on Opening Day, so it appears Arenado will be in a spot to drive in runs in 2026. The 34-year-od third baseman (who turns 35 in April) is looking to bounce back from two sub-par seasons with St. Louis with a fresh start in the desert.

Marte batted leadoff and went 0-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's spring game against the Brewers.

This was Marte's first Cactus League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic. He batted leadoff against a right-hander Friday, which deviates from last year's pattern, when he led off against lefties and batted second against righties. However the order shakes out in 2026, Marte is expected to hit first or second when in the starting lineup.

Alvarez (back) will start behind the plate and bat ninth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez was lifted from Thursday's exhibition due to back tightness, a move which left fantasy managers holding their breath, but he has made a quick turnaround. Assuming no further issues, Alvarez should be fine to catch for Freddy Peralta on Opening Day.

Brown (shoulder) threw a bullpen session consisting of 20 fastballs Friday, MLB.com reports.

Brown has been dealing with a shoulder issue all spring and looks likely to head to the injured list to begin the season. He'll start mixing in breaking balls in his next bullpen session before progressing to live batting practice.

Freeman (back) remains sidelined and could begin the 2026 season on the injured list, MLB.com reports.

Freeman was scratched with back tightness Wednesday and has yet to return to action. His status is still ambiguous, though he'll likely need to get back on the field for a Cactus League game to have a chance to avoid the injured list to begin the regular season.

Bart has gone 5-for-31 with 13 strikeouts across 12 Grapefruit League games.

Bart is likely the favorite to win a roster spot as Pittsburgh's second catcher alongside Henry Davis, and his path became clearer earlier in the week when Endy Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Rafael Flores also remains in the mix, though he has hit poorly this spring.

Flores has gone 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts during Grapefruit League games.

Flores is vying for a roster spot as a second catcher alongside Henry Davis, with Joey Bart being his primary competition. Neither has made much of an impression, as Bart has struck out 13 times across 31 at-bats with only five hits. Flores made his major-league debut to close 2025 but had only 17 plate appearances.

Tellez signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Tellez spent time with the Mariners and Rangers last season, slashing .228/.276/.443 across 312 total plate appearances. He's spent the entire offseason on the open market but still saw a little bit of action while playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, during which he went 1-for-9 with two walks and two strikeouts across four games. The 31-year-old will almost certainly begin 2026 as an organizational depth piece at Triple-A Gwinnett, but he'd be likely to join the big club if Matt Olson were to miss any amount of time.

Ruiz was removed from Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals due to left side tightness, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Ruiz suffered the injury after taking a swing in the third inning and needed assistance making it into the dugout. The speedy outfielder owns just a .446 OPS this spring through 41 plate appearances and already had slim odds of breaking camp with the big club before getting hurt.

Stowers was removed from Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros due to right hamstring tightness, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

Stowers strained his right hamstring earlier this spring and had to sit out for two weeks because of it. It's unclear how serious his latest setback is, but there is now a chance that he opens the regular season on the injured list. If that happens, Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernandez would be next in line to pick up starts in the outfield.