MLB Player News

Williams (quadriceps) is slated to return to Cactus League play Thursday versus the Guardians, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Williams has been shelved for more than two weeks with a left quad injury but has improved enough to be cleared for game action. The 22-year-old was a long shot to make the Brewers' Opening Day roster, anyway, but the injury cinched it. Williams is slated to open the season as an everyday guy at Triple-A Nashville.

Lowe was scratched from the lineup for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles due to lower-body tightness, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

According to the Pirates' medical staff, Lowe is scheduled to go through a normal practice session at camp Wednesday, so his removal from the lineup appears to be mostly precautionary in nature. Acquired from the Rays in a three-team deal in December, Lowe is projected to serve as the Pirates' primary second baseman this season, though he could occasionally sit against left-handed pitching.

Fitzgerald started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-4 Cactus League win over the Guardians, and he's competing for a utility role ahead of Opening Day, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

While Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss appear more likely to begin the 2026 campaign in utility roles, Fitzgerald remains an option for San Francisco. However, the 28-year-old hasn't made a strong case for himself at the plate this spring, slashing .154/.154/.385 with six RBI, three doubles and two runs scored across 26 plate appearances in 13 games. Fitzgerald opened the 2025 campaign as the club's starting second baseman but had a down season and spent significant time with Triple-A Sacramento, where he could begin this season.

Miller (back) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Reds, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Miller threw a live batting practice session Tuesday with no issues, clearing the way for him to make his first appearance of spring training. The left-hander has been battling a back problem but expects to be ready to roll in time for Opening Day.

Dobbins (knee) will pitch in another minor-league game later this week, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Returning from last July's right ACL surgery, Dobbins threw four innings and around 65 pitches in a previous appearance on the back fields. He was pleased with how that outing went, saying "a lot of the movement profiles have increased" after "some of the tweaks we've been making." Dobbins will be permitted to field his position in the game later this week, but he will not be allowed to cover first base, as the Cardinals are still being protective of his surgically repaired knee. The 26-year-old is set to open the 2026 season either on the injured list or at Triple-A Memphis, but he's a candidate to see starts for St. Louis later this summer.

The Nationals announced Wednesday that Cavalli will start the team's March 26 season opener versus the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Injuries forced Cavalli to wait nearly three years in between major-league appearances, but he showed promise in his 10 starts with the Nationals in 2025 with a 4.25 ERA and 40:15 K:BB over 48.2 innings. The 27-year-old sported better velocity last season than he showed prior to Tommy John surgery and has some breakout potential in 2026.

The Marlins announced that Mazur will undergo surgery Wednesday on his right elbow and will miss the entire 2026 season, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The report doesn't provide any specifics regarding Mazur's procedure, but the right-hander is presumably ticketed for Tommy John surgery or UCL repair with an internal brace. The latter procedure would give Mazur a chance at avoiding missed time to begin the 2027 campaign, while the right-hander would almost certainly open next season on the injured list if Tommy John surgery is deemed necessary. Even before experiencing discomfort in his elbow last week and getting shut down from throwing, Mazur was facing an uphill battle to make the Marlins' Opening Day rotation and was likely to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville. In any event, the loss of Mazur will thin the Marlins' organizational rotation depth.

Griffin was included in the Pirates' projected Opening Day roster by Colin Beazley and Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Neither writer cited team sources, so this is far from confirmation that Griffin is breaking camp with the team. However, it is notable that Hiles indicated that the Pirates are trying to win in 2026 and that Griffin has been the team's best shortstop this spring -- a combination that could cause the team to break from their typical conservative nature with prospects. Griffin is just 5-for-24 in Grapefruit League games, but he has recorded four barrels on 18 batted-ball events.

Horton was tagged for six runs on six hits and two walks across 3.2 innings in Tuesday's Cactus League contest against the Rangers. He struck out two.

Horton served up three home runs in a rough spring training outing facing many Texas regulars. He was much better in his spring debut when he tossed two scoreless innings, but that also came nearly two weeks ago, so perhaps there was some rust for the young righty. Horton will look to get back on track and finish Cactus League play on a better note, though his rotation spot should be secure after a stellar rookie campaign in which he recorded a 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 97 strikeouts across 118 regular-season innings. Another step forward for Horton in 2026 could make the 24-year-old a fantasy ace.

Shaw went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's Cactus League contest against the Rangers.

The home run was the first of the spring for Shaw, who is batting .310 with an .812 OPS across 11 Cactus League contests. Also notable Tuesday was seeing the youngster start in center field. With Alex Bregman now in the fold to play third base, Shaw is getting comfortable in the outfield, and the Cubs plan to start him regularly in right field against left-handed pitchers. Shaw struggled with consistency during his 2025 rookie campaign, though he still managed 13 home runs and 17 stolen bases. It remains to be seen how much the 24-year-old will play in 2026, but he could take a step forward from a fantasy perspective if he sees the field often enough from a utility role.