MLB Player News

Lawlar started in center field and went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's spring game against the Reds.

Lawlar cracked his third homer during Cactus League play, sending a Graham Ashcraft slider that caught too much of the plate over the wall in left-center. He's hit in three straight games and should continue to build up plate appearances with Alek Thomas playing for Team Mexico at the World Baseball Classic. Lawler, who is 8-for-23 with four extra-base hits in eight spring contests, has played exclusively in center field. That suggests he could be the primary center fielder with Thomas shifting to left field, if Lourdes Gurriel (knee) opens the season on the injured list. Once Gurriel is ready, Lawlar could be used as the righty-hitting complement to Thomas in center.

Call went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two additional RBI in a Cactus League loss to the Athletics on Sunday.

Call's first hit was a solo shot to left field in the third inning, and he added a two-run single in the fourth. The 31-year-old has been on fire offensively this spring, slashing .500/.588/.786 with five RBI through six contests. Call is likely to open the campaign on the big-league roster as a reserve outfielder.

Pages went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Sunday in a Cactus League loss to the Athletics.

Pages opened the scoring in the contest with a 407-foot solo blast to left field in the first inning. It was officially his first long ball this spring, though Pages also went deep in an exhibition against Team Mexico earlier in the week. He's off to a great start in Cactus League play, slashing .391/.400/.739 with five RBI through nine games.

Wrobleski tossed three scoreless innings in a Cactus League contest against the Athletics on Sunday, allowing two hits and striking out three batters without issuing a walk.

Wrobleski worked up to 41 pitches in the start and threw six different pitch types. The left-hander has has yet to give up a run this spring through six innings and has yielded just three hits with a 4:0 K:BB. Wrobleski is in the mix to begin the regular season in the Dodgers' rotation while Blake Snell works his way back from a shoulder issue, and the former's Cactus League performance so far should boost his chance of earning that role.

De Paula was reassigned to the Dodgers' minor-league camp Sunday.

De Paula was able to participate in his first major-league spring training with Los Angeles, batting an impressive .375 with a double, three RBI and four runs scored over 24 at-bats in 14 contests. The 20-year-old will now likely begin the 2026 campaign with Double-A Tulsa, which is where he finished the 2025 season.

Ward was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Ward will head to Oklahoma City after batting .156 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored over 32 at-bats in 12 games during spring training with the Dodgers. The 28-year-old will open the 2026 season at the Triple-A level, and he'll look to into a groove in an attempt to get a shot with the major-league roster in the coming months.

Long has been diagnosed with a bruise and cleared of any structural issues with his left elbow, putting him on track to potentially return to baseball activities by the end of the week, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The 24-year-old was unable to join Team Chinese Taipei for the World Baseball Classic due to the injury, but he's now progressing toward game action. If he can avoid any setbacks, Long could be ready to join Triple-A Iowa for the start of the minor-league season.

The Brewers optioned Crow to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Crow will likely be in line for a full-time stay in the Nashville rotation in 2026 after he made all but two of his starts last season at Double-A Biloxi, with whom he submitted a 2.51 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 52:8 K:BB in 43 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster over the winter, but he's buried on the organizational starting pitching depth chart and is unlikely to be in store for an extended stay in Milwaukee at any point during the upcoming season.

The Rockies optioned Thompson to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Thompson was added to Colorado's 40-man roster in November but won't make the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old outfielder will return to Albuquerque, where he posted a .296/.392/.519 slash line with 18 homers and 12 steals in 120 games last year.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Sunday that Dunn is day-to-day with a low-grade knee strain, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

The injury is expected to keep Dunn out of the Reds' Cactus League lineups for a few days, but the outfielder doesn't appear to be at any major risk of missing the start of the season. The missed game action could prove costly to Dunn in his battle for a reserve job in the Reds' Opening Day outfield, however.