MLB Player News

Littell agreed to a one-year contract with the Nationals on Sunday, Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The right-hander produced a 3.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 130:32 K:BB across 186.2 regular-season innings between the Rays and Reds last season, but he was unable to secure a contract for 2026 until well after the start of spring training. There's now less than three weeks until Opening Day, so Littell doesn't have a ton of time to get built up for the start of the season. Once ready to go, the 30-year-old Littell should step in at the top of Washington's staff alongside Cade Cavalli and Josiah Gray.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Waddell is dealing with shoulder discomfort and won't pitch in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins as planned, Laura Albanese of Newsday reports.

The severity of the shoulder issue isn't fully known, but Waddell will likely be shut down for at least a few days. The southpaw resurfaced in the majors last season for the first time since 2021, appearing in 11 games and posting a 3.45 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 22:11 K:BB over 31.1 innings with the Mets. Waddell no longer occupies a spot on the 40-man roster and is expected to open the season as a swingman at Triple-A Syracuse.

Steer started in left field and went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's spring game against Kansas City.

Steer is expected to be the team's primary left fielder, but Saturday's start was his first at the position. He played first base in his first six Cactus League games. Sal Stewart started at first base Saturday.

Lodolo allowed one run on six hits and two walks while striking out four over three innings in Saturday's spring start against the Royals.

Lodolo faced adversity from jump street when former teammate Jonathan India led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. More traffic followed in the next two innings, but the left-hander managed to work out of jams in his second Cactus League outing. Pitchers like to avoid that type of stress when the games count in the standings, but in the spring it can be helpful, and Lodolo worked his pitch count up to 58 (32 strikes).

Tucker (personal) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and No. 2 batter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Athletics.

As expected, Tucker has rejoined the Dodgers after he was away from camp the past five days to observe the birth of his first child. The Dodgers will ease Tucker back into the mix by deploying him at DH, but he'll likely return to his usual spot in right field for his next spring start.

Lile went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The blast was Lile's first of the spring, coming in the seventh inning off Kai-Wei Teng. The 23-year-old had a breakout in 2025, posting an .880 OPS over 47 games in the high minors before making his big-league debut in late May and slashing .299/.347/.498 with nine homers and eight steals over 91 contests for the Nationals. Lile should see consistent playing time right out of the gate in 2026, splitting his time between DH and the outfield corners as part of a promising young outfield group in Washington that also includes James Wood and Dylan Crews.

The Marlins optioned Serna to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.

The 23-year-old played in four Grapefruit League games and went 3-for-11 with a double and a home run, but he'll now make his way to minor-league camp. Serna had a .578 OPS in 101 games with Double-A Pensacola in 2025 before joining Jacksonville for a cup of coffee late in the season. He'll need to improve at the plate to have a chance of making his MLB debut anytime soon.

The Marlins optioned Kempner to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.

Kempner was added to Miami's 40-man roster in November but was never a likely bet to crack the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old had a quality showing in his first taste of Triple-A last year with a 2.65 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 25:15 K:BB over 17 innings, and he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2026 if he continues to pitch well for Jacksonville.

The Marlins optioned De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.

The 22-year-old is heading into his second season as a member of the Marlins' 40-man roster but is still waiting to make his MLB debut. Before garnering a look in the big leagues, De Los Santos will need to tap into more power after taking a step backward at Jacksonville during 2025. After posting a .277 ISO between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, De Los Santos dropped all the way down to .119 over his 440 plate appearances with Jacksonville last season.

Cavalli allowed one unearned run on one hit over four innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The 27-year-old right-hander carved up a top-heavy Houston lineup that featured Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez, flashing a fastball that topped out at 98.6 mph. Cavalli has never been able to capitalize on the upside that made him a first-round pick in 2020, largely due to injuries, but he's on track to be the Opening Day starter for the rebuilding Nationals this season. Over 10 starts and 48.2 innings in 2025, Cavalli managed a 4.25 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 40:15 K:BB.