MLB Player News

Murphy went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

The catcher took Bowden Francis deep in the sixth inning for his first long ball of the spring. Murphy has been making good contact in camp despite the lack of power, batting .292 (7-for-24) through nine Grapefruit League games with a 0:3 BB:K, and he seems just about ready for Opening Day.

Kelenic went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Getting the start in left field and batting ninth, Kelenic had his first multi-hit performance of the spring. The 24-year-old outfielder is batting just .111 (5-for-45) in Grapefruit League action with zero extra-base hits and a 4:12 BB:K, but four of his five hits have come since March 10. Kelenic was making some swing adjustments this spring, so a slow start is somewhat excusable, but Atlanta added Adam Duvall last week and the veteran represents a real threat to the former Mariner's playing time. Kelenic will open the season on the strong side of a platoon with Duvall in left field.

Yamamoto (0-1) took the loss to the Padres on Thursday in the second game of the Seoul Series. He allowed five runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two over one inning.

The right-hander also hit a batter and uncorked a wild pitch in a forgettable big-league debut. He threw 43 pitches and only 23 of them found the strike zone. Signed in the offseason to the longest and most lucrative contract for a pitcher in MLB history, Yamamoto will face immense pressure to perform right away in his first season stateside. There will be better days ahead, but Thursday offered a harsh reminder that he's facing a different level of competition and the transition to Major League Baseball is often difficult.

Diaz (personal) has struck out one while allowing one earned run on zero hits and two walks over 1.2 innings in two Grapefruit League appearances for the Mets since leaving camp last week to attend to a personal matter.

Diaz was away from the team last week to witness the birth of his child, but he returned to action Sunday and then made another appearance Wednesday. With Diaz's surgically repaired left knee having thus far provided no complications for him this spring, he's in line to reclaim his role as the Mets' closer in 2024.

Bednar (lat) said Thursday he is tracking toward being available for Opening Day, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Bednar has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game after developing some early-camp right lat tightness, but he threw a live batting practice session Monday and is slated for a game appearance next. Even if the closer is indeed ready for Opening Day, it's possible the Pirates will avoid using him on back-to-back days initially. That could allow for some early-season save chances for Aroldis Chapman, as well.

Minter (finger) retired two of the five batters he faced Wednesday in Atlanta's 10-9 Grapefruit League win over the Blue Jays, striking out one while giving up an unearned run on one hit and one walk.

Minter made his first appearance since March 8 after he spent nearly two weeks recovering from a cut on his left index finger. Though he wasn't at his sharpest Wednesday, Minter should be locked into a key setup role in front of closer Raisel Iglesias once the regular season gets underway next week.

Gallagher (knee) has appeared in each of the Phillies' last three Grapefruit League games, going a collective 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Gallagher was scratched from the Phillies' lineup ahead of last Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins due to a right knee contusion, but he needed only a few days to move past the issue. The 31-year-old is battling Garrett Stubbs for the Phillies' No. 2 catcher job this spring.

Encarnacion-Strand started at third base and went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's spring game against the White Sox.

Encarnacion-Strand belted his fourth Cactus League homer and is 12-for-41 (.293) with eight extra-base hits and 12 RBI through 13 games. While he started at the hot corner Wednesday, and third baseman Noelvi Marte (suspension) will miss the first 80 games of the season, Encarnacion-Strand is still expected to be the team's everyday first baseman. Jeimer Candelario will be the primary third baseman to open the season.

Ohtani is not currently facing discipline nor is he believed to be under active investigation by the league in relation to his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, being fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following accusations of "massive theft," Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani's camp is accusing Mizuhara of using the player's money to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker under federal investigation. It's a strange and developing situation -- one that could affect Ohtani's fantasy draft position this weekend -- though Ohtani is playing Thursday in the second game of the Seoul Series against the Padres as expected. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman declined to comment on the matter before the game.

Lowder allowed five runs on four hits and two walks while striking out three over 1.1 innings in Wednesday's spring start against Texas.

Lowder, the seventh-overall pick in the 2023 Draft, worked around a pair of first-inning walks, before Marcus Semien took him deep for a grand slam in the second. The pitcher also hit a batter with the bases jammed preceding the home run. The 22-year-old right-hander could open the season as high as Double-A Chattanooga.