MLB Player News

Acuna (knee) went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Seeing his first game action since Feb. 29, Acuna looked a little rusty at the plate and fanned twice against Zack Littell, but the important thing is that he was back in the lineup. The 2023 NL MVP was limited to DH duties Thursday, but he hit in his usual leadoff spot and Atlanta will ease him back into defensive duties over the next few days. Acuna is back on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Fraley started in right field and went 1-for-2 with a stolen base in Thursday's spring game against Texas.

Fraley, who stole a career-high 21 bases in 2023, swiped his second bag in 10 Cactus League appearances. The lefty-hitting outfielder, who is hitless in eight at-bats against left-handers this spring, was on a strict platoon last season, making just four starts against southpaws. He had a .504 OPS over 41 plate appearances against them last season, slightly better than his career mark of .482 (173 PAs). Fantasy managers can expect a similar role in 2024, with Spencer Steer or Stuart Fairchild entering the outfield whenever the Reds face a lefty.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell isn't ready to hand out defined roles for Alzolay or any other member of the bullpen, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Counsell said Thursday that "every bullpen has to evolve" and that the role of his relievers is simply "to get outs." Alzolay certainly seems likely to get first dibs after saving 22 games while posting a 2.67 ERA and 67:13 K:BB over 64 innings for the Cubs last season. However, Hector Neris is also a candidate to be in the mix, along with Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter. Counsell has often had go-to closers during his time with the Brewers and one might very well emerge sooner rather than later with the Cubs, but for now there's some uncertainty.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Thursday that Gallo will be the team's primary first baseman this season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

When Gallo was signed in January, the plan was for him to be the club's regular left fielder. However, the Nats have since signed Jesse Winker and Eddie Rosario and Gallo has also dealt with a quad issue. Martinez didn't rule out the possibility of Gallo eventually playing some outfield, but for now he'll be the first baseman while mixing in some starts at designated hitter. The news means Joey Meneses will be the everyday DH, while Rosario looks like the favorite for left field duties.

Farmer allowed four runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two over one inning in Thursday's spring game against Texas.

Farmer cruised through his first five Cactus League outings -- no runs or walks allowed and five strikeouts over five innings -- before the Rangers hung a four-spot on him in the fourth inning, courtesy of a Wyatt Langford grand slam. Farmer is expected to return as an important piece of the bullpen for Cincinnati, working as a bridge to closer Alexis Diaz.

Cruz walked one and struck out four over two hitless and scoreless innings in Thursday's spring game against the Rangers.

The 34-year-old Cruz spent his first full season in the majors in 2023 and could maintain a largely low-leverage role for the Reds in 2024. The right-hander's advanced metrics from last season -- 2.83 FIP, 34.5 whiff percentage, 35.1 strikeout percentage -- suggest a better result than the 4.91 ERA he posted. Cruz has options remaining, which could be a factor when manager David Bell determines the lefty-righty mix needed in the bullpen to start the season.

Castro allowed one run on two hits while striking out two over 1.1 innings in Thursday's spring game against Kansas City.

Castro has allowed runs in five consecutive appearances and owns an 11.12 ERA through 5.2 Cactus League innings. There was a one-month stretch from mid-May to mid-June in 2023 when Castro was closing games and regularly pitching high-leverage situations, but things fell apart quickly. Despite the poor spring results, Castro is expected to be part of the Opening Day bullpen.

Rivera started at shortstop and went 0-for-1 with two walks in Thursday's spring game against Kansas City.

Rivera filled in for the injured Geraldo Perdomo (lower body), who missed the team's previous two Cactus League games. Jace Peterson started at shortstop Tuesday and Wednesday before Rivera. Perdomo's injury is not considered serious, and he's expected back in the lineup this weekend. There was a report early in camp that the Diamondbacks want Rivera to be the backup shortstop, but he's only played the position in winter ball and just a few innings this spring. That may partially be the reason why Arizona signed well-seasoned shortstop Elvis Andrus.

Henry allowed five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one over 2.2 innings in Thursday's spring start against the Royals.

Henry's spring started hopeful, but it's gone the other way over his last three appearances. The left-hander allowed 13 runs on 22 hits and four walks over his last 8.2 innings, blowing up his ERA to 8.56. His primary competition for the final rotation spot, Ryne Nelson, has a 3.09 ERA over 11.2 innings. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo hasn't yet officially named Nelson the No. 5 starter, but that announcement should be coming soon.

Wynns is battling shoulder soreness, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Wynns is still able to hit, but the shoulder injury has impacted his ability to play behind the dish. At the moment there is no telling how long Wynns will be out, but his injury could significantly harm his chances at making the Reds' Opening Day roster.