MLB Player News

Cook (hand) made a pair of starts in the Pirates' first three Grapefruit League games over the weekend, going a combined 1-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Cook finished the past season on the shelf at Triple-A Indianapolis due to a hand injury, but he looks to be fully healthy for spring training. The 27-year-old will be competing for a reserve spot in the Pirates' Opening Day outfield, but the fact that he has two minor-league options could work against him in his efforts to break camp with the big club.

The Marlins announced Monday that Pauley underwent imaging after experiencing forearm tightness, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Pauley has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game because of the issue and hasn't improved as hoped, so the Marlins sent him for tests. Results of the imaging should be available within a day or two, but he'll at least temporarily be shut down from baseball activities. If the issue jeopardizes Pauley's availability for Opening Day, Connor Norby would be the favorite to start at third base for the Marlins.

Barrosa started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Barrosa is part of the mix to receive starts in the outfield with both Lourdes Gurriel (knee) and Corbin Carroll (hand) unavailable. The timelines of the two injured outfielders vary, with Carroll expected back around Opening Day and Gurriel ahead of an originally estimated June return. Barrosa is joined by Jordan Lawlar, Tim Tawa and prospect Ryan Waldschmidt in the competition for playing time.

Waldschmidt started in center field and went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's spring game against the Angels.

Waldschmidt made his second Cactus League appearance after starting in left field in Friday's spring opener. The team's top prospect is a long-shot candidate to earn a roster spot, and those chances grew dimmer with recent news that Lourdes Gurriel (knee) is ahead of schedule in his rehab and Corbin Carroll (hand) is expected back for or near Opening Day.

Fulmer agreed to a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The deal includes an invitation to big-league spring training, which will give Fulmer the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Pirates' Opening Day bullpen. The 32-year-old righty didn't pitch after Aug. 23 last season after sustaining a right elbow strain, but with the offseason to recover, he should be at or near full health. Fulmer made 13 appearances out of the Angels bullpen prior to being shut down with the injury, turning in a 5.83 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 29.1 innings.

Conforto agreed to a one-year contract with the Cubs on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com, Conforto will be joining the Cubs on a minor-league deal, which means he won't have any assurances of being part of the Opening Day roster. However, if Conforto is able to impress during spring training and breaks camp with the big club, he could play right field against some right-handed pitchers while Seiya Suzuki slides to designated hitter. Conforto, who turns 33 in March, is coming off the worst season of his career in 2025, when he slashed .199/.305/.333 with 12 home runs in 486 plate appearances with the Dodgers.

Greene is working on adding a two-seam fastball to his arsenal, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports. "It's going to be a great offering," Greene said. "I'm excited to get going. You'll see it a good bit." The Reds are working in Greene slowly, as he essentially pitched a simulated game Sunday and will make his spring training debut on Friday.

Greene heavily relied on a four-seamer last season, throwing it 54 percent of the time, along with a slider (35 percent) and a splitter (11 percent). Perhaps the two-seamer could replace the splitter at times, as the latter pitch yielded a .310 batting average and .655 slugging percentage during the regular season in 26 batted ball events, while netting only three strikeouts.

McLain went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI while batting second in Sunday's spring training loss to the Mariners. The Reds would like to see McLain bat second this year, but manager Terry Francona won't force it, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports. He was hitting second in a lineup that featured a typical top of the order, with TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz sandwiching McLain and Eugenio Suarez batting cleanup.

McLain hit second 66 times last season and struggled in the role. Francona suggested that it won't merely be McLain's spring training stat line that will drive the batting-order decision. "Just like everyone, you want them to feel good about themselves when they leave here," Francona said. "That's the whole idea. If I had a formula, we'd do it. You want guys to play enough. Everyone is different, which is ok."

Schwarber went 1-for-2 with a solo home run during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

After securing a five-year, $150 million contract with the Phillies this offseason, Schwarber wasted no time getting into the homer column during his first appearance of the spring. The All-Star slugger hit second in Philadelphia's lineup Sunday, and his placement in the batting order throughout Grapefruit League play could offer an idea as to how manager Rob Thomson plans to deploy Schwarber in the lineup this year.

House went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The 22-year-old third baseman wasted little time making an impact in his first action of the spring, as he smoked a three-run home run in the top of the first inning off Sandy Alcantara. He left the yard again later in the game, smacking a solo shot over the fence in center in the top of the fifth off minor-leaguer Evan McKendry. This is a promising start to camp for House, who tallied only four home runs a season ago over 73 games.