MLB Player News

Crochet allowed six runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.1 innings in Saturday's spring start against Atlanta.

Crochet finished the Grapefruit League with an unsightly 7.36 ERA over 14.2 innings. Both the pitcher and Boston manager Alex Cora downplayed the spring results to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Crochet attributed Saturday's line to missed locations and tinkering with a pitch mix he would normally avoid in a more competitive environment. The left-hander is set to pitch Opening Day on the road against the Reds.

La Sorsa plans to exercise the upward mobility clause in his minor-league contract with the Pirates after being reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.

Though the left-hander was unable to secure a spot in the Opening Day bullpen, he's believed to have other suitors interested in him. La Sorsa tossed three scoreless innings in Grapefruit League play for the Pirates and was also a lockdown reliever for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, striking out four of the 11 batters he faced in the tournament.

Hernandez (shoulder) threw a live batting practice session Monday but has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut, Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta has proceeded slowly with Hernandez in camp after he finished last season on the injured list while recovering from right shoulder inflammation, but the club has yet to confirm that the 29-year-old reliever will open 2026 on the shelf. That said, Atlanta has just three more exhibition games prior to Opening Day, so Hernandez will likely need to pitch in at least one of those contests in order to have a shot at breaking camp with the big club.

Manager Joe Espada said this weekend that Burrows (lower leg) will start the Astros' second game of the season Friday against the Angels, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Burrows was lifted from his final Grapefruit League start Saturday against the Mets after 5.1 innings and 77 pitches and being drilled in the lower left leg by a comebacker, but his removal was seemingly precautionary. The right-hander is stretched out enough to handle a typical starter's workload and should face no restrictions next weekend in what will be his Astros debut. Burrows pitched to a 3.94 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 96 innings with Pittsburgh last season, but after securing just two victories in his 19 starts, he should have a better chance at capturing wins in 2026 while he's backed by a stronger Houston offense.

De Los Santos (knee) struck out a batter and allowed one walk and no hits over a scoreless inning of relief Friday in the Astros' 7-4 loss to the Marlins in Grapefruit League play.

The reliever made his spring debut after completing his recovery from the right knee strain he suffered early in camp. Manager Joe Espada told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that De Los Santos is scheduled to pitch again Monday in an exhibition against Triple-A Sugar Land. If all goes well in that outing, De Los Santos should be able to secure a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

The Pirates optioned Sanders to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Sanders allowed four runs and struck out 10 over 7.2 innings during spring training, but it wasn't enough to get him a place on the Opening Day roster. The right-hander surrendered six earned runs across 6.2 frames in his first taste of the majors last year.

Bibee allowed eight runs on 10 hits while striking out three over 4.2 innings in Saturday's spring start against San Francisco.

Bibee retired the first six batters faced before running into the trouble the rest of the way. He allowed two home runs Saturday and five over his final two Cactus League starts. The right-hander upped his pitch count to 70 (49 strikes) in advance of his Opening Day start at Seattle.

The Pirates optioned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

The 25-year-old struggled this spring, going 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts and six walks in 14 games. Flores made his MLB debut with seven appearances for Pittsburgh last year and could rejoin the big club in 2026 if depth at first base or catcher is needed.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Kimbrel won't be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

The nine-time All-Star has been attending spring training as a non-roster invitee and struck out five batters while allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks over six innings in the Grapefruit League. Kimbrel's minor-league deal is believed to include multiple opt-out dates, but Mendoza told Goodman that the 37-year-old righty is "leaning" toward staying in the organization and reporting to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season.

Tauchman was diagnosed Sunday with a torn meniscus in his left knee and will require surgery, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The Mets haven't announced whether Tauchman will require a trim or a full meniscus repair, but either way, the veteran outfielder will likely miss at least the first month of the season. The 35-year-old appeared to have a strong chance at breaking camp with the big club as a fourth outfielder after posting an .819 OPS over 35 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League. Once he's fully recovered from surgery, Tauchman is expected to head to Triple-A Syracuse, and he could factor into New York's outfield plans this summer if rookie Carson Benge struggles as the team's everyday right fielder.