MLB Player News

Ramirez went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Friday's split-squad game against the Nationals.

The 24-year-old catcher has struggled to get much going in Grapefruit League action, as Friday's double was his first hit in camp and he's batting just .053 (1-for-19) with a 1:8 BB:K. Ramirez also went 1-for-7 with a double in two games for the Dominican Republic during the WBC. After a 2025 rookie season that saw Ramirez slash .231/.287/.413 with 21 homers and 16 steals over 136 games, he's looking for more consistency -- both at the plate and behind it -- in his sophomore campaign.

Paddack allowed one run on two hits over four innings in Friday's split-squad game against the Nationals. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The right-hander gave up his first run of the spring on a CJ Abrams single in the second inning. Paddack's 0.69 ERA and 12:3 K:BB over 13 innings in camp are encouraging, but over the last five seasons he's stumbled to a 5.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 7.5 K/9 while averaging about 76.1 innings a year due to various injuries. Even if he can stay healthy, Paddack doesn't profile as more than an innings-eater for the Marlins while they wait for younger pitchers like Robby Snelling and Braxton Garrett to muscle their way to the majors.

The Angels released Strickland on Saturday.

After recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his season in early July last year, Strickland made five appearances in the Cactus League with Los Angeles, giving up one earned run on five hits and no walks while striking out two batters over five innings. Although his age and durability are both concerns, he may still be able to attract a deal on the open market.

Coulombe was sent home from Red Sox camp Saturday due to an illness, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The nature of Coulombe's illness isn't known, but assuming he's able to recover quickly, he should still be in good shape to make the Opening Day roster. The veteran reliever signed with the Red Sox a little over a week ago and made his Grapefruit League debut Thursday.

Scherzer allowed two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. He struck out three.

The 41-year-old right-hander tossed 75 pitches (53 strikes) in what's likely to be his final Grapefruit League appearance of the spring, although Mitch Bannon of The Athletic indicated after Friday's outing that Scherzer would make one more spring start in a minor-league game next week. Scherzer has an unblemished 0.00 ERA with a 9:5 K:BB in 13.2 innings since re-signing with Toronto in late February, and he's locked into a rotation spot to begin the season with Shane Bieber (forearm), Trey Yesavage (shoulder) and Jose Berrios (elbow) all headed for the IL.

Messick will begin the regular season in the Guardians' rotation, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The race for the final spot came down to Messick and Logan Allen, and after the latter gave up a dozen runs in just 2.1 frames Friday, the Guardians decided to go with Messick. The 25-year-old southpaw performed well over seven starts during the late stages of the 2025 regular season, recording a 2.72 ERA and 1.31 WHIP alongside a 38:6 K:BB across 39.2 innings. His success has carried over into Cactus League play (3.60 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), though he gave up three solo home runs during his most recent spring outing.

Suarez allowed one run on two hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates. He struck out six.

The 28-year-old southpaw has had a solid spring, posting a 3.38 ERA and 14:8 K:BB over 16 innings, and he built up to 75 pitches (44 strikes) during Friday's start. With Martin Perez having fallen short of a bid for a spot on the Opening Day roster, Suarez and prospect Didier Fuentes are set to begin the season in the bullpen as long-relief options, although one or both of them could be called upon for spot starts as Atlanta begins its schedule with 13 games in 13 days.

The Guardians optioned Allen to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Allen surrendered 12 runs on 14 hits and two walks over just 2.1 innings during his Cactus League appearance Friday, which seemingly put the final nail in the coffin for his hopes of making the Opening Day rotation. Parker Messick will instead claim the final spot; meanwhile, Allen will aim to rebound in the minors and earn an in-season promotion.

Pena (finger) began swinging a bat Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The Astros still haven't ruled Pena out for Opening Day, and his ability to hold/swing a bat without aggravating his fractured finger will likely be a key factor in determining his availability. If the team decides it's best to hold him out, Carlos Correa would presumably slide over to shortstop while Isaac Paredes mans the hot corner.

Perez will remain with the Atlanta organization after coming up short in his bid for a spot on the Opening Day roster, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The veteran lefty pitched well this spring, posting a 2.84 ERA and 10:3 K:BB over 12.2 innings, but the dominance of top prospect Didier Fuentes seems to have squeezed out Perez. Perez is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett and could be one of the first players called up if further injuries hit the big-league rotation.