MLB Player News

Rodriguez went 3-for-3 with a home run, three total runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 20-8 Cactus League victory over the Guardians.

Rodriguez joined the Mariners' power barrage Friday with his first homer of the spring, a two-run, 431-foot blast off Logan Allen in the fourth inning. The star outfielder certainly appears ready for the regular season -- he's now batting .533 (8-for-15) through six Cactus League games, bookending a trip to the World Baseball Classic, where he went 3-for-17 with a home run for the Dominican Republic.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two RBI in Friday's spring game against the Giants.

Smith is enjoying a productive spring, slashing .390/.528/.756 with three steals, 12 walks, three doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI over 17 Cactus League games. That production, however, has overwhelmingly come against right-handers; Smith has just 10 at-bats (two hits) against lefties this spring and a career .631 OPS against southpaws. Despite the track record, Texas manager Skip Schumaker said earlier this month that Smith will not be in a strict platoon at second base.

Fuentes will make Atlanta's Opening Day roster as a part of the team's bullpen, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Fuentes earned his spot on the team's Opening Day roster after a strong spring training, striking out 17 batters over nine scoreless, hitless innings in three Grapefruit League games. The 20-year-old right-hander will serve out of the bullpen to open the season, though he could slot into the rotation quickly. Atlanta plays 13 games in 13 days to begin its campaign and may want to build in an extra rest day early on for its other five starters.

Eovaldi allowed four hits and one walk and did not record a strikeout over four scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against San Francisco.

Eovaldi was efficient in his final Cactus League start before taking the ball Opening Day next Thursday. He threw just 36 pitches (27 strikes), which can happen when a team is as aggressive as the Giants were Friday. There should be no worries about length; Eovaldi threw 81 pitches and 5.2 innings in his previous spring start.

Kjerstad is dealing with tightness in his right hamstring, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Kjerstad will undergo imaging as a precaution to determine whether he's dealing with any structural damage, at which point the team will know more about how long he'll be out. The 27-year-old outfielder has posted just a .605 OPS through 42 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League and seems likely to open the regular season in Triple-A.

The Mets optioned Senger to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.

The Mets will go with Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens as the club's top catchers while Senger will open the 2026 season in Triple-A. Senger made his major-league debut in 2025 and appeared in 33 regular-season games, posting a .181/.221/.194 slash line with one double and four RBI in 78 plate appearances.

Nootbaar (heel) will start the 2026 regular season on the injured list, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Nootbaar will miss the opening portion of the regular season while rehabbing from offseason surgery on both heels. There is no clear timeline for when the 28-year-old outfielder will be ready to make his season debut. Nootbaar's absence means Nathan Church should see a bump in starts in the outfield to open the 2026 campaign.

The Pirates optioned Callihan to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Callihan was acquired by the Pirates from the Reds in early March in a move that saw Kyle Nicolas go to Cincinnati. Callihan was competing for a depth spot on the Pirates' Opening Day roster and could see some major-league action in 2026 if Pittsburgh needs a utility man on the roster. He made his major-league debut with the Reds in 2025, appearing in four games and going 1-for-6 with an RBI.

The Pirates optioned Garcia to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Garcia put together a strong spring training, appearing in 17 Grapefruit League games and posting a .405/.463/.595 slash line with three steals, two home runs and five RBI in 41 plate appearances. Although he won't be part of the Pirates' Opening Day roster, Garcia should have the opportunity to play in the majors this season, especially when Pittsburgh requires more depth in the outfield.

Allen allowed 12 runs on 14 hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.1 innings in Friday's spring game against Seattle.

After Allen emerged from a first-inning jam unharmed, his night went sideways. He was twice removed in the middle of innings only to return later, as allowed under spring rules. Allen's night was finally over in the fourth when he gave up two runs. The positives are four up-and-downs, 85 pitches thrown and that is wasn't a regular-season game. The left-hander finished the Cactus League on a sour note, having allowed 18 runs on 21 hits and five walks over his final five innings. Allen is part of the Guardians' projected starting rotation; however, it should be noted the team evaluated six potential starters this spring, and Allen's hold on a rotation spot could be tenuous.