MLB Player News

Church has an .825 OPS through 13 Grapefruit League games and has made a strong case to make St. Louis' Opening Day roster, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old entered camp with a fairly clear path to a roster spot, with Lars Nootbaar (heel) set to begin the season on the injured list, and Church has responded with a .290 batting average, one homer and one steal in 37 plate appearances. With the Cardinals committing to a rebuild this offseason, a strong start to the campaign could allow Church to retain a sizable role even after Nootbaar gets healthy.

Scott has a .161/.317/.226 slash line with one double and five stolen bases through 42 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.

The 25-year-old reworked his swing during the offseason and entered spring training looking to bunt for base hits more often, but he's racked up just five total bases through 13 Grapefruit League games. Scott will provide strong defense in center field, but his bat will likely need to come to life at some point in 2026 to retain the starting job. He played in 138 games last year and posted a .216/.305/.296 slash line with five homers and 34 steals.

The Yankees optioned Chivilli to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Chivilli was in the mix for one of the final bullpen spots, but he was tagged for 11 earned runs on 11 hits and two walks across 6.2 innings during Grapefruit League action. He served up three home runs and struck out 10. Chivilli will try to right the ship at Triple-A to begin the season.

Birdsong (forearm/elbow) is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

An MRI on Birdsong's right arm Sunday revealed a Grade 2 forearm strain and a UCL sprain. After receiving a second opinion, the 24-year-old righty has opted to undergo surgery to address the issue, which will rule him out for the entire 2026 campaign in addition to the start of 2027.

Ramirez (shoulder) is batting third and playing third base in Thursday's Cactus League contest against the Royals.

Ramirez exited last Sunday's spring game with shoulder inflammation and needed a few days off, but he's back in the lineup and appears to be ready to go ahead of Opening Day next Thursday. Ramirez has an .833 OPS with two home runs, nine RBI, three stolen bases and a 5:9 BB:K across 36 plate appearances this spring.

Kay is expected to begin the season as the White Sox's No. 3 starter, lining him up to make his season debut March 29 at Milwaukee, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander joined Chicago on a two-year, $12 million contract in December after pitching to a 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 249:94 K:BB over 291.2 frames in Japan the previous two years. Kay was unremarkable across parts of five MLB seasons before heading to Japan, but his return stateside has gone well so far with a 2.16 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in five spring starts.

Manager Aaron Boone confirmed Thursday that Weathers will open the season in the Yankees' starting rotation, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

With Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) both opening the season on the injured list, Weathers' inclusion in the rotation doesn't come as a surprise. However, he's been knocked around this spring, and it continued Thursday against the Blue Jays as he surrendered seven earned runs on eight hits and one walk across three innings. Weathers sports an ugly 11.68 ERA through four Grapefruit League starts, but Boone believes Weathers' stuff "is where it needs to be."

Hays is slashing .357/.400/.690 with three doubles, a triple, three homers and one steal in 45 Cactus League plate appearances.

The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the White Sox in January and has put his best foot forward during spring training. Hays totaled 15 home runs and seven stolen bases with a .768 OPS in 103 regular-season games with Cincinnati last year and is expected to start in a corner outfield spot for Chicago.

Durbin was informed by the Red Sox on Wednesday that he will begin the season as the club's starting third baseman, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Manager Alex Cora indicated earlier in camp that Durbin would likely open the year as the starter at the hot corner, and he's now officially won the job. The 26-year-old spent most of his time there as a rookie last season in Milwaukee, where he had a .256/.334/.387 slash line with 11 homers and 18 steals in 136 regular-season games.

Smith (forearm) will start at first base and bat third in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Smith was originally expected to return from his forearm injury Wednesday, but he'll now make his return after an extra day of rest. He's posted a .966 OPS through 29 plate appearances this spring and will have one more week of Cactus League games to prepare for the regular season.