MLB Player News

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a run-scoring triple Wednesday in a Cactus League win against the Angels.

Lowe was limited to the DH spot again as he continues to be cautious following his return from an oblique injury, but he looked very healthy swinging the bat and running the bases. The veteran outfielder drove home a run with a triple in the first inning and then pushed the Angels ahead for good with a grand slam in the seventh. Lowe reportedly played the outfield for a portion of a minor-league spring game Tuesday, and the expectation is that he'll be ready to play in the field for the Angels by Opening Day.

Manager Joe Espada announced Thursday that Sousa will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique injury, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Sousa injured his oblique during his last Grapefruit League appearance while playing the field. It's another blow to the Houston bullpen, as Sousa will join closer Josh Hader (biceps) on the injured list to open the season. The 30-year-old Sousa pitched in 44 games out of the Astros bullpen last season, logging a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 59:15 K:BB across 50.2 innings.

The Mets optioned Gerber to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Gerber pitched well during his brief stint in the majors last season, giving up just one earned run while striking out four batters over 4.1 innings. However, he will need to show consistent success before the Mets welcome him into their bullpen, especially after posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.46 across 43.1 frames in Triple-A last year.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a Cactus League win over San Francisco.

Freeman left the yard for the first time this spring with a solo shot in the third inning. The steady first baseman has hit well this spring, posting a .429/.500/.643 slash line with three doubles, 10 RBI and six runs scored. Freeman should be an everyday fixture in the Dodgers' lineup this season and could see a few more RBI opportunities with his anticipated move to the cleanup spot.

The Mets optioned Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Although he slashed .313/.389/.531 with five RBI, three runs scored and two steals through 13 spring games, Mauricio will not be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster. He may be called up during the season to serve as bench depth, but with Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor (hand) projected to start regularly in the Mets' infield, it would still be difficult for Mauricio to crack the starting nine if the infield group stays healthy.

Ohtani tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out four batters.

This was Ohtani's first outing of the Cactus League slate, as he spent much of spring with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The two-way star didn't pitch during the tournament, but he continued to work on his throwing progression with bullpen and live batting-practice sessions. Ohtani certainly didn't seem to be very far behind in his ramp-up Wednesday -- he threw 61 pitches (34 strikes) and topped out at 99.9 mph on his fastball, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. While Ohtani will likely have some slight innings limitations early in the campaign, he's slated to be part of the Dodgers' rotation from the get-go and may need only a few starts to ramp up to a full workload.

Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox on Wednesday, allowing two hits and issuing one walk while striking out four batters.

Lagrange entered in the third inning in a scoreless game and departed after the sixth with the score unchanged. The 22-year-old right-hander has wowed this spring, not only by regularly flashing a triple-digit fastball but also by putting together a sterling 0.66 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB over 13.2 innings spanning four outings (including one start). He's still unlikely to make New York's Opening Day roster, but Lagrange has certainly bolstered his prospect status with his dominant spring, and he could reach the big leagues (perhaps in a relief role) at some point during the campaign if he continues to pitch well in the minors.

Skenes will start Opening Day against the Mets on March 26.

It wasn't hard to see this decision coming, as Skenes took home the National League Cy Young Award last season after posting a 1.97 ERA and 0.95 WHIP alongside a 216:42 K:BB over 187.2 innings. The 23-year-old ace struggled to collect wins last season -- a problem that could continue into 2026 -- but he should still be viewed as one of the top fantasy pitchers in virtually all formats.

Cole (elbow) allowed two hits in one scoreless inning against Boston in a Grapefruit League game Wednesday. He did not walk or strike out any batters.

Cole pitched in a game for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace last March. While he allowed two singles (one came on a bunt), he faced just four batters due to a caught-stealing. Cole threw 10 pitches and topped out at 98.7 mph on his fastball, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Though it was a short outing, this was a significant step for the 2023 AL Cy Young winner in his quest to rejoin the Yankees' rotation. He's expected to continue to gradually ramp up, with late May a reasonable expectation for his regular-season debut.

The Red Sox optioned Sogard to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

The 28-year-old Sogard was competing for a super-utility role for Boston but hit just .081 across 43 plate appearances this spring. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio appear to have the upper hand on that gig for Boston.