MLB Player News

Profar will miss the full 2026 season after the appeal of his 162-game PED suspension was denied Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 33-year-old outfielder was handed the suspension in early March, and the ban is now official with the appeal process completed. It's the second straight season with a PED suspension for Profar, who will also be ineligible to play in the postseason.

Moore (foot) exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract Thursday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

The Phillies will have 48 hours to add Moore to their 40-man roster or he'll become a free agent Saturday. Moore was removed from Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta with a bruised foot, but manager Rob Thomson downplayed the injury after the contest. The 33-year-old Moore has slashed .172/.265/.207 with one extra-base hit, four RBI, four runs scored, two stolen bases and a 3:8 BB:K across 34 plate appearances this spring. He's competing for a utility job.

Williams is back with the Rays in big-league camp Thursday and could begin the season as the club's primary shortstop since Taylor Walls is out with an oblique injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Williams was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday but is back in Tampa Bay's Grapefruit League lineup Thursday following Walls' injury, which has an undisclosed recovery timeline. The 22-year-old Williams is now the favorite to begin the season as the Rays' starting shortstop, though he still needs to be added back to the big-league roster. The club could consider some outside options, but it's a tight window to do so with Opening Day just one week away.

Walls will open the season on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right oblique, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls had been set to begin the season as the Rays' starting shortstop, but his injury now opens the door for top prospect Carson Williams to run with the job after Williams had initially been dispatched to Triple-A Durham earlier this week. A career .195/.286/.298 hitter across 1,560 plate appearances, Walls was unlikely to hit enough to hold onto the job for long.

Yesavage will open the season on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Manager John Schneider said Thursday that Yesavage came to spring training with the injury, which explains his slow build-up throughout camp. The Blue Jays don't expect Yesavage will need to stop throwing, but he needs more time to get ready for the regular season. The plan is for Yesavage to throw off a mound again next week. With Yesavage, Shane Bieber (forearm) and Jose Berrios (elbow) set to miss the beginning of the season, Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer figure to join Dylan Cease and Kevin Gausman in the rotation.

The Phillies optioned Johnson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday.

Johnson gave up two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and six walks over seven Grapefruit League appearances and won't begin the season in the majors. He made 10 appearances for the Phillies last year and had a 4.26 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 17:4 K:BB across 12.2 innings.

Caglianone went 4-for-14 with a double, a home run, four RBI, a stolen base and five walks across five games for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Caglianone got off to a hot start in Cactus League play and carried that momentum into the WBC, highlighted by a two-run blast against the United States on March 10 in pool play. He flashed his exciting power while also showing solid plate discipline, drawing five walks. After a disappointing rookie campaign in which the 23-year-old hit .157/.237/.295 with six doubles, seven homers and 18 RBI across 62 big-league appearances, the Royals wanted him to earn his spot in the lineup. With his strong spring showing, Caglianone figures to see consistent playing time in right field, though the 2024 first-round pick could sit in favor of Starling Marte against left-handed pitching.

The Nationals optioned Fernandez to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.

The right-hander closed last season in Washington's bullpen after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers in August, making three appearances during the final week of the season. Fernandez was unable to secure a place on the Opening Day roster after he surrendered five runs with a 5:3 K:BB over five innings during spring training.

The Nationals optioned Hassell to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.

The 24-year-old struggled to a .223/.257/.315 slash line in 70 games as a rookie last season and was expected to open 2025 as Washington's No. 4 outfielder, but the organization is instead sending him to the minors to presumably ensure that he gets everyday playing time to start 2026. Hassell should get another look in the big leagues at some point this season, especially if he replicates the .839 OPS he posted with Rochester last year.

The Nationals optioned Gray to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.

The 28-year-old was expected to begin the season in Washington's rotation after spending all of 2025 working his way back from Tommy John surgery, but he'll instead open the campaign at Triple-A. Gray has given up just one run with a 5:1 K:BB in 4.2 frames across his two Grapefruit League starts this spring, but the Nationals apparently want to manage his workload early in the season before calling him up to the big club, per Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com.