MLB Player News

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.

Witt went 6-for-24 with two doubles, three stolen bases, three runs scored and six walks across six games for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

Witt was a fixture atop the United States lineup, starting at shortstop and leading off in six of seven WBC contests. He didn't dominate at the plate or flash much power, but he still reached base at a .400 clip and showcased his speed with three stolen bases. After a monster 2024 in which he hit .332 with a .977 OPS, the 25-year-old followed up by slashing .295/.351/.501 with 47 doubles, 23 homers, 88 RBI, 99 runs scored and 38 stolen bases across 157 appearances in 2025. Witt has firmly established himself as a legitimate all-around superstar and enters 2026 with lofty expectations.

Estevez allowed no hits and three walks with no strikeouts across a scoreless inning in Wednesday's Cactus League loss to the Rangers.

Estevez made his return to Cactus League play after tossing an inning for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic and didn't allow a run, though the outing was far from sharp. The right-hander entered in the sixth inning and promptly walked the first two batters he faced on nine pitches, eventually loading the bases via free passes before inducing a weak groundout from Jake Burger to escape the frame unscathed. As was the case in his earlier spring appearances, Estevez's velocity remained significantly down, with his fastball averaging 89.0 mph after sitting at 95.9 mph last season, while his offspeed offerings were also down several ticks. The veteran is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he recorded a career-high and league-best 42 saves with a 2.45 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 54:22 K:BB across 67 outings and is in line to handle closing duties for the Royals again in 2026, though his diminished velocity is a key factor to monitor moving forward.

Hinds started at designated hitter and went 2-for-2 with a walk, a double and a solo home run in Wednesday's spring game against the Angels.

Hinds has delivered a monster spring, going 15-for-38 (.395) with four doubles, one triple, five home runs, 11 RBI and nine runs scored. In any other year, he might be a no-brainer to claim a roster spot, but the Reds have several productive outfielders this spring. At this point, beyond the projected starters, there appear to be two outfield spots available. Hinds, Will Benson (1,038 OPS, four HR), JJ Bleday (1.072, four HR) and Dane Myers (1.180 OPS) are still in the mix.

Carroll started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a stolen base and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Cubs.

Carroll is still getting his timing down after missing the first two-and-a-half weeks of Cactus League games. The home run was a positive sign in that regard. He's gone 2-for-13 over four contests, all while serving as the DH, but a report earlier this week indicated a plan to have him return to the outfield later this week.

Kelly (back) allowed two runs on five hits over 2.2 innings in Wednesday's spring start against the Cubs.

Kelly made his second spring start and threw 36 pitches, the same number he delivered in his Cactus League debut last Friday. He indicated over the weekend that he expects to open the season on the injured list and judging by his pitch count, Kelly appears headed for some sort of delay, whether that be on the IL or being skipped in the first turn of the rotation.

Santana started at first base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Cubs.

Santana played in his first Cactus League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, in which he played for Team Dominican Republic. For the Diamondbacks, Santana is expected to share first base with Pavin Smith (forearm) and get regular turns as a designated hitter.

Yoshida remains with no obvious role entering the final week of spring training, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Yoshida made some noise for Team Japan during the World Baseball Classic, but he returned to Fort Myers in the same position as when he departed for the WBC. The Red Sox have five outfielders for four positions, including DH. Boston manager Alex Cora feels it's a luxury as opposed to a problem and will figure out how the pieces can fit. At this point, it's hard to see where Yoshida fits on a regular basis.

Coulombe's contract was restructured after the Red Sox discovered issues in the pitcher's physical examination, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The overall value of the deal remains the same, but the guaranteed portion was reduced to $1 million. Coulombe can achieve another $2 million in performance and active roster bonuses throughout the season. Both parties in the contract renegotiation -- Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Coulombe's agent -- declined comment when asked about the situation. There have been no signs of limitation thus far. Coulombe threw a live batting practice Monday and is scheduled for his Grapefruit League debut Thursday.