MLB Player News

The Nationals unconditionally released Smith on Saturday.

Smith missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. He inked a minor-league deal with the Nationals in mid-February with an invitation to spring training and appeared in six Grapefruit League games, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out seven across 5.1 scoreless innings. Smith's unconditional release means he'll be free to sign with another team looking to bolster its bullpen depth.

Torres was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees due to lower-back tightness.

The severity of Torres' injury is still unknown, but the Tigers should report more details after they take a closer look at him. Spencer Torkelson will replace him as Detroit's designated hitter Saturday, and Zach McKinstry may take over as the Tigers' second baseman if Torres' back forces him to miss Opening Day.

Manager Aaron Boone announced Saturday that Grichuk will be on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Grichuk hasn't performed very well in spring training, going just 2-for-16 at the dish while striking out six times, but he'll open the season as bench depth for the Yankees' outfield unit. Most of his opportunities in the Bronx will likely come against left-handed starters.

The Yankees optioned Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Cabrera returned from ankle surgery in early March and had been attempting to make the Yankees' Opening Day roster as a bench piece, but he'll come up short after going just 2-for-14 in Grapefruit League play. Once he gets a few more at-bats at Triple-A to knock off some rust, he may be a candidate for an in-season promotion.

Pederson went 0-for-2 in Friday's spring game against San Francisco.

Pederson's struggles from 2025 have carried over into 2026. He's batting just .171 (6-for-35) with zero RBI over 15 Cactus League games. Pederson is expected to be part of a rotation at designated hitter, which could also include players that have been more productive this spring. Both Andrew McCutchen (.533 average) and Mark Canha (.316, three HR) have been better than Pederson.

Ruiz was diagnosed with a left oblique strain following his exit from Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.

The initial diagnosis for Ruiz was left side tightness, but further tests revealed a more significant injury. Per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, Ruiz will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the strain and whether he will need to open the season on the injured list.

Robles went 4-for-6 with a three-run homer, a double and an additional run scored in Friday's Cactus League matchup with the Guardians.

It was an encouraging showing from Robles, who had been struggling mightily this spring. Coming into the day, the outfielder had gone just 2-for-24 in his first 12 Cactus League appearances. Robles should see steady playing time thanks to his defense, though he'll likely open the year in a short-side platoon role alongside lefty batters Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley. A shoulder injury limited Robles to just 32 regular-season appearances in 2025, and he slashed .245/.281/.330 with one homer and six stolen bases.

The Phillies reassigned Richards to minor-league camp Saturday.

Richards inked a minor-league contract with the Phillies in December but wasn't able to crack the Opening Day roster after posting a 3.38 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across eight innings in eight Grapefruit League games. He'll likely open the season in Triple-A but would be a candidate for a major-league call-up if the Phillies need an extra arm out of the bullpen.

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.