MLB Player News

Martin (concussion) ran in the outfield Friday and is said to be showing signs of improvement, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Martin was removed from Monday's game after three innings after sustaining a concussion. It's unclear if he'll be placed on the injured list to begin the regular season, but his activity Friday could indicate whether he'll be ready to play.

Lewis is hitting just .091 (3-for-33) with two home runs this spring. He has two walks and 11 strikeouts.

Lewis appears healthy after missing a few days due to tightness in his side which is likely the most important aspect of his spring. However, it would be nice to see him get on a roll the final few days of spring training. Still, he's set to be the everyday starter at third base.

Orze looks set to win a spot in the Minnesota bullpen despite giving up five runs in 6.2 innings (6.75 ERA) this spring with an 8:6 K:BB, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Orze has struggled a bit this spring with his control but the Twins are in need of right-handed relievers. Orze looked good in his first extended run in the majors last season with Tampa Bay before his offseason trade to Minnesota, posting a 3.02 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 40:19 K:BB over 41.2 innings across 33 appearances.

With Zebby Matthews sent to the minors, Bradley solidified his spot in the rotation and will likely make his first start March 28 at Baltimore, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Bradley did enough this spring to win a spot with a 19:5 K:BB in 14 innings and a 4.50 ERA. He was set to play in the World Baseball Classic but stayed in spring training with the Twins to win a rotation spot. Bradley has above-average velocity (96.3 mph average fastball in 2025) but issues with walks (9.3 BB% last season) have limited his effectiveness.

Woods Richardson gave up two runs over five innings with three strikeouts and one walk in Friday's Grapefruit League loss to Toronto. He has a 5.85 ERA this spring with a 16:5 K:BB in 20 innings. With Zebby Matthews sent to the minors, Woods Richardson solidified his spot in the rotation and will likely make his first start April 1 at Kansas City, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Woods Richardson gave up five runs in his first spring outing and has given up 20 hits -- including nine Friday -- in 20 innings but showed enough to begin the season in the Twins' rotation. Woods Richardson had a 3.52 ERA and 11.3 K/9 over his final six starts last season which could point to a significant improvement in 2026.

Festa (shoulder impingement) threw Thursday at 60 feet and Friday at 75 feet, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Festa was shut down in late February due to a shoulder impingement and received an injection to address the injury. He's expected to be placed on the injured list to begin the season. He's coming back from thoracic outlet syndrome after being diagnosed in September, so the Twins may be cautious with his return.

The Astros optioned Whitcomb to minor-league camp Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Whitcomb has slashed .280/.369/.520 over the past two seasons at Triple-A Sugar Land but owns just a .491 OPS in 78 career plate appearances in the majors. He'll officially return to the minors to begin 2026 after posting a .649 OPS in the Grapefruit League, but his defensive versatility will keep the door open for a return to the big leagues sometime this year.

Tellez signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Tellez spent time with the Mariners and Rangers last season, slashing .228/.276/.443 across 312 total plate appearances. He's spent the entire offseason on the open market but still saw a little bit of action while playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, during which he went 1-for-9 with two walks and two strikeouts across four games. The 31-year-old will almost certainly begin 2026 as an organizational depth piece at Triple-A Gwinnett, but he'd be likely to join the big club if Matt Olson were to miss any amount of time.

The Royals optioned Cruz to Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Cruz has performed well in the Cactus League, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven batters in 5.2 frames, but he will come up short in the race for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. The 26-year-old owns a 3.66 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 64 career innings with the Royals, so it is likely a matter of time before he returns to Kansas City.

The Royals optioned Avila to Triple-A Omaha on Friday.

Avila entered spring training as a candidate to make the Royals' Opening Day bullpen after giving up just two earned runs in 14 innings toward the end of last season. He continued to find success on the mound in the Cactus League, allowing one run in four frames, but he will officially head back to Triple-A to open the new campaign. The Royals may wait until the 24-year-old righty is stretched out as a starter before giving him another trial in the majors.