MLB Player News

Crim (oblique) has been cleared for baseball activities Tuesday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Crim has missed most of spring training with a strained oblique. The 29-year-old made his MLB debut last season, appearing in 20 games with the Rangers and Rockies and producing a .200/.270/.462 slash line with five home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored and a 6:28 BB:K across 74 trips to the plate.

Lee went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in Monday's 3-1 Cactus League loss to the Padres.

Lee returned to Cactus League action after joining Team Korea for the World Baseball Classic, during which he went 5-for-21 with four runs scored, two doubles, two RBI and one walk in five outings. The 27-year-old outfielder started in right field Monday, where he's expected to spend most of his time in the 2026 campaign. Lee primarily played center field in 2025, appearing in 150 regular-season games while slashing .266/.327/.407 with 73 runs scored, 55 RBI, 10 stolen bases, eight long balls and an 11.5 percent strikeout rate across 617 plate appearances.

The Mets reassigned Alzolay to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Alzolay is healthy again after missing the entire 2025 season while recovering from August 2024 Tommy John operation, but the 31-year-old righty will need to shake off some rust at Triple-A Syracuse and show that he's regained his pre-surgery velocity and command before garnering another look in the big leagues. He had previously been one of the game's more effective closers as recently as the 2023 season, when he went 22-for-25 in save chances and delivered a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 67:13 K:BB across 64 innings with the Cubs.

The Mets reassigned Burdi to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Burdi made four appearances at the big-league level with Boston in 2025, but he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in August and then joined the Mets on a minor-league deal this offseason. The 33-year-old righty was given the chance to compete for a spot in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen during spring training, but he was cut after yielding two runs in two innings in his two Grapefruit League appearances. Expect Burdi to report to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season.

Lopez went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

The 27-year-old shortstop took Lazaro Estrada deep with two outs in the first inning, giving Lopez his first homer of the spring. After playing for Team Canada in the WBC, Lopez has just 15 Grapefruit League plate appearances, but he's collected six hits (.400 batting average) in that time with only one strikeout. Lopez is looking to build on a solid 2025 campaign in which he delivered 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 143 games.

Junk made his first start of the spring Monday, giving up four runs on four hits and two walks over two-plus innings in a Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. He struck out two.

It was far from a clean outing, but the important thing was Junk's usage, as he got stretched out to 49 pitches (24 strikes) while completing three up-and-downs. Per Christina DeNicola of MLB.com, Junk is still in the mix for the Marlins' fifth starter job, as Braxton Garrett may need a bit more time to fully complete his recovery from December 2024 elbow surgery. If Junk doesn't begin the season in the rotation, he's still expected to fill a long-relief role, as he's out of minor-league options.

Garrett may not begin the season in the Marlins' rotation, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old southpaw didn't pitch at all in 2025 while recovering from elbow surgery, and the Marlins may decide to be cautious with the final stages of his recovery, either by optioning him to Triple-A Jacksonville, or by placing him on the IL and giving him a rehab assignment to begin the season. Garrett's 6.75 ERA and 3:3 K:BB through four spring innings also don't make a strong case that he's ready to handle a regular turn in the big-league rotation. Janson Junk would likely fill the fifth starter role until Miami deems Garrett ready to make his return.

Mahle allowed one hit while striking out six across four scoreless innings in Monday's 3-1 Cactus League loss to the Padres.

Mahle gave up a double in the third inning but turned in a strong outing overall, throwing 37 of his 54 pitches for strikes. The 31-year-old has yet to allow a run through four Cactus League starts this spring, surrendering two hits and seven walks while striking out 13 across 10 innings. The veteran right-hander was limited to 16 starts for the Rangers in 2025 due to a shoulder strain, finishing the campaign with a 2.18 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 66:29 K:BB across 86.2 innings.

The Rockies announced Tuesday that Freeland will start Colorado's March 27 season opener against the Marlins in Miami.

It will be Freeland's fifth career Opening Day nod, the most in Rockies franchise history. The 32-year-old Freeland put together an average season in 2025, logging a 4.98 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 124:38 K:BB across 162.2 innings. He started 31 games, tied for his most in a single season since 2018, but Freeland led the majors with 17 losses. His 4.51 FIP away from Coors was actually worse than his 3.76 FIP at home.

Sale allowed one run on five hits over six innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The veteran southpaw built up to 75 pitches (53 strikes) in a sharp performance against a Tampa Bay lineup that lacked most of the team's big names. Sale has a 3.29 ERA and 11:2 K:BB through 13.2 innings this spring, and he looks just about ready for the beginning of the season. While new manager Walt Weiss has yet to announce who Atlanta's Opening Day starter will be, Sale remains the favorite to get the assignment.