MLB Player News

Lawlar started in left field and batted ninth in Monday's spring game against Cleveland. He went 0-for-1 with a walk.

Hitting at the bottom of the order appears to be Lawlar's landing spot, whether he's in left or center field. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo plans for Lawlar and Alek Thomas to toggle between the two positions until Lourdes Gurriel (knee) returns. Lawlar reached base at a .446 clip this spring after posting a .364 OBP last September, which bodes well for his projected deployment out of the No. 9 spot ahead of Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo.

Carroll started in right field and went 0-for-3 in Monday's spring game against the Guardians.

Carroll made his first appearance in the field since returning from surgery to remove a broken hamate bone. His previous five Cactus League appearances were as the designated hitter. With no setbacks as a fielder, Carroll will be the Opening Day starter in right field, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports. He's had just 17 at-bats over six games this spring, far fewer than in previous years, so there could be some lag to start the regular season while he gets his timing down.

Gaddis (forearm) will pitch in his second minor-league spring training game Tuesday, Guardians Prospective reports.

Gaddis will begin the 2026 season on the injured list due to right forearm tightness, but he continues to make promising strides in his recovery. If all goes according to plan, he could be looking at a minimum stay on the IL.

Valera (calf) played in a minor-league spring training game Monday, Guardians Prospective reports.

Valera will begin the 2026 campaign on the injured list, but the fact that he's already been cleared to appear in a game is a sign that he could be activated shortly after the season begins. He'll likely need to appear in at least a few more exhibitions before the club considers bringing him back from the IL.

Hedges left Monday's exhibition against the Diamondbacks after being hit by a pitch on his right hand, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Hedges was hit by a pitch during his lone at-bat of the evening in the ninth inning, and he was unable to continue. He'll presumably be sent for further evaluation and can be considered day-to-day until the team has another update to share.

Moniak was removed from Monday's exhibition after injuring his right ring finger while diving back into first base, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.

Skipper Warren Schaeffer stated after the game that Moniak was removed simply as a precaution, and he expects the 27-year-old to be fine, per Henry. However, it'll be worth keeping a close eye on Moniak's status with Opening Day looming.

The Cubs and Crow-Armstrong reached an agreement Monday on a six-year, $115 million contract extension, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Crow-Armstrong is coming off a stellar sophomore season in which he hammered 31 home runs and swiped 35 bags while playing in 157 of 162 games during the regular season. His patience is expected to pay off tremendously after he declined to participate in extension talks ahead of the 2025 season. With his finances now in order, the 23-year-old can focus solely on putting together another terrific campaign as Chicago's everyday center fielder.

Kelly (back) will make a rehab start at Triple-A Reno before being reinstated from the 15-day injured list, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.

This update shouldn't be much of a surprise for fantasy managers, as the D-Backs want to see how Kelly fares in a game setting before activating him from the IL. If all goes according to plan, the right-hander could be ready to make his 2026 debut at some point during Arizona's second road trip of the season, either in New York or Philadelphia.

Pena (finger) is slated to play shortstop during Tuesday's exhibition, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena was cleared for batting practice Monday, and the fact that he's been given the green light to see game action Tuesday is a clear sign he's progressing. If he's able to make it through Tuesday's exhibition without issue, there is certainly a chance he could see his name in the starting lineup for Thursday's opener against the Angels.

Lee went 2-for-4 in Monday's spring training win over Boston. He's hitting .308 (16-for-52) with a .743 OPS this spring.

Lee looks set to begin the season as the everyday shortstop. He was underwhelming at the plate last year in his sophomore season with a .655 OPS, though he did hit 16 home runs. He has a good eye at the plate and makes excellent contact (just a 17.5 K%) but struggles to generate power (just a a 28.0% hard-hit rate). It's not clear if he'll have the glove to stick at shortstop as he was -8 in Defensive Runs Saved last season, so it's a big season for Lee to show he can be a building block for the next Twins playoff team.