MLB Player News

France was informed that he will not make the Astros' Opening Day roster, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

France will remain in major-league camp for now, though he'll ultimately open the season with Triple-A Sugar Land. The 30-year-old France was a long shot to make the team out of spring training. The right-hander was limited to just 11.2 innings with Houston in 2025, posting a 3.86 ERA with 13 strikeouts before undergoing shoulder surgery. France could be an option should the Astros need reinforcements in their rotation in 2026.

Gurriel (knee) is not expected to appear in a Cactus League game, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

There hasn't been a setback for Gurriel, who is well ahead of schedule in his rehab, but he appears to have run out of time in his quest to make the Opening Day roster. He'll continue to take at-bats on the back fields and hopes for a mid-April debut.

The Cubs informed Bethancourt that he did not make the major-league roster out of camp, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Bethancourt joined the Cubs back in December on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. With Chicago keeping all of Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya and Moises Ballesteros on its Opening Day roster, there simply was no room for Bethancourt. The veteran catcher instead will likely head to Triple-A Iowa, where he'll give the team organizational depth.

Rooker went 2-for-3 with a double in Friday's Cactus League win over the Cubs.

Rooker didn't drive in a run but still squared the ball up consistently Friday, as his fourth-inning single registered at 105 mph off the bat while his fifth-inning double left the bat at 109.2 mph. Coming off three consecutive seasons with 30-plus homers and an OPS north of .800 in each campaign, the 31-year-old has looked locked in this spring, slashing .349/.404/.721 with four doubles, four homers and 10 RBI across 16 Cactus League appearances, and he'll enter the 2026 regular season with high expectations at the plate.

Canzone went 4-for-7 with a grand slam, five total RBI and three total runs scored in Friday's Cactus League win over the Guardians.

Canzone made an immediate impact in his first Cactus League action since Feb. 28. The 28-year-old outfielder broke the game open in the second inning with a grand slam off Tyler Thornton, Canzone's first homer in six games this spring. After slashing .300/.358/.481 with 11 homers in 268 regular-season plate appearances last year, the lefty-hitting Canzone is expected to open the 2026 campaign on the strong side of a corner outfield platoon.

Barrosa is out of minor league options and likely to claim a spot on the Opening Day roster, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks' roster of position players is mostly set, but four candidates remain, including Barrosa, for three bench spots. That Barrosa is out of options is an advantage. He can play all three outfield positions and provide depth until Lourdes Gurriel (knee) is ready to go. Barrosa has been productive in the Cactus League, batting .324 (12-for-37) with three doubles, two triples, two home runs and eight RBI. Others in the mix are infielder/outfielder Tim Tawa and infielders Jacob Amaya and Ildemaro Vargas. Both Amaya and Vargas are non-roster invitees for whom the team would need to clear 40-man roster spots.

Butler (knees) started in right field and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's Cactus League win over the Cubs.

After making his spring debut at designated hitter Tuesday, Butler saw his first action in the outfield as the Athletics have been cautious with the 25-year-old while he recovers from surgery on his right knee and tendinitis in his left knee. His first hit of Cactus League play wasn't a cheap one, as he muscled a Jameson Taillon changeup over the left-center fence for a two-run blast in the fifth inning. Butler is coming off a 2025 season in which he slashed .234/.306/.404 across 152 games and will look to bounce back closer to his 2024 production, when he posted an .807 OPS in 125 contests.

Young went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double, five total RBI and four total runs scored in Friday's 20-8 Cactus League victory over the Cleveland.

Young started the Mariners' offensive outburst with a solo shot off Logan Allen in the second inning before blasting a two-run, 478-foot moonshot off Matt Festa in the sixth. Young has been on a tear this spring, batting .349 (15-for-43) with six homers in his last 13 Cactus League games. The 22-year-old infielder seems to have locked up a spot on Seattle's Opening Day roster, especially with J.P. Crawford's (shoulder) status still up in the air.

Arenado batted fourth and went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Friday's spring game against Milwaukee.

Arenado's bases-loaded, two-out grounder down the third base line made it into the corner in left field and cleared the bases in the second inning. This was Arenado's second game back from the World Baseball Classic, and he's delivered five runs on two doubles from the cleanup spot. This late in spring training, a batting order tends to resemble what it might look like on Opening Day, so it appears Arenado will be in a spot to drive in runs in 2026. The 34-year-od third baseman (who turns 35 in April) is looking to bounce back from two sub-par seasons with St. Louis with a fresh start in the desert.

Perez started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's Cactus League loss to the Giants.

Perez opened the scoring, blasting an Adrian Houser sinker to the opposite field for a two-run homer in the first inning. Friday marked the veteran backstop's first Cactus League appearance since winning the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela, though he went just 4-for-22 with an RBI across five WBC games. Coming off a 2025 campaign in which he slashed .236/.284/.446 with 35 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBI in 155 contests, Perez will have to battle Father Time entering his age-36 season, though there's no question his power remains intact. With Carter Jensen in the fold and set for his first full big-league season, Perez figures to split time between catcher and designated hitter, with occasional starts at first base also a possibility.