MLB Player News

Church (lat) struck out a batter and was charged with two runs (one earned) on two hits over an inning of relief Sunday in the Rangers' 5-3 loss to the Dodgers in Cactus League play.

After being brought along slowly in spring training while he recovered from a right lat strain, Church finally completed his throwing progression and received clearance to make his Cactus League debut Sunday. The right-hander pumped in 13 of his 19 pitches for strikes, but he ended up taking the loss after surrendering a tie-breaking RBI single to Andy Pages. Though Church is one of the more talented relief arms on Texas' 40-man roster, the time he missed in camp along with the fact that he has a minor-league option remaining could hurt his chances of winning a spot in the Rangers' Opening Day bullpen.

Higashioka (back) will start at catcher and bat seventh in Monday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Higashioka hadn't appeared in a game since March 5 due to a back issue, but now that he's back behind the plate Monday, he should have plenty of time to prepare himself for the Rangers' March 26 opener in Philadelphia. The veteran backstop is expected to split catching duties with Danny Jansen this season.

Jung (adductor) will start at third base and bat sixth in Monday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Jung hadn't played at any point in March while recovering from an adductor strain, but he's made enough progress in recent days to make his return to the Rangers' spring lineup. With 10 more days to go before Opening Day, expect Jung to get plenty of at-bats over the upcoming week.

Young (wrist) will start in center field and bat second in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Young will make his first appearance since Feb. 27 after being held out of action for the past two and a half weeks while he waited for the discomfort in his bruised right wrist to subside. As long as the 26-year-old is able to avoid any setbacks while he picks up at-bats in multiple Grapefruit League and/or minor-league games during the final week of spring training, he should be in line to open the season as the Nationals' primary center fielder.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday that as long as Brazoban finishes spring training healthy, he'll be part of the Mets' Opening Day roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Brazoban has minor-league options left, which led DiComo to wonder earlier Monday if Brazoban might not make the team's Opening Day roster. The 36-year-old Brazoban didn't make his MLB debut until 2022 at 32 years old. He pitched in 52 regular-season games for the Mets last season, recording a 3.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 57:27 K:BB across 63 innings.

Pomeranz allowed three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning in a Cactus League contest against the Rockies on Sunday.

Pomeranz had trouble with his control, as only 12 of his 29 pitches were strikes. The veteran reliever had issued just one walk this spring coming into Sunday, though he's given up two homers and five earned runs across his four outings spanning 3.1 frames. Despite his Cactus League struggles, Pomeranz is expected to take on a high-leverage role out of the Angels' bullpen this season.

Graterol (shoulder) was spotted playing catch out to about 90 feet Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Graterol hasn't been shut down from throwing during spring training, but he's not on track to pitch in any Cactus League games and is slated to open the season on the injured list while he's struggled to regain velocity since undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in November 2024. The right-hander had previously been throwing off a mound earlier in the camp before the Dodgers elected to ramp him up more slowly when his velocity wasn't where the team expected it to be. Graterol is without a definitive timeline to resume throwing bullpen sessions, and the Dodgers seemingly aren't counting on him to handle a significant relief role in 2026.

Casas (knee) was able to take simulated at-bats in a minor-league game Tuesday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Casas admitted last week that he doesn't anticipate playing in Grapefruit League contest, but the Red Sox are comfortable having him serve as a designated hitter in controlled games on the back fields of camp. Though the 26-year-old is facing no restrictions at the plate, he's not yet cleared to run the bases or slide while he works to regain strength in his surgically repaired left knee. Casas is without a definitive timeline to make his season debut, though the expectation is that he'll be out for at least the first month of the 2026 campaign.

Betts went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Sunday in a Cactus League win over the Cubs.

Betts went deep for the first time this spring with a third-inning solo shot to center field. The veteran shortstop has managed a relatively light workload this spring, as Sunday was just his seventh Cactus League game. Betts has gone 6-for-19 (.316) with four runs and two RBI in exhibition action.

Sheehan tossed 3.2 innings in a Cactus League start against the Cubs on Sunday, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out four batters.

Sheehan tossed two scoreless frames before giving up a two-run homer to Nico Hoerner in the third. The right-hander was briefly set back by an illness early in camp, but he was able to throw 66 pitches (40 strikes) Sunday, so he appears to be on track to take his spot in the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation. Sheehan's first start will likely come at home against Cleveland in Los Angeles' second series of the season.