MLB Player News

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Thursday that Kwan will play some in center field during spring training, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Kwan has won four straight Gold Gloves for his defensive prowess in left field. He made four starts in center field in his rookie year in 2022, but the Guardians have resisted using him at the position on a regular basis. It seems that could change now as the club seeks its best defensive alignment. Chase DeLauter, Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martinez are the other main candidates to get reps in center field for Cleveland.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Encarnacion-Strand (hamstring) could play in Cactus League games next week, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Encarnacion-Strand has been slowed early on in camp by a hamstring injury he suffered in January, but he's been working out and it seems he'll miss only the first few spring training games. Given the number of bodies ahead of him at the infield corners and designated hitter, the 26-year-old is facing long odds to make the Opening Day roster.

The Dodgers signed Almonte to a minor-league contract Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Almonte missed the first half of the 2025 season after having surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder but returned to make 15 appearances in the minors in the Cubs organization. The 31-year-old reliever has collected a 4.44 ERA, 22.5 percent strikeout rate and 9.9 percent walk rate over parts of seven major-league seasons, which includes a stint with the Dodgers from 2022-2023.

Padres manager Craig Stammen said recently that Vasquez has an "inside track" to one of the spots in the rotation, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove are locked into the rotation, and Vasquez is likely to join them after making 28 appearances (26 starts) in 2025. While Vasquez finished with a 3.84 ERA over 133.2 regular-season innings, his 78:52 K:BB wasn't pretty. Some ERA regression is likely coming, but he did enough last season that he's expected to open in San Diego's rotation.

Crawford (wrist/illness) could begin the season on the injured list, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Crawford is behind other pitchers in Red Sox camp following last year's right wrist surgery and a recent bout with the flu. He's throwing off the mound, but with several other candidates to fill the last spot in their rotation, the Red Sox could choose to slow-play Crawford after he missed the entire 2025 campaign. Crawford made 33 starts for Boston in 2024, posting a 4.36 ERA and 175:51 K:BB over 183.2 innings.

Mayo could see increased opportunity at third base for the Orioles if Jordan Westburg (oblique/elbow) has to miss time, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.

Westburg is now dealing with an elbow injury in addition to an oblique strain, and his long-term status is uncertain. The Orioles had seemingly moved on last season from Mayo playing third base, preferring to use him instead at first base, but now the team could have a much larger need at the hot corner. Mayo has been getting lots of reps at third base in camp and could be the Opening Day starter there if Westburg is shelved. Blaze Alexander is also a candidate to play third base, though he could be needed at second base initially while Jackson Holliday (hand) is out. Mayo has slashed just .201/.285/.349 with a 31.2 percent strikeout rate in the majors, but he did perk up last September with regular playing time, hitting .301/.393/.548 with five homers.

Westburg (oblique) recently underwent imaging on his elbow, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner reports.

Westburg came into camp with an oblique injury, but it seems his elbow is now the bigger concern. It's unclear what the results of the imaging showed, but Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Thursday that Westburg was being evaluated by the team's medical staff and also people outside the organization. More clarity on the situation should come about after those evaluations.

Reimer worked hard on improving his defense at third base in the offseason, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The 21-year-old is coming off a breakout campaign with his bat, as he slashed .282/.381/.490 over 123 games between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton with 17 homers and 15 steals, but scouts have long believed Reimer will need to move across the diamond to first base at some point. He's not shifting down the defensive spectrum without a fight, however. "I understand it, obviously," Reimer said of that speculation. "It's fair. But I want to show that I can definitely go out there and be an elite-level defensive player." He'll get his first look at Triple-A at some point this season, but even if he performs well, it could take some injuries ahead of him on the depth chart to get Reimer a 2026 big-league debut.

Junk has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 mild right ankle sprain, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Junk suffered the injury during a drill Tuesday. It's unclear when the righty might be ready to pitch in games, but he said Thursday that he's "not concerned that this is gonna be a multi-week thing." While the injury is minor, it will not help Junk's bid for a spot in the Marlins' rotation.

Clifford is looking to build on the progress he made last season with his outfield defense, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Specifically, the 22-year-old worked on improving his reads, jumps and first step. "We put a lot of thought into the prep step stuff, and the numbers backed up that I got better out there," Clifford said in camp this week. "I'm hoping to build on it this year as well... Just continue to try to become more explosive. I don't have the highest top speed, obviously, so the first couple steps are really important to me." Twenty of his 34 starts with Triple-A Syracuse last season came in an outfield corner, and with the Mets not yet settled on the identity of their starting right fielder, a strong showing by Clifford in spring training on both sides of the ball could give him another route to a big-league debut in 2026. His most likely future position for New York remains first base, however, and his bat could play in either spot after slashing .237/.356/.470 with 29 homers in 139 games last year between Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton.