MLB Player News

Tellez signed a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Tellez spent time with the Mariners and Rangers last season, slashing .228/.276/.443 across 312 total plate appearances. He's spent the entire offseason on the open market but still saw a little bit of action while playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, during which he went 1-for-9 with two walks and two strikeouts across four games. The 31-year-old will almost certainly begin 2026 as an organizational depth piece at Triple-A Gwinnett, but he'd be likely to join the big club if Matt Olson were to miss any amount of time.

The Giants optioned Eldridge to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Eldridge posted an .830 OPS with six RBI and eight runs scored through 19 Cactus League games, but 19 of his 40 at-bats resulted in a strikeout. The 21-year-old had been in the running to open the regular season as San Francisco's primary designated hitter, but he will instead report to Sacramento, which will allow him to continue developing his discipline while making regular starts at first base. Now that Eldridge is out of the picture, Jerar Encarnacion figures to be the most likely candidate at DH for the Giants.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a Cactus League win over San Francisco.

Freeman left the yard for the first time this spring with a solo shot in the third inning. The steady first baseman has hit well this spring, posting a .429/.500/.643 slash line with three doubles, 10 RBI and six runs scored. Freeman should be an everyday fixture in the Dodgers' lineup this season and could see a few more RBI opportunities with his anticipated move to the cleanup spot.

Santana started at first base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Cubs.

Santana played in his first Cactus League game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, in which he played for Team Dominican Republic. For the Diamondbacks, Santana is expected to share first base with Pavin Smith (forearm) and get regular turns as a designated hitter.

The Giants reassigned Kennedy to minor-league camp Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kennedy had been attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee and ultimately fell short in his fight for a utility role with the Giants. The 27-year-old is expected to report to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season. Kennedy saw 13 games of big-league action in 2025, slashing .069/.156/.103 across stops with the Phillies, Dodgers and Blue Jays.

The Nationals optioned Ortiz to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

Ortiz was part of the haul the Nationals received from the Rangers in the MacKenzie Gore trade over the winter. The 24-year-old Ortiz will have to wait to make his MLB debut. He slashed .257/.356/.479 with 25 home runs, 89 RBI and 85 runs scored across 130 games at Double-A and Triple-A last season but struggled during spring training, hitting .136 with a .478 OPS across 27 trips to the plate.

Hiura (hand) is listed as an available bench option for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Giants, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Hiura's last spring appearance came back on Feb. 28, when he exited a game against the Cubs early after getting hit on the hand by a pitch. The Dodgers reassigned him to minor-league camp shortly thereafter, but Hiura's inclusion on the lineup card for Wednesday implies that he's moved past the hand injury.

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.

Eldridge went 0-for-1 in Saturday's 8-7 Cactus League loss to the Diamondbacks.

Eldridge pinch hit in the ninth inning and struck out swinging, marking the 15th time he's struck out across 42 plate appearances this spring. Through 16 Cactus League outings, he's slashing .235/.381/.500 with seven runs scored, five RBI, four doubles and one home run. The 21-year-old made his big-league debut last September and could see playing time at DH for the Giants early in the season. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see him open the campaign in Triple-A Sacramento to get regular reps that may be harder to come by in the majors.

The Nationals reassigned Mervis to minor-league camp Friday.

Mervis has had a busy spring, going 3-for-12 with a 2:5 BB:K over seven Grapefruit League games and 3-for-11 with a pair of doubles over three games for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. The 27-year-old still wasn't able to make the Opening Day roster, despite Washington having a glaring hole at first base. After struggling mightily during his time in the majors with the Marlins in 2025, Mervis will likely need a hot start at Triple-A Rochester to garner any serious consideration for a promotion.