MLB Player News
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Dominic Smith 1B | SF
Braves' Dominic Smith: Could make Opening Day roster
Atlanta signed Smith to a one-year split contract Saturday.
Smith was invited to spring training by Atlanta in mid-February and slashed .242/.342/.364 with one home run and four RBI in 38 plate appearances over 12 Grapefruit League games. If he makes the Opening Day roster, Smith could see some work as the designated hitter against right-handed pitching for as long as Sean Murphy (hip) is sidelined.
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Rowdy Tellez 1B | TEX
Braves' Rowdy Tellez: Inks MiLB pact with Atlanta
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.
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LaMonte Wade 1B | CHW
LaMonte Wade: Cut loose by White Sox
The White Sox released Wade on Friday.
Wade inked an NRI deal with the White Sox in January, but he'll fall short of making the team's Opening Day roster. The 32-year-old slashed .289/.429/.605 with three home runs, 10 strikeouts and nine walks in spring training.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 1B | TOR
Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero: Two hits in return from WBC
Guerrero went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.
It was his first game back with the Blue Jays after the first baseman starred for the Dominican Republic at the WBC, batting .444 (8-for-18) in five games with three doubles and two homers. Guerrero is also 5-for-13 (.385) in Grapefruit League action, and he has yet to strike out this spring either for the Jays or in the WBC. The 27-year-old will be looking to take his offense to another level after slashing .292/.381/.467 over 156 regular-season games last season with 23 homers and 84 RBI.
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Bryce Eldridge 1B | SF
Giants' Bryce Eldridge: Excluded from Opening Day roster
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.
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Freddie Freeman 1B | LAD
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman: Clubs first spring homer
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.
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Jac Caglianone 1B | KC
Royals' Jac Caglianone: Closes strong WBC with Italy
Caglianone went 4-for-14 with a double, a home run, four RBI, a stolen base and five walks across five games for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
Caglianone got off to a hot start in Cactus League play and carried that momentum into the WBC, highlighted by a two-run blast against the United States on March 10 in pool play. He flashed his exciting power while also showing solid plate discipline, drawing five walks. After a disappointing rookie campaign in which the 23-year-old hit .157/.237/.295 with six doubles, seven homers and 18 RBI across 62 big-league appearances, the Royals wanted him to earn his spot in the lineup. With his strong spring showing, Caglianone figures to see consistent playing time in right field, though the 2024 first-round pick could sit in favor of Starling Marte against left-handed pitching.
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Carlos Santana 1B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Carlos Santana: Returns to Cactus League
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.
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Buddy Kennedy 3B | SF
Giants' Buddy Kennedy: Sent out to MiLB camp
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.
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Abimelec Ortiz 1B | WAS
Nationals' Abimelec Ortiz: Sent to Triple-A
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.