MLB Player News

Kurtz was removed from Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rangers after getting hit on the hand by a pitch, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kurtz took a 94-mph fastball off his hand in the seventh inning of Saturday's contest and was immediately replaced on the basepaths. The 22-year-old prospect will presumably undergo imaging to make sure he avoided serious damage, and the team should offer an update on his status in the near future.

Eldridge won't play in Saturday's Spring Breakout game due to minor left hand soreness, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

While Eldridge's hand issue will be enough to keep him from playing Saturday, it doesn't sound like it's going to keep him from playing in any Triple-A games once the minor-league season begins. The 20-year-old first baseman breezed through San Francisco's farm system last season but slowed down considerably once he reached Triple-A. He'll likely spend most of the season with Sacramento, though a debut in 2025 is certainly on the table.

The Rays exercised Diaz's $12 million option for 2026 and added a vesting option for 2027 on Friday, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Diaz's option for 2027 would vest if he reaches certain performance thresholds in 2026. The 33-year-old's performance in 2024 fell off a bit compared to his 2023 and 2022 seasons, but he still slashed .281/.341/.414 with 14 home runs in 2024 and boasts a career .373 on-base percentage. Diaz is slated to serve as the Rays' primary first baseman again in 2025, and he should also see ample starts at designated hitter.

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that Cronenworth playing first base this season is not currently "on the radar," Sammy Levitt of 97.3 The Fan reports.

Cronenworth split time pretty evenly between first and second base last year, logging 80 starts at first and 66 at the keystone. However, the Padres are planning to deploy Luis Arraez on a near-everyday basis at first base in 2025 while allowing Cronenworth to settle in at second. That won't affect Cronenworth's eligibility in most fantasy formats this year, but if things go as planned, it's reasonable for those in dynasty and keeper leagues to anticipate him losing first-base eligibility in 2026. Despite the narrowing of where he'll play in the field, Cronenworth is expected to continue to be an everyday player for the Padres this season after slashing .241/.324/.390 with 17 homers, 83 RBI, 72 runs and five stolen bases over 653 plate appearances last year.

Solano could see regular at-bats at designated hitter this season, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Mitch Haniger and Mitch Garver (hand) appear to be the most likely candidates to occupy Seattle's DH spot on a daily basis this season, but Jude believes Solano could also get his fair share of action there in addition to the corner infield spots. Of the three players, it's worth noting Garver has stood out the most this spring with three home runs and six RBI in 18 at-bats. The Mariners have plenty of reps to fill in the infield following the offseason exits of both Josh Rojas and Justin Turner on top of moving Ty France at least year's trade deadline, so the versatile Solano could see playing time on the diamond elsewhere even if he doesn't carve out a consistent role at DH.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, two total runs and four total RBI in a Grapefruit League victory against Detroit on Thursday.

Goldschmidt belted a massive 447-foot solo homer in the fourth frame and added a three-run double in the following inning. The veteran first baseman is enjoying a productive spring, slashing .300/.323/.700 while tying for the team lead in home runs (three) and RBI (10). Goldschmidt posted a career-worst .716 OPS with the Cardinals last season, but he could benefit from a change of scenery in what will be his first campaign as a Yankee.

Vaughn has only one extra-base hit across 26 at-bats in Cactus League action.

Vaughn has seven hits this spring, leading to a decent .269 average. The lack of pop could be a concern, though he's been very consistent across his four big-league seasons by posting ISOs between .156 and .171 in each campaign. Vaughn doesn't appear to have much upside heading into the 2025 season -- especially considering the state of the White Sox's lineup -- but he should be a near everyday player hitting in the middle of the order.

Walker (oblique) hit in the batting cage Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

It's the first time he's swung a bat since coming down with left oblique soreness last week. Walker has also gone through defensive workouts and is "coming along nicely," per Astros manager Joe Espada. It's not clear when Walker might be ready to play in games, but it shouldn't be long.

Casas went 1-for-2 with a walk and a three-run home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

This was Casas' second game back in Grapefruit League action after missing a week battling an illness that swept through Boston's camp. He swatted his first spring home run in the first inning. The lefty-hitting first baseman is batting .133 (2-for-15) through seven Grapefruit League games.

Steer (shoulder) took swings in a batting cage Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

This was the first time Steer had a bat in his hand since getting a cortisone shot in his right shoulder March 1. He took flips in the cage before heading to the weight room. The next step is to see how the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder responds to the activity. Steer believes he can still get ready for the regular season, but in the words of manager Terry Francona, "we want his shoulder to tell us that - not Opening Day."