MLB Player News

Isaac won't play Thursday in the Rays' Spring Breakout game against Red Sox prospects due to a sore left wrist/elbow, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Outfielder Matthew Etzel was added to the roster as a replacement for Isaac, who was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday. Isaac first experienced soreness in his left arm in late February, resulting in him being limited to designated hitter duties in his final four Grapefruit League games prior to being reassigned. The Rays had intended to get Isaac some reps in the corner outfield in addition to first base this spring, but the elbow injury has thwarted those plans. Isaac should be ready to go for the start of the minor-league season in late March, but it's uncertain whether he'll be cleared to play first base by then.

Mervis went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's split-squad game against the Nationals.

His second-inning shot off Mitchell Parker was the second homer of the spring in eight appearances for Mervis. The 26-year-old slugger has made some loud contact in camp, batting .292 (7-for-24) with two doubles in addition to his long balls, but his 1:9 BB:K suggests he still needs to make more frequent contact to be a trustworthy fantasy asset -- he has a career 31.7 percent strikeout rate in 126 big-league PAs.

Walker (oblique) will take infield practice Tuesday but has not yet been cleared to swing a bat, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Walker injured his left oblique a little less than a week ago, but an MRI didn't show a strain and he's easing back into baseball activities. It's not clear when he might be ready to swing a bat and play in games, but he should be able to avoid a stint on the injured list if he can avoid a setback.

Casas (illness) is starting at first base and batting third Tuesday against the Phillies, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Casas missed a week with an illness but should still have time to get ready for the start of the season. Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony are still sidelined with their illnesses while Rafael Devers (shoulder) is tracking towards his spring debut Wednesday.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, an additional run and a walk Monday in a Grapefruit League win over Detroit.

The Yankees tagged Tigers starter Kenta Maeda for three first-inning homers Monday, with Goldschmidt's long ball being the second of the trio. It was the veteran slugger's second home run this spring, and he's slashing .250/.280/.542 with 10 strikeouts over nine games. Goldschmidt is slated to take over as New York's primary first baseman after signing with the organization in December.

The Rays are considering removing Diaz from the leadoff spot for the 2025 season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Diaz has spent the vast majority of the last three seasons occupying the leadoff spot in the Rays' lineup, a logical choice given his .383 on-base percentage in that span. However, the Rays are looking for ways to jumpstart their offense in 2025, which includes moving Diaz down the order to give him more opportunities to drive in runs. Despite the report, Diaz has hit from the top spot in the order in all but one of the games he has started this spring.

Loftin (illness) played three innings at third base and went 1-for-2 in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Brewers in Cactus League play.

Jonathan India drew the start at third base, but Loftin was available off the bench and made his return to action for the first time since Thursday, when he was forced out of a game against the Guardians after coming down with an illness. Now that he's healthy again, Loftin will look to close the spring on a high note with the hope of securing a reserve role on the Royals' season-opening 26-man active roster.

Steer (shoulder) received positive results after being re-examined by the team's medical staff Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Steer was examined for the first time since receiving a cortisone injection in his right shoulder. Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said Sunday that he'll work on range-of-motion activities and estimated Steer should progress to hitting off a tee by mid-week.

Mervis believes he has corrected some bad habits that developed in his swing mechanics and his approach last season, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. "Last year, I think I just tried to prove that I deserved to be [in the majors] and got out of my approach, swung it some bad pitches. I would say [my struggles were] more things that I could control," Mervis said this week.

The numbers bear out that assessment, as Mervis' 55.1 percent swing rate with the Cubs in 2024 was almost five points higher than it had been the season before. The 26-year-old also dealt with a fractured hamate bone in his hand that cost him about six weeks while with Triple-A Iowa. Acquired by the Marlins this offseason in a trade, Mervis appears to be locked into a spot on the 26-man roster following Saturday's optioning of prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville. Mervis should serve on the strong side of a platoon at first base with Jonah Bride while also seeing time at DH, and the confidence that comes with not feeling like he's fighting for a job could help him regain the form that saw him slash .287/.394/.555 and slug 37 homers over 157 games for Iowa in the 2022-23 seasons. He's looked good so far this spring, going 6-for-20 (.300) with two doubles and a homer in seven Grapefruit League appearances.

The Mets optioned Young to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.

Young joined the Mets on a big-league deal over the winter after he split the 2024 season between Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization and the Korea Baseball Organization's Doosan Bears. Though Young produced at a high level with both clubs, he struggled in his brief exposure to MLB pitching during his time with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023, slashing .210/.290/.435 with a 29 percent strikeout rate over 69 plate appearances. The 29-year-old has some experience in the corner outfield and at third base, but since he profiles best defensively at first base, he may not be in line for much action with the Mets unless Pete Alonso misses time with an injury.