MLB Player News
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Javier Sanoja SS | MIA
Marlins' Javier Sanoja: Cracks Opening Day roster
Sanoja made the Marlins' Opening Day roster, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Sanoja made his major-league debut for the Marlins in 2024 and appeared in 15 regular-season games. Jesus Sanchez (side) is beginning the season o the injured list, and Sanoja's ability to play multiple positions helped him earn a roster spot as a super-utility player. Sanoja finished spring training with a .297/.381/.378 slash line with five walks, eight runs scored and seven RBI across 42 plate appearances.
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Luisangel Acuna 2B | CHW
Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Makes Opening Day roster
Acuna will be on the Mets' Opening Day roster, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
The .966 OPS that Acuna delivered in his first 14 games of MLB action late in the regular season last year didn't quite carry over into spring training, as he wrapped up camp with a .250/.304/.269 slash line alongside five RBI, seven runs scored and three steals in 21 Grapefruit League games. Likely destined to spend most days on the Mets' bench, the 23-year-old's best path to playing time is in the short side of a platoon with Brett Baty at second base until Jeff McNeil (oblique) returns.
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David Bote 2B | LAD
Dodgers' David Bote: Exercises upward mobility clause
Bote has exercised his upward mobility clause, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
The move allows Bote to leave if another organization wants to give him a major-league contract. If that doesn't happen, he will report to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Bote had a great spring training, hitting .400 with a couple homers, but he has just 48 plate appearances in the big leagues over the last two seasons.
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Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Appears ready for Opening Day
Hoerner (forearm) will start at second base and bat sixth in Tuesday's exhibition game against Atlanta.
Hoerner will close out the spring having started at the keystone in three of the Cubs' final five games. He has just one hit in six at-bats through his first two starts, but assuming that he's been able to get some additional swings in against live pitching between batting practice and minor-league games, Hoerner looks like he'll be ready to handle an everyday role when the Cubs play their first domestic series of the season later this week in Arizona. While he was still completing his recovery from the flexor tendon surgery he underwent in October, Hoerner wasn't available last week for the Cubs' two-game season-opening series in Tokyo versus the Dodgers, resulting in Jon Berti picking up a pair of starts at second base.
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David Villar 1B | SF
Giants' David Villar: Pushed off 40-man roster
The Giants designated Villar for assignment Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
With the Giants needing to clear room on the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster for reliever Lou Trivino, Villar -- who had no minor-league options remaining -- was deemed expendable. Villar owns a respectable .710 OPS and 93 wRC+ over 358 career plate appearances in the big leagues, but as a 28-year-old who is limited defensively to the corner-infield spots, it's unclear if he'll attract much interest from other clubs via trade or waivers.
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Connor Norby 2B | MIA
Marlins' Connor Norby: Out four weeks with oblique strain
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Tuesday that Norby will be sidelined four weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 left oblique strain, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.
Norby suffered the injury during Grapefruit League play Saturday. With Norby unavailable for the first month or so of the season, the Marlins could use a combination of Eric Wagaman, Jonah Bride and Graham Pauley at third base.
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JJ Wetherholt 2B | STL
Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt: Starting season at Double-A level
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Monday that Wetherholt will begin the season at Double-A Springfield, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Wetherholt played just 29 games with Single-A Palm Beach in his pro debut last year but will skip over High-A Peoria and start the 2025 campaign in the Texas League. The 22-year-old will play shortstop with Springfield, but with Masyn Winn manning that spot in St. Louis, Wetherholt's eventual home could be at second or third base.
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Brendan Donovan 2B | SEA
Cardinals' Brendan Donovan: Slated to hit third in opener
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that he plans to start Donovan at second base and bat him third in Thursday's opener against the Twins, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Marmol indicated that the Cardinals' lineup for Monday's exhibition game versus Triple-A Memphis -- which features Donovan in the three spot -- is the same setup he is planning for Opening Day. It's a favorable RBI spot for Donovan, who will bat behind Lars Nootbaar and Willson Contreras.
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Brice Turang 2B | MIL
Brewers' Brice Turang: Deemed ready for opener
Turang (shoulder) will play in a minor-league game Monday and is considered a "full go" for the Brewers' season opener Thursday versus the Yankees, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Though they'll be playing the Rockies on Monday in their Cactus League finale, the Brewers sent Turang to the minor-league camp for the day so that he can stockpile competitive at-bats in a more uncontrolled game setting. Turang had missed more than a week of Cactus League action before he returned to the lineup Sunday as a designated hitter, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. It's not clear if Turang will be playing the field at minor-league camp Monday, but the expectation is that he'll be in the lineup at second base Thursday.