MLB Player News

Edman (ankle) began taking batting practice Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Edman began taking swings in the cages earlier in the week, and he could progress to facing velocity against a machine within the next few days if everything goes according to plan. There's still no telling when he'll be game-ready, though he's already been ruled out for Opening Day.

Gonzalez will have his left shoulder injury evaluated Tuesday to determine whether he needs to undergo surgery, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Gonzalez has not participated in baseball activities in spring training due to left shoulder inflammation that he has dealt with for most of the offseason. He was already a long shot to be available for Opening Day, and it appears the 29-year-old utility man could be on the shelf well beyond the start of the 2026 regular season. An extended absence for Gonzalez increases Kristian Campbell, Nate Eaton and Andruw Monasterio's chances of cracking the Red Sox's Opening Day roster.

Campbell started in center field and went 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run and two RBI in Friday's spring game against Detroit.

Campbell put the Red Sox up early with a two-run shot in the first inning off Justin Verlander. It was the first homer of the Grapefruit League for Campbell, who has played exclusively in center field this spring. The 23-year-old is still figuring things out at the plate and in the outfield and doesn't have a clear path to playing time in Boston. As such, Campbell is expected to open the year at Triple-A Worcester, where plate appearances will be plentiful and the team can put the finishing touches on his transition from infield to outfield.

Edwards (calf) is leading off and playing second base in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

It's a great sign for Edwards, who departed Thursday's game with left calf tightness. The infielder won't have to miss any time due to the issue and will resume his regular starting spot. He's 3-for-11 with three steals over five games this spring.

Espinal went 2-for-2 with a pair of home runs and six RBI in Thursday's Cactus League loss to Cincinnati.

Espinal got the scoring started quietly in the first inning with a sacrifice fly, then produced much louder output with a solo homer in the third frame and a three-run blast in the fourth. He finished off his big contest with another sacrifice fly in the fifth. The veteran utility man is now slashing an absurd .625/.636/1.125 over seven games this spring. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts suggested prior to Thursday's contest that Espinal is likely to make the team's Opening Day roster, and if that's indeed the case, he'll likely serve in a super-utility role similar to what Enrique Hernandez -- who will begin the campaign on the 60-day IL due to an elbow injury -- typically logs. With that being said, Espinal is a career .261 hitter with just 20 home runs across 579 regular-season contests, so his power display Thursday shouldn't lead to expectation that he's suddenly going to be a major source of homers.

Song was removed from Thursday's Cactus League game against the Mariners with right oblique tightness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Manager Craig Stammen said after Thursday's contest that Song's removal was precautionary, as the Padres didn't want to risk further damage to the 29-year-old's oblique, which he originally injured in January. Song may take a break from Cactus League action for a couple days, but his Opening Day availability doesn't currently seem to be at risk.

Edwards was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros with left calf tightness, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The severity of Edwards' injury is still unclear, but the Marlins will likely provide more information following Thursday's contest. The 26-year-old infielder has gone 3-for-11 so far this spring with two RBI, a run scored and three steals over five games.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated Thursday that Espinal is likely to make the Opening Day roster, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Espinal was signed to a minor-league deal with a camp invite in February and has fit in "seamlessly" with the team, per Roberts. With Tommy Edman (ankle) and Enrique Hernandez (elbow) slated to open the year on the injured list, Espinal provides the defensive versatility Roberts seeks. The 31-year-old could see some starts at second base while Edman is out.

Keaschall is starting Thursday's Grapefruit League contest in left field, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

It's notable because it marks the first time Keaschall will play the outfield since undergoing elbow surgery in 2024. The 23-year-old made his major-league debut last season and only played second base if he wasn't slotted in as the designated hitter. While Keaschall is expected to man the keystone for Minnesota, position versatility will allow Minnesota to keep Keaschall's bat in the lineup after he slashed .302/.382/.445 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 25 runs scored, 14 stolen bases and a 19:29 BB:K across 207 plate appearances last season.

Bazzana went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Australia's 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei in Wednesday's World Baseball Classic opener.

Bazzana gave the Aussies breathing room with his blast in the seventh inning. He left the Guardians spring training camp a week ago to join Team Australia in Japan. Prior to the WBC, Bazzana and appeared in three games for Cleveland, going 2-for-8 with a home run and three RBI. He's likely to open the regular season in the minors, but the 2024 first overall draft pick could elevate to the majors in 2026.