MLB Player News

Tawa is expected to be part of the Opening Day roster, after the Diamondbacks reassigned Jacob Amaya to minor-league camp Sunday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Tawa was one of four players competing for three bench spots, and Amaya's reassignment opens a spot for him, Jorge Barrosa and Ildemaro Vargas. Tawa is batting .318 (14-for-44) with eight walks, three doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and 10 runs scored through 16 Cactus League games. He's expected to be a utility player, capable of playing both infield and outfield.

Yorke has earned a roster spot with the Pirates to begin the 2026 season, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.

Yorke had a contact-heavy approach at the plate this spring, as he struck out only four times across 49 plate appearances. However, he also had only two extra-base hits and a .370 slugging percentage. Yorke's primary value to the Pirates will be his versatility, as he played across the infield and at both corner-outfield spots this spring. He should operate primarily as a bench bat.

Kim will play every day and at multiple positions with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Michael Huntley of the Orange County Register reports.

Kim was sent down to Triple-A on Sunday, which came as a surprise to many, but manager Dave Roberts clarified the team's rationale. Roberts explained that the 27-year-old would not have seen consistent enough opportunities with the major-league roster, and the team felt that Kim would benefit from getting everyday work with Oklahoma City. Kim will get opportunities at second base, shortstop and center field with the Triple-A squad, per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports. With the major-league club, Alex Freeland is expected to get the bulk of the starts at second base against right-handed pitchers in the absence of Tommy Edman (ankle).

Manager Warren Schaeffer said Sunday that Julien will be included on the Rockies' Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Julien has no minor-league options remaining, so he always seemed to be in good position to make the Opening Day roster even after producing a middling .693 OPS during Cactus League play. The 26-year-old's role remains unclear, however, and he could find playing time tough to come by if he's unable to secure a strong-side platoon job at first base, second base or designated hitter. Julien offers limited defensive utility and owns a lowly .209/.278/.313 slash line (66 wRC+) over 126 career plate appearances versus left-handed pitchers.

The Nationals acquired Vivas from the Yankees on Sunday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Sean Paul Linan.

Vivas is out of minor-league options, so the Yankees found a trade partner instead of losing him through the waiver process. The 25-year-old played in 29 games in his first taste of the majors in 2025, recording a .516 OPS over 64 plate appearances.

Brujan appears likely to fill the last spot on the Mets' bench due to Mike Tauchman (knee) being headed for surgery, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Tauchman's strong spring, along with an even more impressive camp for top prospect Carson Benge, put Brujan's spot on the 26-man roster in jeopardy, as New York could have gone without a backup shortstop and relied on players like Bo Bichette or Marcus Semien to cover the position when Francisco Lindor (hand) was unavailable. Instead, Brujan's job now appears safe. The 28-year-old switch hitter has batted .273 (9-for-33) this spring with four steals in four attempts, and his speed and defensive versatility will be his biggest assets on the Mets' bench -- Brujan played every position on the diamond except catcher and first base in 2025.

The Dodgers optioned Kim to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Kim batted .407 with one extra-base hit and five stolen bases in nine Cactus League games but won't open 2026 with the major-league club. The 30-year-old lost out on a bench role to Santiago Espinal and Alex Freeland even though Tommy Edman (shoulder) is poised to begin the season on the injured list.

Norby could see playing time in left field early in the season due to Kyle Stowers (hamstring) being set to begin the season on the IL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 25-year-old Norby looked set to be the Marlins' starter at third base due to a spring injury to Graham Pauley (forearm), but those plans are now in flux. Norby has played left field twice in recent days during Grapefruit League action, and Pauley is expected to be cleared for defensive duty Sunday. Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernandez are the top options in left field during Stowers' absence, but they're also at the top of the depth chart at DH. If Norby looks comfortable in the outfield, it would offer another path to keeping his bat in the lineup once Pauley's fully healthy. In 16 games this spring, Norby's batting .310 (13-for-42) with two homers and three steals, albeit with a worrisome 1:15 BB:K.

Gimenez went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting ninth, Gimenez nabbed his first steal of the spring in the fifth inning off the battery of Dennis Santana and Henry Davis. The 27-year-old infielder is coming off a rough first season with the Blue Jays in which he managed a weak .598 OPS and swiped only 12 bags in 14 attempts over 101 regular-season games, but Gimenez indicated at the beginning of camp that he was bothered by a high-ankle sprain late in the year. If he stays healthy and gets more comfortable with his new team after Toronto's run to the World Series, he could regain the form that saw him steal exactly 30 bases in both 2023 and 2024 for Cleveland while slashing a more palatable .252/.306/.368.

Massey (calf) will not travel to Texas for Monday and Tuesday's exhibitions and will instead remain in Arizona to see action in minor-league games and test his running ability, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Massey is dealing with a low-grade left calf strain that has kept him out of Cactus League games since March 8. The 28-year-old has been able to take at-bats in back-field games, but his status for Opening Day hinges on his ability to run at 100 percent. If Massey is unavailable for the start of the regular season, Nick Loftin and Drew Waters are strong candidates to make the 26-man roster instead, with Tyler Tolbert also in the mix.