MLB Player News

Frazier appears to be the leading candidate to open the season as the Angels' starting second baseman after Christian Moore and Kyren Paris were optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels thinned the competition further by reassigning Nick Madrigal to minor-league camp, leaving Frazier, Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom (hand) as the main contenders for playing time at the keystone. Neither Peraza nor Grissom have minor-league options remaining, giving them good odds of making the Opening Day roster, but as the lone left-handed hitter of the trio, Frazier -- who is attending camp as a non-roster invitee -- may actually have a better chance of seeing the bulk of the at-bats at second base. A career .264 hitter, Frazier possesses strong contact skills, but his lack of power and modest speed limits his overall fantasy appeal. Expect the 34-year-old to shift into a utility role once the Angels decide that Moore is ready for an extended run.

India (groin) will receive a few days off as a precautionary measure, MLB.com reports.

India left Friday's Cactus League game due to right groin tightness but reportedly felt fine Saturday. He's been cleared for activity, though the Royals will err on the side of caution and hold the second baseman out of Sunday's contest before an off day Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. This development helps ease concerns about India's availability for Opening Day, as the 29-year-old will look to carry a strong spring at the plate into a bounce-back 2026 campaign after a lackluster 2025 in which he slashed .233/.323/.346 with 29 doubles, nine home runs and 45 RBI across 136 games.

Kim (hand) went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts Friday in Team Korea's 10-0 loss to Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Kim hurt his hand while stealing a base last Sunday versus Team Chinese Taipei and sat out Monday against Team Australia. However, the injury was always considered minor, and Kim's return to the lineup Saturday indicates that the Dodgers' utility man isn't at risk of missing more time. In fact, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Kim will be in Los Angeles' lineup Sunday versus the Cubs, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Team Korea was eliminated from the WBC with the loss Friday, and Kim went 1-for-12 with three RBI, six strikeouts and two walks during the tournament.

Gorman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Marlins.

Gorman led off the top of the fourth inning with a blast off of Ryan Gusto. It's the third home run this spring for Gorman, who has reached base five times in his last two contests. Perhaps most encouragingly, he's also sporting a 4:5 BB:K. Gorman is set to be the Cardinals' primary third baseman this season and offers big power potential, albeit with lots of batting average risk.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday that he expects Kim (hand) to be back in the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kim injured his left hand against Team Australia on March 8 while playing for Team Korea during the World Baseball Classic. The good news for Kim is that the injury isn't considered a long-term issue, and if he is able to return to the lineup Sunday, then there would be no concern of him being sidelined for the start of the 2026 season. Kim appeared in 71 regular-season games for the Dodgers in 2025, finishing with a .699 OPS with 13 steals (on 14 attempts), three home runs and 17 RBI over 170 plate appearances. Kim is projected to make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster as a utility man.

Schneemann (ankle) is expected to be back in the Guardians' lineup in the next couple of days, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Schneeman was scratched from Friday's Cactus League game against the Angels due to a right ankle sprain. The injury doesn't appear to be a long-term concern and shouldn't impact Schneeman's availability for the start of the 2026 campaign. He appeared in 131 regular-season games for the Guardians in 2025 and finished with a .206/.283/.354 slash line with nine steals (on 12 attempts), 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 422 plate appearances. Schneeman is projected to make the Opening Day roster as a utility man.

The Angels optioned Moore to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Moore entered spring training as the presumptive frontrunner for the Angels' everyday second base job, but he didn't make much of a case for showing that he belonged on the Opening Day roster. Over 14 Cactus League games before being sent out, Moore went 7-for-40 (.175 average) with one home run, three RBI, one stolen base and 11 strikeouts. With the Angels also demoting Kyren Paris to Triple-A on Saturday, non-roster invitee Adam Frazier now looks like the favorite to begin the season as Anaheim's top option at the keystone.

Norby appears to be the likely Opening Day starter at third base for the Marlins, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old came into camp in a battle with Graham Pauley for the job at the hot corner, but Pauley had his camp derailed by a forearm strain, and he has yet to be cleared to play defense in a Grapefruit League game. With time running short before the regular season begins, Norby is in the driver's seat for the spot. His leash could be very short if he isn't able to solve his contact issues, however. Norby has a career 29.0 percent strikeout rate in the majors since making his debut with the Orioles in 2024, and so far this spring he's got an ugly 0:11 BB:K in 29 plate appearances while batting .276 (8-for-29).

Albies may be one of the players who benefits the most from Atlanta having hired Antoan Richardson as its new baserunning coach, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Richardson was the man most responsible for Juan Soto's stunning 38-steal campaign in 2025, and the coach might have a little more to work with in Atlanta with Albies, Michael Harris and Ronald Acuna all potentially capable of making a much bigger impact with their legs. A more aggressive approach on the basepaths also fits with new manager Walt Weiss' philosophy. "Antoan knows how important baserunning is to me," Weiss said. "It's really important to him, and he's made it important to the players." Albies' career high in steals is only 20, set back in 2021, but he went 14-for-17 on SB attempts in 2025.

Urias has recently been held out of Grapefruit League games due to an elbow injury, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

It's been almost a week since Urias has seen game action after experiencing soreness in his elbow while taking swings. The 31-year-old is expected to fill an infield utility role after signing with the Cardinals at the start of spring training.