MLB Player News

Freeman (back) is starting in right field and batting second in Thursday's Cactus League tilt against the Brewers.

Freeman came to Rockies camp with a lower-back strain and is finally ready for game action after ramping up his activities. The 26-year-old is in line to fill a utility role in Colorado this season after slashing .281/.354/.361 with two home runs and 18 stolen bases in 2025.

Marte batted eighth and went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's spring exhibition game against Team Cuba.

Statistics compiled against WBC teams don't count toward an MLB player's official line, but the home run was Marte's second this spring. He had finished up the 2025 season as the team's primary No. 2 batter, but the Reds are looking to return a rejuvenated Matt McLain to that role in 2026. Marte, who has been deployed at several spots in the order this spring, will have a home somewhere as the team's primary right fielder.

Devers said Wednesday that his injured hamstring is "feeling good," and he could get back into Cactus League action this weekend, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Devers was scratched from last Friday's lineup and was shut down from all baseball activities due to hamstring tightness. With the rest, it appears as if Devers' hamstring is feeling better. As long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks, Devers should be ready for Opening Day in three weeks.

The Nationals reassigned Bernabel to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Pushed off the Rockies' 40-man roster in the offseason after posting a .698 OPS in 146 plate appearances with the big club in 2025, Bernabel caught on with the Nationals on a minor-league deal in December. Though Washington is heading into 2026 without an established everyday option at first base, Bernabel apparently didn't make a compelling enough of a case for a spot on the Opening Day roster, despite going 3-for-9 with a walk and no strikeouts over his first five Grapefruit League games. Bernabel should be in line for an everyday role in the corner infield at Triple-A Rochester to begin the season.

Gil went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's split-squad game against the Twins.

Getting the start at DH, Gil homered for the second straight day when he crushed a 94.5 mph fastball from Eric Orze over the left-field fence. Per Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the ball left Gil's bat at 109.7 mph. The 19-year-old shortstop's bat may be catching up to his glove and legs, a process that appeared to start last season when he slashed .328/.425/.568 over 31 games after the All-Star break for Single-A Augusta before a late cup of coffee with Double-A Columbus. Gil is showing early signs of a full breakout as a prospect in 2026.

Lewis (side) is starting at third base and batting leadoff in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The third baseman has been sidelined the past few days after some side tightness cropped up last week, but he's ready to rejoin the lineup after having an MRI come back clean and going through live batting practice Sunday. Given Lewis' extensive injury history, fantasy managers should still keep on eye on his health status throughout spring training.

Rumfield is making a case to be the primary first baseman for the Rockies to begin the season, Stephen Harding of MLB.com reports.

Rumfield was very productive in the minor leagues while working his way through the Yankees' minor-league system, but he was ultimately blocked and never got a chance to reach the majors. His outlook changed when he was traded to the Rockies in late January, and he has taken advantage early in spring, slugging three home runs across 16 at-bats while striking out only once. Harding currently projects Rumfield to start at first base against right-handed pitching, with Blaine Crim a potential complement to step into the lineup against lefties.

Lewis (side) participated in a session of live batting practice Sunday and could rejoin Minnesota's Grapefruit League lineup as early as Tuesday, Matthew Leach of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old was scratched from the lineup last Thursday due to right side tightness, but he had an MRI come back negative and resumed baseball activities over the weekend. Lewis had injury troubles once again in 2025 with hamstring and quadriceps issues, but he still played in a career-high 106 games. The side injury appears to be a minor concern, but any spring health problems are worth keeping an eye on given Lewis' injury history.

Bregman went 2-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Bregman connected for his first Cactus League home run as a member of the Cubs, and he's now slashing a robust .455/.571/.909 this spring. The talented third baseman will next play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic before returning to camp. Bregman dealt with a quadriceps strain last year that limited him to only 114 regular-season games for the Red Sox, his fewest in a season since 2021. He's fully healthy now and should slot into the heart of Chicago's lineup to begin the year.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell suggested Saturday that Busch won't be deployed in a platoon to open the season and has earned the right to play regularly versus left-handed pitchers, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Busch is coming off a breakthrough 2025 campaign in which he slashed .261/.343/.523 with 34 home runs, but the left-handed-hitting first baseman was largely shielded from same-handed pitching and did the overwhelming share of his damage versus righties, whom he faced for 497 of his 592 regular-season plate appearances. The Cubs signed the right-handed-hitting Tyler Austin this winter with the intention of having him fill the short side of a platoon, but with Austin now set to miss multiple months after recently undergoing a knee procedure, Counsell appears content to give Busch a full run of at-bats at first base. While the added exposure to lefties could lead to a drop in his batting average, Busch could increase his output in the counting categories due to the higher overall volume of plate appearances.