MLB Player News

Cook is in contention for playing time at first base with Spencer Horwitz (wrist) sidelined, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Cook was expected to compete for a starting corner outfield spot, but Pittsburgh's addition of Tommy Pham likely ended that possibility. However, Cook will now compete with Jared Triolo, DJ Stewart and Darick Hall for playing time at first base. Cook reached the majors for the first time late in 2024 and showed some intriguing potential with three home runs across 49 plate appearances. However, he also struck out at a 38.8 percent clip, so he'll need to show the ability to make more consistent contact to earn steady playing time.

The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rendon is slated to undergo surgery on his hip after suffering a setback in his rehab sometime within the past several weeks. A recovery timeline should come following the procedure, but moving to the injured list will ensure he sits out until at least late May. The 34-year-old is certainly no stranger to extended absences, as he has yet to play more than 58 games in a season since signing with the Angels in 2020. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Yoan Moncada, whose signing was made official Saturday.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Thursday that it's now likelier Arenado is the team's Opening Day third baseman than it is he's traded, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Arenado nixed a potential trade to the Astros in December and the Red Sox are no longer a potential landing spot after they signed Alex Bregman. Discussions with Arenado's other approved destinations have beared little fruit, so unless that changes or the player expands his list of teams to which he would approve a trade, it appears the 33-year-old is staying put. The domino effect is likely Nolan Gorman staying at second base, Brendan Donovan primarily playing left field and Lars Nootbaar shifting to center.

Boston's acquisition of Alex Bregman could impact Devers, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. If Bregman becomes Boston's primary third baseman, then Devers would likely shift to designated hitter or first base.

While the Bregman deal is not yet official -- it should be in the coming days -- speculation as to how Bregman fits has begun. The easiest path is having Bregman play second base while Devers remains at third; however, Bregman was a Gold Glove Award winner in 2024 and is a better defender than Devers. One scenario involves Boston deploying its best defender at third base, Bregman, and moving Devers to designated hitter or potentially first base. The club has approached Devers about a hypothetical position switch. To make moving Devers feasible, given the current roster alignment, the Red Sox may look to move Masataka Yoshida or Triston Casas.

Bregman (elbow) signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox on Wednesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Bregman slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI across 634 regular-season plate appearances in 2024, giving him the lowest OPS (.768) of his nine-year MLB career. In spite of that, his new contract will pay him nearly double the AAV of the $21.05 million qualifying offer he rejected, and it also includes opt-outs after both of the first two seasons. With Rafael Devers already in Boston, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports that Bregman is expected to move to second base -- a position he has not fielded since 2018. An alternate possibility is having Bregman, who won a gold glove at third base in 2024, play the hot corner and have Devers serve as the primary designated hitter.

Rendon is scheduled to undergo hip surgery and is facing a lengthy absence, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Rendon experienced a setback in his rehab sometime in the last few weeks and it was decided surgery was the best course of action. Further clarity on a timetable should be available after the operation, but it's fair to wonder whether Rendon has played his final game for the Angels. He has not played in any more than 58 games during his five seasons with the Halos and still has two years remaining on his seven-year, $245 million contract.

Ramos is dealing with some right elbow soreness that affects his throwing, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Ramos is able to hit without any issues, but it's possible he could be limited to designated hitter duty when the Cactus League schedule opens. There does not appear to be any concern about Ramos' Opening Day availability, with White Sox general manager Chris Getz saying Tuesday that he expects Ramos to be "a full participant this season."

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington mentioned Wednesday that Triolo is a candidate to play first base while Spencer Horwitz (thumb) is out, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Horwitz will miss the next 6-to-8 weeks following surgery last week on his right wrist/thumb. Pittsburgh plans to look internally for Horwitz's replacement and Triolo appears to be next in line on the depth chart at first base. The 27-year-old slashed only .216/.296/.315 with nine homers and eight steals over 125 games last season, but he was the National League's Gold Glove winner as a utility player.

Riley (hand) took live batting practice at spring training Wednesday, Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game Atlanta reports.

Riley appears to be operating under no restrictions to begin the spring after he finished the 2024 season on the injured list while recovering from the fractured right hand he suffered Aug. 18. With no reports indicating that he needed surgery to address the hand injury, Riley should have a good chance at re-emerging as the 30-plus-home-run hitter that he was in three straight seasons from 2021 through 2023 before he was limited to 19 long balls over 110 games in 2024.

Hayes (back) was spotted taking part in fielding drills at spring training Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Hayes didn't play after Aug. 17 last season due to a back injury that had nagged him at various points earlier in the campaign, but he avoided offseason surgery and looks to be back to full health to begin the spring. In addition to costing him considerable time in 2024, the recurring back injuries likely played a factor in Hayes' diminished production; his .573 OPS over 396 plate appearances was easily the worst mark of his five-year big-league career. If healthy, Hayes' playing time should be secure due to his elite defense at third base, but his fantasy utility will hinge on him providing the kind of pop and batting average he supplied in 2023 (15 home runs, .271 average in 525 plate appearances). Because of his poor numbers in 2024, Hayes could find himself in the bottom half of the Pittsburgh lineup to begin the upcoming season.