MLB Player News

Ballesteros was informed Friday that he will be on the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Ballesteros impressed in his MLB debut last season, slashing .298/.394/.474 across 66 plate appearances. The 22-year-old hasn't skipped a beat this spring, going 11-for-31 (.355) with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBI. Ballesteros has the inside track to begin the season as the Cubs' DH, but with fellow catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya on the team, opportunities behind the plate will likely be limited.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday that Alvarez (back) is feeling "better" and could rejoin the Grapefruit League lineup Saturday if he continues to improve, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old backstop was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League contest due to back tightness, but he may end up missing only one spring game. The Mets are likely to exercise caution with Opening Day less than a week away, but at this point Alvarez doesn't appear to be in danger of missing significant time.

Alvarez was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Houston due to back tightness, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Alvarez struck out in the third inning in his only plate appearance and was replaced by a pinch hitter in the fourth. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the backstop's exit was precautionary, though it's not clear if Alvarez will miss additional time. He's been having a strong spring, slashing .364/.423/.636 with one home run, three doubles and four RBI through 10 games.

Moreno (forearm) will start as Arizona's designated hitter and bat fifth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Moreno has sat out the Diamondbacks' last several spring games while managing forearm tightness, but he's now ready to return to action after a few days of rest. After beginning Cactus League play 5-for-28 at the dish, he will now use the next week to prepare to work as Arizona's primary backstop.

The Pirates optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Rodriguez made a strong case to make the Pirates' Opening Day roster while posting a .977 OPS across 30 plate appearances this spring, but he will instead return to Triple-A to begin the regular season. The 25-year-old would likely be recalled to Pittsburgh if the big club needs extra depth behind the plate or at first base.

Bailey went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 5-1 Cactus League loss to the Dodgers.

Bailey went hitless Wednesday and is now slashing .241/.281/.345 with four RBI, four runs scored and three doubles across 32 plate appearances in 11 games this spring. The Gold Glove catcher remains an elite defender but is coming off a lackluster 2025 campaign at the plate. In 135 regular-season games last season, he slashed .222/.277/.325 with 55 RBI, 47 runs scored, six home runs, one stolen base and a career-worst 29.4 percent strikeout rate across 452 plate appearances.

The Marlins reassigned Navarreto to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Navarreto received 15 plate appearances over eight games with the Marlins in 2025, but he was never expected to have much of a shot at breaking camp with the big club so long as the team's top two backstops, Agustin Ramirez and Liam Hicks, were both available heading into Opening Day. The 31-year-old Navarreto will presumably open the campaign at Triple-A Jacksonville.

The Giants optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Rodriguez was competing to break camp as the backup to Patrick Bailey, but instead the 23-year-old catcher will begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A. Rodriguez was acquired from the Yankees at the trade deadline last season in the deal that sent Camilo Doval to the Bronx.

The Nationals reassigned Adams to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Adams was booted from the 40-man roster in January and is slated to begin the season at Triple-A Rochester. While Adams has elite bat speed, he strikes out too much at the plate. He slashed .186/.252/.308 with eight home runs, 24 RBI, 29 runs scored and an 18:110 BB:K across 286 plate appearances for Washington last season.

The Nationals optioned Ford to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

With Ford starting the season in Triple-A, it appears Drew Millas will open the 2026 campaign as the backup to Keibert Ruiz at catcher. Ford was acquired from the Mariners over the winter and was thought to be in the mix to beat out Ruiz for the starting gig. Ford, however, didn't do much at the plate this spring to force Washington's hand, slashing .214/.353/.286 across 17 plate appearances. He hit .200 with a .694 OPS in four games at the World Baseball Classic for Team Great Britain. Ford should be in the majors at some point this season.