MLB Player News
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Mike Ford DH | MIN
Twins' Mike Ford: Fails to make Opening Day roster
The Twins didn't include Ford on their 26-man active roster ahead of Thursday's season opener versus the Cardinals.
While attending camp as a non-roster invitee, Ford faced long odds to win a spot on the Opening Day roster, and he didn't do himself any favors by going 4-for-32 (.125 average) during Grapefruit League play. Assuming his minor-league contract doesn't contain an opt-out clause that would allow him to pursue free agency, the 32-year-old first baseman will likely report to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Shifts to injured list
Stanton (elbows) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
The veteran slugger's placement on the IL is a procedural move, as he remains sidelined indefinitely as he continues to deal with tennis elbow in both arms, in addition to a calf injury. Stanton has yet to resume baseball activities, and there's been no indication of when or if he'll be able to take the field in 2025.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: To man third spot in order
Alvarez will hit out of the third spot in the batting order to begin the 2025 regular season, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez is no stranger to batting third in the order, having held down the No. 3 spot a total of 93 times a season ago (70 times against right-hander pitchers). This will allow Houston to slide Isaac Paredes into the second spot with the hope that he can get on base for Alvarez to drive in more runs. The slugger had a slightly down year in 2024 by his standards, finishing with 86 RBI after two straight seasons of driving in 97 runs.
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Eloy Jimenez DH | TOR
Rays' Eloy Jimenez: Sent to minor-league camp
The Rays reassigned Jimenez to Triple-A Durham on Sunday.
The transaction was fully expected after manager Kevin Cash said Friday that the 28-year-old outfielder/designated hitter wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. Jimenez is slated to open the season at Triple-A Durham, but he'll have the ability to opt out of his contract on May 1 and June 1 if a promotion to the big leagues isn't imminent or if he wants to explore his options on the open market.
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Giancarlo Stanton DH | NYY
Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton: Not yet doing baseball activities
Stanton (elbow/calf) has yet to resume baseball activities, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
While Stanton has been receiving treatment, he hasn't picked up a bat while continuing to work through tennis elbow in both arms and a calf injury. There's been no mention of when the slugger may be able to do any sort of swinging, and his return to game action is seemingly at least multiple months away. Stanton is certain to begin the campaign on the injured list and may ultimately need to undergo season-ending surgery if other treatments don't provide adequate improvement.
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Tyler Heineman C | TOR
Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Claims backup spot
Manager John Schneider said Saturday that Heineman has made the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Heineman had the advantage by being the only catcher on the Jays' 40-man roster other than starter Alejandro Kirk, but he's officially beaten out Christian Bethancourt. Despite being a switch hitter, Heineman has never been much of a threat at the plate with a career .212/.298/.273 batting line.
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Eloy Jimenez DH | TOR
Rays' Eloy Jimenez: Falls short of roster spot
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Jimenez will not make the Opening Day roster, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.
Cash noted that while Jimenez's bat "started to come to life" recently during Grapefruit League play, it's not going to be enough to crack the Opening Day roster. Jimenez -- who is on a minor-league contract -- will begin the season at Triple-A Durham and "could be huge for us at any point during the season," per Cash.
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Tyler Heineman C | TOR
Blue Jays' Tyler Heineman: Remains favorite for backup job
Heineman is expected to begin the season as the Blue Jays' No. 2 catcher behind Alejandro Kirk, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
He's the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, so this isn't a big surprise, but NRI signing Christian Bethancourt also hasn't shown enough in camp to push Heineman for the job. The switch-hitting Heineman doesn't offer much offense and has a .212/.298/.273 slash line through 299 plate appearances in the majors, but he could end up seeing the biggest workload of his career in 2025 -- Kirk has never caught more than 99 games in a season.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Returns to lineup, as expected
Alvarez (thumb) will start at designated hitter and bat third in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez had to be scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to right thumb soreness, but it will be just a one-day absence. The slugger has yet to get going this spring, sporting a .493 OPS with one home run.