MLB Player News
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Nick Mears RP | KC
Royals' Nick Mears: Allows three runs in spring outing
Mears allowed three runs on three hits over one inning in Monday's Cactus League loss to the Guardians.
Mears was done in by the long ball, surrendering back-to-back homers to Steven Kwan and Brayan Rocchio with two outs in the fifth inning. After being acquired by the Royals from the Brewers in December, the reliever has made four Cactus League appearances, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks across four innings, with Monday's outing accounting for much of that damage. Coming off a 3.49 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 56.2 regular-season innings last year with Milwaukee, Mears figures to slot in as a middle-relief option in the Kansas City bullpen for 2026.
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Steven Cruz RP | KC
Royals' Steven Cruz: Scoreless spring outing
Cruz allowed no hits or walks across 1.1 scoreless innings in Monday's Cactus League loss to the Guardians.
Cruz entered to record the final out of the seventh inning before retiring the side in order in the eighth frame. Monday marked his third scoreless outing of the spring, though it was the first time the right-hander failed to record a strikeout after punching out a pair in each of his first two appearances. The 26-year-old's fastball, which averaged 98.2 mph last season, sat at 96.6 mph against the Guardians, though velocity dips during spring training are common and not overly concerning unless they persist into the regular season. Cruz will look to continue producing strong results in Cactus League play as he competes for a spot in the big-league bullpen to open the 2026 campaign.
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Garrett Crochet RP | BOS
Red Sox's Garrett Crochet: Finds positives in third outing
Crochet allowed three runs on five hits while striking out two over 4.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Phillies. He also hit a batter.
Crochet's third Grapefruit League start didn't yield pretty results, but the left-hander was pleased overall with his execution, per Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. His velocity was down, but Crochet explained that was more a function of building arm strength and tinkering with mechanics. Philadelphia touched him for two runs in the second inning, which were aided by a couple of softly hit, well-placed singles. A third run was charged to him when a runner stole home after Crochet departed the game. Pitching into the fifth inning and hitting 59 pitches (42 strikes) leaves Crochet on schedule for Opening Day against the Reds on March 26.
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Bryan Hoeing RP | SD
Padres' Bryan Hoeing: Considering surgery
Hoeing (elbow) expects to decide whether he'll undergo surgery "relatively quickly", Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Hoeing was shut down from throwing at the beginning of March after experiencing discomfort in his right elbow during a live bullpen session, and it's now being reported that surgery is on the table. The Padres expect the right-hander to make a decision in the near future, and he's also working to rehab the injury in the event he chooses to go a non-surgical route.
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Yuki Matsui RP | SD
Padres' Yuki Matsui: Resumes throwing off mound
Matsui (groin) was recently cleared to resume throwing off a mound, and he participated in defensive drills Monday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Matsui's availability for Opening Day remains a big question mark, but the fact that he's slowly beginning to ramp back up is a positive sign. He'll presumably need to complete at leasts a few additional side sessions before San Diego considers deploying him in a Cactus League game.
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Jason Adam RP | SD
Padres' Jason Adam: Nearing Cactus League action
Adam (quadriceps) will throw one additional simulated game within the next few days with the goal of pitching in an exhibition over the weekend, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Acee notes that Adam remains on his original timeline after undergoing left quadriceps tendon repair surgery in September. Assuming he's cleared to pitch in a Cactus League game at some point during the weekend, he would then have an opportunity to appear in three or four more games before the 2026 season gets underway. "I felt great," said Adam after taking part in fielding practice Sunday. "It's more the reactive. Like, anytime it's planned, they feel good about it. But the quick reaction, in-game reaction that you can't predict, that's where they're just being more cautious. But we're getting close."
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Daison Acosta RP | SD
Padres' Daison Acosta: Reporting to Triple-A
Acosta cleared waivers Monday and has been sent outright to Triple-A El Paso.
Acosta was brought in on a one-year deal back in December, but he's in line to begin the 2026 campaign as bullpen depth in the minor leagues. He struggled a bit at Triple-A Rochester a season ago, accruing a 4.71 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 21.0 innings.
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Brandan Bidois RP | PIT
Pirates' Brandan Bidois: Sent packing from big-league camp
The Pirates optioned Bidois to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.
Bidois was one of eight players dismissed from big-league camp in the Pirates' latest round of roster cuts. The Pirates added the 24-year-old right-hander to the 40-man roster in the offseason after he turned in a 0.74 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and 69:27 K:BB while holding opposing hitters to a .110 average over 61 innings across four minor-league stops in 2025.
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Alexander Alberto RP | CHW
White Sox's Alexander Alberto: Delayed by back tightness
Alberto won't make a scheduled appearance Monday versus the Rockies due to back tightness, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
Alberto is expected to be ready to pitch in a day or two, so he's not believed to be dealing with a significant setback. The 24-year-old is trying to win a bullpen spot with the White Sox after being plucked in the Rule 5 Draft. Alberto has yielded three runs with a 4:2 K:BB over five innings so far this spring.
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Ryan Lambert RP | NYM
Mets' Ryan Lambert: Flashing elite fastball in camp
Lambert has shown both elite velocity and elite induced vertical break on his four-seam fastball in camp, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
The 23-year-old right-hander has yet to pitch above Double-A, but it may not be long before he's handling high-leverage situations with the Mets. Lambert's fastball can reach triple digits on the radar gun, but it's also averaged between 19 and 20 inches of induced vertical break, which measures how much carry a ball up in the zone appears to have. The only two MLB pitchers who averaged better than 97 mph and more than 19 inches of carry with their four-seamers in 2025 were Brewers closer Trevor Megill, who posted a 2.49 ERA and 31.3 percent strikeout rate, and Padres setup man Jeremiah Estrada, who delivered a 3.45 ERA and 35.5 percent strikeout rate. For his part, Lambert fired up a 1.62 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 81:17 K:BB over 50 innings between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton last season.