MLB Player News

Lopez surrendered five runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game versus the Twins. He failed to record a strikeout.

Lopez worked up to 57 pitches (36 strikes) Thursday compared to 44 in his previous outing, though his velocity was noticeably down and inconsistent, as noted by David O'Brien of The Athletic. He averaged just 93 mph on his fastball after averaging 95.5 mph with his heater in 2024, and his slider and curveball experienced similar drops in speed as well. Arm fatigue is fairly common at this stage in spring training, though it may be worth keeping an eye on Lopez, who had issues with a tired arm last season after making the move from the bullpen to the rotation.

Cranton was removed from Friday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers after being hit in the chin by a line drive, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Cranton seemed to be in a relatively good mood following the incident, which may indicate minimal damage was done. The 24-year-old made nine appearances at Single-A Modesto last season, and he'll likely aim to reach High-A Everett or Double-A Arkansas by the end of 2025.

The Cardinals optioned Svanson to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.

Svanson spent all of 2024 with Double-A Springfield, where he logged a 3.25 ERA and 1.49 WHIP across 63.2 innings. The Cardinals gave him a spot on their 40-man roster this offseason to prevent him from being scooped up in the Rule 5 Draft, and he'll now get to test his abilities at the Triple-A level for the first time.

Beeks signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Beeks split time between the Rockies and Pirates last season, turning in a 4.50 ERA and 1.49 WHIP across 70 total innings. The 31-year-old lefty may need a bit of time to build up before he makes his spring debut, but he should still be in the mix for Houston's Opening Day bullpen.

The Rockies optioned Justice to Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

Justice struggled mightily in the minor leagues last season, finishing with an 8.76 ERA and 2.52 WHIP across 24.2 frames at Albuquerque. He showed signs of improvement during spring training, allowing two runs and striking out six batters over three innings, though the 26-year-old southpaw likely has quite a bit of work to do before the Rockies feel comfortable inserting him into their bullpen.

The Rockies optioned Mejia to Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday.

Mejia spent all of last season with Double-A Hartford, where he accumulated a 5.00 ERA and 1.61 WHIP alongside a 65:30 K:BB across 54 innings. After throwing three scoreless innings in Cactus League play, he'll receive a bump to Triple-A for his age-24 season, though his past minor-league performance doesn't inspire much confidence in a promotion to the majors.

Manager Brandon Hyde announced Friday that Kittredge will undergo arthroscopic surgery on the cartilage in his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for multiple months, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Kittredge was pulled from Grapefruit League action after experiencing soreness in his left knee prior to this past Saturday's game against the Pirates. The 34-year-old right-hander underwent an MRI on his knee and opted to undergo surgery after receiving multiple opinions. With Kittredge set to start the 2025 regular season on the IL, Gregory Soto, Yennier Cano and Cionel Perez are expected to take on larger roles in the bullpen alongside Seranthony Dominguez and Felix Bautista.

The Mariners reassigned Fleming to minor-league camp Friday.

Fleming logged a 4.02 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 31.1 innings with the Pirates last year before being released and finishing the season in Seattle's farm system. He tossed three scoreless innings over his three appearances this spring but will ultimately miss out on the Mariners' Opening Day bullpen.

The Mariners optioned Danner to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

The Mariners claimed Danner off waivers early January after the 26-year-old right hander was DFA'd by the Blue Jays in December. He spent most of the 2024 regular season with Triple-A Buffalo, where he posted a 3.15 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and seven saves across 34.1 innings. Danner will begin the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Tacoma, though he could see some time in the majors if the Mariners are in need of depth out of the bullpen.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Hamilton is close to his Grapefruit League debut after being sidelined by an infection, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

It's not clear when or how the issue cropped up, but it was enough to shelve Hamilton for the first half of camp. Since he's a reliever, he could still have time to ramp up for Opening Day. Hamilton has had a tough time staying healthy but has been effective for the Yankees when on the bump, sporting a 3.10 ERA and 110:40 K:BB over 95.2 regular-season innings across two campaigns.