MLB Player News

Atlanta returned Cairo to the Guardians on Wednesday.

Atlanta selected Cairo in the Rule 5 Draft in December, but the 23-year-old infielder failed to make the big-league roster after slashing .179/.294/.250 during spring training. He'll be stripped of a 40-man roster spot upon returning to his original organization and will likely report to Triple-A Columbus for the start of the new season.

The Red Sox optioned Grissom to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Grissom had seemingly fallen to third in line behind Kristian Campbell and David Hamilton in the second base competition, so it's not a surprise he's being cut from big-league camp. The 24-year-old has batted just .176 with a .535 OPS in 13 contests this spring.

The Rays reassigned Simpson to minor-league camp Wednesday.

The most prolific base stealer in the minors in 2024 with 104 thefts in 121 attempts over 110 games between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery, Simpson made waves early in Grapefruit League play by going 4-for-6 with a pair of steals and runs through his first three games. He's faded badly since then, however, going 2-for-19 over his subsequent eight contests to effectively end his longshot odds of breaking camp with the Rays. Simpson's elite wheels will make him worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues, but his subpar defense and dearth of power could make it difficult for him to emerge as an everyday player in the majors.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Dezenzo (jaw) is expected to return to Grapefruit League action Thursday versus the Marlins, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Dezenzo suffered a TMJ sprain on the left side of his jaw after getting hit in the head by a groundball Tuesday. He will undergo concussion testing just to be safe, but the expectation is that he will be fine. Dezenzo is competing for a reserve role with Houston.

Brito started at second base and went 2-for-4 with with a solo home run in Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers.

Four of Brito's six Cactus League hits have left the park, giving him a lopsided spring line of .176/.222/.529 through 13 games. He's one of a host of players competing for the open job at second base. Brito's defense and speed are mediocre, which means his power will need to carry him past those shortcomings.

Dezenzo was diagnosed with a TMJ sprain on the left side of his jaw after getting hit in the head by a groundball in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against Washington, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Interestingly, Dezenzo's left side took the most damage even though he was hit on the right side of his face. The 24-year-old was also evaluated and cleared for a concussion, and he's slated to undergo further testing on his jaw Wednesday. Dezenzo has been great in spring training so far, slashing .378/.415/.615 with two homers and six RBI through 39 plate appearances.

Dezenzo exited Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals after getting hit in the head by a groundball, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Dezenzo was able to walk off the field on his own, though he was visibly bothered by his jaw after getting hit. The Astros will take a look at him to make sure he didn't suffer any significant damage and should offer an update on his status relatively soon.

The Astros optioned Whitcomb to minor-league camp Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The Astros have an opening at second base with Jose Altuve expected to move to left field, but Whitcomb never seemed to be under any real consideration to start at the keystone. He'll begin the season at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he played every position other than center field, catcher and pitcher last season.

Paris went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and four RBI in Monday's Cactus League win over Arizona.

Paris doubled home a run in the second inning and cleared the bases with a three-run double in the ninth. The 23-year-old struggled mightily during stints in the majors each of the past two seasons, slashing a collective .100/.214/.165 with a 32.4 percent strikeout rate over 105 plate appearances. However, Paris worked on his swing mechanics during the offseason, and the results have been promising during the exhibition slate. He leads the Angels with 12 RBI during spring play and is slashing .364/.432/.697 with two home runs, 11 runs and three stolen bases. Paris has a chance of breaking camp with the big club, as Los Angeles will need to lean upon its infield depth early with Zach Neto (shoulder) expected to begin the campaign on the IL and Yoan Moncada (thumb) uncertain to be ready for Opening Day.

Morrii will be developed as a two-way player after signing for $1,510,500 million - the largest signing bonus for a Japanese amateur to not play for Nippon Professional Baseball, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He had an exit velocity of 110.1 mph of his bat in Friday's Spring Breakout game, where he served as the DH.

Morrii is an 18-year-old Japanese two-way phenom who skipped Japan's professional league (NPB) draft to come to MLB. He thows 95 mph as a pitcher as well. It's a curious and unique decision to develop him as a two-way player. He's expected to begin the season in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.