MLB Player News
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Leonardo Rivas SS | SEA
Mariners' Leo Rivas: Returns to lineup
Rivas (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.
Rivas has been sidelined since late February after turning his left ankle while participating in infield drills. After a week of rest, he's been cleared to return to game action and continue competing for a spot on Seattle's Opening Day bench.
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Bo Bichette SS | NYM
Blue Jays' Bo Bichette: Could bat leadoff or cleanup
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Bichette could bat leadoff or cleanup this season, "depending on who we're facing," Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Schneider has decided on Vladimir Guerrero in the No. 2 hole and Anthony Santander in the No. 3 spot, but who bats before them and after them is not yet written in ink. Bichette has spent the vast majority of his career hitting second, but his 106 starts in the cleanup spot are the second most of any position in the batting order. George Springer has been the club's regular leadoff man during his four seasons in Toronto but might bat lower in the order in 2025.
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Yoeilin Cespedes SS | BOS
Red Sox's Yoeilin Cespedes: Looks healthy for 2025
Cespedes (hand) is listed on Boston's roster for its March 13 Spring Breakout game against Tampa Bay prospects.
Cespedes' inclusion on the roster implies that he's back to full health after undergoing surgery in August to repair a hamate bone fracture in his left hand. The 19-year-old infield prospect hit .319/.400/.615 with five home runs and three stolen bases over his 105 plate appearances in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last season before being shut down with the hand injury. He'll likely open the 2025 campaign at Single-A Salem.
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Felnin Celesten SS | SEA
Mariners' Felnin Celesten: Taking part in Spring Breakout game
The Mariners list Celesten (wrist) on the roster for their March 14 Spring Breakout game against Guardians prospects.
Celesten appears to be in good health entering the 2025 campaign after not playing for the Mariners' rookie-level Arizona Complex League from July 24 onward last season while recovering from a lingering hamate injury that he addressed with surgery. The 19-year-old infield prospect should be ready to debut with a full-season affiliate in 2025.
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Marcelo Mayer SS | BOS
Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Moves past illness
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Mayer has recovered from a stomach illness and plans to play in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
One of multiple players in Red Sox camp who has succumbed to a stomach bug in recent days, Mayer is the first of the ailing players to regain health and resume working out. The illness thus doesn't look like it'll be anything that sets Mayer back heading into the season, but the 22-year-old shortstop remains likely to open at Triple-A Worcester rather than with the big club.
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Oneil Cruz SS | PIT
Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Pops second spring homer
Cruz has gone 3-for-12 with two home runs and three stolen bases across 12 at-bats in Grapefruit League action.
Cruz popped his second homer of spring on a hanging changeup during Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays. He's showcased his fantasy-friendly profile early in spring thanks to his power and aggressiveness on the basepaths, though he's also struck out six times.
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Leo De Vries SS | ATH
Padres' Leo De Vries: Cut from big-league camp
The Padres reassigned De Vries to minor-league camp Thursday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The 18-year-old De Vries and fellow teenage prospect Ethan Salas were among the 11 cuts the Padres made Thursday. De Vries posted an .803 OPS with 11 homers and 13 steals with Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2024 and could move up to High-A Fort Wayne in 2025.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Working on patience at plate
Pena has focused on being more selective with his swings this spring, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Pena adjusted his swing in preparation for the 2024 season, and this year, his focus has been laying off bad pitches in live batting practice. Across 1,842 career plate appearances, Pena has only a 4.9 percent walk rate but has still managed exactly a 100 wRC+. Despite this report, it is worth noting that Pena has not drawn a walk across 10 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.
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Carson Williams SS | TB
Rays' Carson Williams: Doubles off Crochet
Williams went 1-for-4 with a double against the Red Sox in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game.
Williams got the chance to start at shortstop while hitting fifth in the order. He faced Garrett Crochet in the second inning and fell behind 0-2 in the count before lacing a double to left field that landed just before the wall. Williams is a candidate for a mid-season promotion to the majors and has gone 2-for-13 with three strikeouts and two walks so far in spring training.
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Ernie Clement SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Ernie Clement: Back in action Thursday
Clement (mouth) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.
An errant fastball struck Clement in the face during Monday's exhibition against the Tigers, but he managed to avoid any fractures and was cleared of a concussion. The 28-year-old is now ready to resume his preparations for Opening Day, as he gears up to serve as the primary third baseman for Toronto in 2025.