Skip to Main Content

MLB Player News

  • Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Working on footwork at second base

    Holliday has been working on his footwork at second base with Orioles guest coach Brian Roberts, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

    Roberts and Holliday are both former shortstops who have made the move to second base, and the 21-year-old is still getting a handle on some of the intricacies of his footwork on the other side of the second-base bag. Holliday has referred to Roberts' tutelage as "very helpful," with his new setup helping the accuracy and quickness of his throws. Roberts has also helped Holliday with his baserunning as the young infielder looks to steal more bases in 2025. Holliday is the heavy favorite to open the season as the Orioles' primary second baseman.

  • Addison Barger SS | TOR

    Blue Jays' Addison Barger: Back in action Thursday

    Barger (hand) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

    A hit-by-pitch Sunday prompted X-rays, which were negative. Barger is now ready to return to action and continue his bid for a spot on the Opening Day roster as a utility man. He split his time on the major-league roster last season between third base (36 games), right field (27 games) and left field (10 appearances).

  • Matt McLain SS | CIN

    Reds' Matt McLain: Three extra-base hits Wednesday

    McLain went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Angels.

    McLain made his third Cactus League appearance, all coming as the second baseman. He's led off in two of those games, including Wednesday, and could be the leadoff batter against left-handers this season. The lefty-hitting TJ Friedl is expected to lead off against righties.

  • Bobby Witt SS | KC

    Royals' Bobby Witt: Focusing on SB efficiency

    Witt said early in spring training that it was an offseason focus to get more efficient with his base stealing, and he remarked that he "shouldn't be getting thrown out the way [he was]" since he's one of the fastest players in MLB, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

    The 24-year-old finished second in AL MVP voting last year after he posted a .332/.389/.588 slash line with 32 homers, 31 steals, 109 RBI and 125 runs in 161 regular-season games, with the only real knock against him being that he was caught stealing 12 times. Witt also led the majors by being caught stealing 15 times in 2023, but that was accompanied by 49 successful thefts. The shortstop is already one of the top fantasy producers in the sport, and improving efficiency on the basepaths would only further boost his value.

  • Oneil Cruz SS | PIT

    Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Coming back from illness

    Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Wednesday that Cruz is being brought along slowly in spring training because he came to camp with an illness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

    Cruz is no longer ill, but since the ailment had prevented him from doing workouts for a while, the Pirates are taking it easy on him in the early weeks of camp. The center fielder has played in one of the team's first four Grapefruit League games, picking up a single and a stolen base Tuesday versus Atlanta. Cruz should be ready for a regular workload soon.

  • Cole Young SS | SEA

    Mariners' Cole Young: Moves past arm issue

    Young (arm) will be available off the bench for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

    According to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Young had been limited in some workouts in the first couple weeks of spring training due to a sore right arm, but he's already appeared in three Cactus League contests, going 2-for-6 with a run scored. He's yet to serve as anything more than a designated hitter in those games, but his ability to play suggests that he's not in any real danger of missing the start of the minor-league season.

  • Rangers' Sebastian Walcott: Day-to-day with sore arm

    Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Walcott will be held out of workouts Wednesday and Thursday due to "a little soreness in the arm," Shawn McDonald of the Dallas Morning News reports.

    Bochy indicated that the injury isn't serious and the team is just being cautious with its top prospect. Walcott, who doesn't turn 19 in March, is in camp as a non-roster invitee and is projected to begin the 2025 campaign at Double-A Frisco.

  • Leonardo Rivas SS | SEA

    Mariners' Leo Rivas: Day-to-day with ankle injury

    Rivas turned his left ankle during infield drills Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

    Rivas injured his ankle while stepping on second base and had to limp off the practice field. The Mariners are optimistic that he'll need only a few days of rest before returning to workouts. Rivas is competing this spring for a reserve infielder job.

  • Chase Jaworsky SS | MIA

    Astros' Chase Jaworsky: Available for Wednesday's game

    Jaworsky (undisclosed) is listed as an available bench option Wednesday for the Astros' Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

    The 20-year-old Jaworsky made his spring debut last Friday against the Mets, recording a sacrifice fly in his lone plate appearance in addition to seeing some time at second base. He isn't a serious threat to make the Astros' Opening Day roster, but his involvement in big-league camp is an indication that he's healthy again after he finished the 2024 season on Single-A Fayetteville's 60-day injured list due to an unspecified issue.

  • Josh H. Smith SS | TEX

    Rangers' Josh Smith: Moving around diamond

    Smith started at first base and went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's spring game against Kansas City.

    This was Smith's third Cactus League game, and he made starts at third base and center field prior to Tuesday's deployment. For the last two seasons, he's been needed as the primary fill-in for injured starters at shortstop and third base, but the Rangers are preparing him for a more diversified role in 2025. He's always carried multiple gloves with him, so moving around the diamond is nothing new. In more of a utility role, Smith may not receive the nearly 600 plate appearances he had last season.

Around the Web Promoted by Taboola