MLB Player News

The Cubs optioned Cowles to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

The 25-year-old was added to Chicago's 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, but he was never a likely candidate to make the Opening Day roster. Cowles spent last season at the Double-A level with both the Cubs and Yankees organizations, and he had a .286/.372/.457 slash line with nine homers and 14 steals in 92 games.

Montgomery (back) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

Montgomery will be making his first Cactus League appearance since Feb. 25, after back spasms kept him out of action for nearly two weeks. The 23-year-old shortstop is in contention for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he'll likely need a strong finish to the spring to earn his place with the big club. Coming off a 121-loss season, the White Sox have no visions of contending for a playoff spot in 2025, so they won't have much motivation to start Montgomery's service clock until they're fully confident that he's big-league ready.

Rocchio went 2-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against San Diego.

Rocchio is showing signs of improvement at the plate during Cactus League play, slashing .450/.476/.650 with four doubles through eight spring games. That builds off a strong 2024 postseason in which the shortstop had a .906 OPS. The 24-year-old was a highly regarded prospect a few years ago, and while he may not provide much in the way of power, Rocchio defends well (five outs above average in 2024) at a premium position and doesn't need to be a five-category contributor to be an asset for the Guardians.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that Duran isn't guaranteed a place on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Duran posted a .276/.324/.443 slash line with 14 home runs in 122 games two seasons ago, but he slipped to a .609 OPS in 2024 and now doesn't have a secure role. The 25-year-old is competing for a utility job, but Josh Smith is poised to be the main reserve infielder while Leody Taveras lines up as the No. 4 outfielder.

Barrero could be competing with Jose Fermin for the final spot on the Cardinals' bench, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Working in Barrero's favor is that the Cardinals lack a true backup shortstop and are also left-handed heavy in the outfield. The right-handed hitting Barrero is a natural shortstop and can also play the outfield, making him a fit to fill a versatile bench role. Barrero, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, has two home runs and one stolen base in 11 games this spring. The former top prospect hasn't played in the majors since June of 2023.

Neto (shoulder) fielded groundballs and made throws to second base Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Per Fletcher, it was the first time Neto has thrown to a bag this spring, though he began a throwing program in mid-February. The 24-year-old shortstop is progressing in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery and is expected to begin the campaign on the injured list. Manager Ron Washington stated last week that Neto should be able to make his season debut sometime in April.

Meidroth was removed in the fifth inning of Saturday's spring game against the Dodgers due to calf cramps.

Batting out of the leadoff spot and playing second base, Meidroth went 0-for-2 before being replaced by Dominic Fletcher in the bottom of the fifth frame. Meidroth is considered day-to-day with the calf cramps, though the White Sox could take the cautious route and keep him off the field for the next couple of days. Across seven spring games, Meidroth has gone 2-for-14 with five walks, two runs, one double and one RBI.

The Marlins optioned Acosta to Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Acosta's option to Triple-A will act as a promotion of sorts, as he spent all of last season in Double-A as part of the Rangers organization. The 22-year-old went 3-for-11 with a home run in his first spring with the Marlins, and a lack of depth in the big-league infield keeps the door open for Acosta to debut in 2025.

Grissom went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Friday's spring game against the Marlins.

After going 1-for-13 to start Grapefruit League competition, Grissom has hit in three straight, going 4-for-9 with two walks, two doubles and two RBI. He opened spring training as one of a group competing for the starting job at second base. One of those competitors, Kristian Campbell, has recently received more playing time (and practice time) in the outfield, leaving Grissom and David Hamilton to patrol the keystone. The elephant in the room is how Red Sox manager Alex Cora deploys third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) and Alex Bregman. Devers is expected to begin playing spring games this week as the designated hitter while Bregman continues on at third base. If Cora eventually decides Devers will be his third baseman, that means Bregman would move to second base and limit Grissom's opportunities.

Story went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and an additional run scored in Friday's spring game against Miami.

The homers were the first of the spring for Story, and five of his 10 hits have gone for extra bases. He's served as Boston's cleanup hitter in six of seven Grapefruit League starts.