MLB Player News

Pena (finger) began swinging a bat Friday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The Astros still haven't ruled Pena out for Opening Day, and his ability to hold/swing a bat without aggravating his fractured finger will likely be a key factor in determining his availability. If the team decides it's best to hold him out, Carlos Correa would presumably slide over to shortstop while Isaac Paredes mans the hot corner.

Torres was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees due to lower-back tightness.

The severity of Torres' injury is still unknown, but the Tigers should report more details after they take a closer look at him. Spencer Torkelson will replace him as Detroit's designated hitter Saturday, and Zach McKinstry may take over as the Tigers' second baseman if Torres' back forces him to miss Opening Day.

Manager Aaron Boone announced Saturday that Grichuk will be on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Grichuk hasn't performed very well in spring training, going just 2-for-16 at the dish while striking out six times, but he'll open the season as bench depth for the Yankees' outfield unit. Most of his opportunities in the Bronx will likely come against left-handed starters.

The Yankees optioned Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Cabrera returned from ankle surgery in early March and had been attempting to make the Yankees' Opening Day roster as a bench piece, but he'll come up short after going just 2-for-14 in Grapefruit League play. Once he gets a few more at-bats at Triple-A to knock off some rust, he may be a candidate for an in-season promotion.

Pederson went 0-for-2 in Friday's spring game against San Francisco.

Pederson's struggles from 2025 have carried over into 2026. He's batting just .171 (6-for-35) with zero RBI over 15 Cactus League games. Pederson is expected to be part of a rotation at designated hitter, which could also include players that have been more productive this spring. Both Andrew McCutchen (.533 average) and Mark Canha (.316, three HR) have been better than Pederson.

Robles went 4-for-6 with a three-run homer, a double and an additional run scored in Friday's Cactus League matchup with the Guardians.

It was an encouraging showing from Robles, who had been struggling mightily this spring. Coming into the day, the outfielder had gone just 2-for-24 in his first 12 Cactus League appearances. Robles should see steady playing time thanks to his defense, though he'll likely open the year in a short-side platoon role alongside lefty batters Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley. A shoulder injury limited Robles to just 32 regular-season appearances in 2025, and he slashed .245/.281/.330 with one homer and six stolen bases.

Rodriguez went 3-for-3 with a home run, three total runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 20-8 Cactus League victory over the Guardians.

Rodriguez joined the Mariners' power barrage Friday with his first homer of the spring, a two-run, 431-foot blast off Logan Allen in the fourth inning. The star outfielder certainly appears ready for the regular season -- he's now batting .533 (8-for-15) through six Cactus League games, bookending a trip to the World Baseball Classic, where he went 3-for-17 with a home run for the Dominican Republic.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and two RBI in Friday's spring game against the Giants.

Smith is enjoying a productive spring, slashing .390/.528/.756 with three steals, 12 walks, three doubles, four home runs and 14 RBI over 17 Cactus League games. That production, however, has overwhelmingly come against right-handers; Smith has just 10 at-bats (two hits) against lefties this spring and a career .631 OPS against southpaws. Despite the track record, Texas manager Skip Schumaker said earlier this month that Smith will not be in a strict platoon at second base.

Eovaldi allowed four hits and one walk and did not record a strikeout over four scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against San Francisco.

Eovaldi was efficient in his final Cactus League start before taking the ball Opening Day next Thursday. He threw just 36 pitches (27 strikes), which can happen when a team is as aggressive as the Giants were Friday. There should be no worries about length; Eovaldi threw 81 pitches and 5.2 innings in his previous spring start.

Kjerstad is dealing with tightness in his right hamstring, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Kjerstad will undergo imaging as a precaution to determine whether he's dealing with any structural damage, at which point the team will know more about how long he'll be out. The 27-year-old outfielder has posted just a .605 OPS through 42 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League and seems likely to open the regular season in Triple-A.