MLB Player News

The Red Sox informed Zavala on Friday that he will not make the Opening Day roster, Chris Cotillo and Christopher Smith of MassLive.com report.

Zavala has an opt-out clause in his contract and will huddle with his agent to figure out his next step. This means the Red Sox plan to install Carlos Narvaez as the backup catcher to starter Connor Wong.

Bello (shoulder) expects to be activated by the first or second week of April, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Bello will open the regular season on the 15-day injured list and remain behind in Fort Myers when the Red Sox break camp. His IL stint can be backdated by as many as three days, so in theory the pitcher could be ready for the club's first home series against the Cardinals, which begins April 4. Boston opens the regular season with two road stops, first in Texas and then Baltimore.

Goldschmidt (back) will start at first base and bat leadoff in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Goldschmidt's return to the spring lineup comes one day after initially scheduled, but he now seems to be fully recovered from the back soreness that has been bothering him since Monday. The veteran first baseman has been great this spring, slashing .313/.389/.688 with three homers and 10 RBI through 36 plate appearances.

Crochet allowed five hits and two walks while striking out nine over 5.1 scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against the Pirates.

Crochet finished up the Grapefruit League on a strong note, exactly as he began it. The left-hander dominated through five spring outings, giving up just one run in 15.2 innings (0.57 ERA) with 30 strikeouts and eight walks. Crochet will next pitch Opening Day against the Rangers.

Varsho (shoulder) will begin the season on the injured list, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Varsho has been able to DH this spring with plenty of success, turning in a 1.126 OPS over 33 plate appearances. However, manager John Schneider has said that the 28-year-old would likely head to the IL if he hadn't been cleared to play in the field by Opening Day. Varsho has been throwing from 120 feet, but it doesn't seem like there's enough time to get him outfield-ready in time for the start of the season, so his 2025 debut will be delayed until at least April 6.

Manager John Schneider said Saturday that Sandlin will be a part of Toronto's Opening Day bullpen, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Sandlin has made five appearances in the Grapefruit League, surrendering two earned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out eight batters over five innings. He'll likely settle into a middle-relief role to start the year, though his ability to rack up strikeouts keeps the door open for a healthy amount of high-leverage opportunities.

Schneider was officially named to the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

By slashing .345/.500/.655 with five RBI and six runs scored over 38 plate appearances this spring, Schneider certainly made it difficult for Toronto to deny him a roster spot. He's likely to come off the bench most days, though his ability to play in left field as well as second and third base improves his chances of cracking the starting nine on any given day.

Eovaldi allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one over four innings in Friday's spring start against the Angels.

Eovaldi retired the first seven batters he faced and nine of the first 10 over three scoreless innings before getting nicked for a run in his final frame. This was his final Cactus League tune-up and the best of his four spring outings. He finishes the spring with a 5.54 ERA, nine strikeouts and four walks over 13 innings. The right-hander next takes the ball Opening Day against the Red Sox.

Manager John Schneider said Saturday that Heineman has made the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Heineman had the advantage by being the only catcher on the Jays' 40-man roster other than starter Alejandro Kirk, but he's officially beaten out Christian Bethancourt. Despite being a switch hitter, Heineman has never been much of a threat at the plate with a career .212/.298/.273 batting line.

Mize is expected to open the 2025 season as Detroit's No. 4 starter, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The Tigers informed Kenta Maeda that he will begin the season in the bullpen and later optioned Keider Montero, leaving Mize and Jackson Jobe to round out the Tigers' Opening Day rotation. Both players should have some runway with Alex Cobb (hip) expected to miss at least the first month. Mize put up a 1.13 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB in 16 innings this spring, a vast improvement on his regular-season numbers from a year ago (4.49 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 78:29 K:BB in 102.1 innings).