MLB Player News

Wagner went 2-for-2 with a double, two walks and two runs scored in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 26-year-old doesn't have a clear defensive home on the diamond, but his bat could earn him semi-regular playing time on a Blue Jays squad that loves to mix and match. Wagner is batting .273 (9-for-33) this spring with five doubles and a 4:6 BB:K, and he handled himself capably in his big-league debut in 2024, delivering a .305/.337/.451 slash line over 86 plate appearances after being acquired from the Astros. Most of his action in the majors last year came at second base, but with Andres Gimenez now calling the keystone home for the Jays, Wagner will have to battle for playing time at third base and DH while also occasionally spelling Vladimir Guerrero at first base.

The Guardians optioned Brito to Triple-A Columbus on Friday.

The 23-year-old posted a .177/.222/.529 slash line with four homers over 13 games in spring training and was unable to earn a place on the Opening Day roster. Brito still has a strong chance to make his MLB debut at some point in 2025, especially if he can replicate or improve upon the .808 OPS he produced at Triple-A last year.

Bichette went 3-for-4 in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

While all three hits were singles, it was still another strong effort at the plate from the shortstop as he looks to put his shaky 2024 behind him. Bichette is batting a cool .400 (18-for-45) this spring with three doubles, four homers and a 4:6 BB:K, and the only blemish on his Grapefruit League performance has been a 1-for-3 showing on the basepaths.

Francis gave up one run on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out four.

Facing a mix of big-league regulars, bench players and minor leaguers, Francis cruised through five innings before serving up a solo shot to Jonathan Aranda. The right-hander built up to 83 pitches (56 strikes) as he gets ready for Opening Day and tries to prove his big finish to 2024 was no fluke -- Francis posted a 1.53 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 56:7 K:BB over 59 innings after rejoining the Blue Jays' rotation in early August last season. Keeping the ball in the park has been an issue for Francis this spring, however. While he does have a 16:8 K:BB through 15.2 Grapefruit League innings, he's also been tagged for five homers.

Volpe went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over the Orioles.

Volpe went deep to left-center field in the sixth inning. The 23-year-old is tied for third on the Yankees with three long balls this spring and is tied for the team lead with three stolen bases. Volpe is batting just .200 in spring play, but he's locked in as New York's primary shortstop and appears slated to hit in the middle of the order on a near-everyday basis.

Schmidt (shoulder) is likely to begin the season on the 15-day injured list, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Schmidt felt good during a 32-pitch live batting practice session Thursday and recovered well Friday. However, he admitted that taking his first turn in the regular-season rotation would "handcuff" the club since he's not fully stretched out, putting extra pressure on the bullpen. As long as he continues to trend in a positive direction, Schmidt's stint on the IL should be brief. With the right-hander out, both Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren would be part of the Yankees' Opening Day rotation.

Warren will likely open the campaign in the Yankees' rotation if Clarke Schmidt (shoulder) begins the season on the injured list, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Warren has been battling for a rotation spot all spring, as injuries to Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Luis Gil (lat) have depleted New York's starting pitching depth. Carlos Carrasco's impressive spring is likely to earn him a rotation spot, and Marcus Stroman seems to be a lock for a starting role as well, but Warren may still have a place in the rotation if Schmidt -- who has pitched in only one Grapefruit League game but did throw live batting practice Thursday -- isn't ready for his first scheduled start. Warren struggled in his most recent outing Thursday against Baltimore, allowing four runs and serving up two homers in 3.2 innings, but he's been mostly impressive this spring and has good numbers overall, including a 4.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 19:5 K:BB over 19.1 frames.

Bigge is not expected to be included on the Rays' Opening Day roster, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Bigge has had a good spring, allowing just two runs with a 6:1 K:BB over seven innings, but having minor-league options remaining worked against him. The hard-throwing right-hander still has a good shot to handle high-leverage situations in the Rays' bullpen at some point this season.

Faedo will begin the season on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder injury, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said that an MRI on Faedo's shoulder didn't reveal anything "too alarming," but the right-hander will be shut down for a bit. Faedo had been in line for an Opening Day bullpen spot but could now be sidelined into May.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Jimenez will not make the Opening Day roster, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Cash noted that while Jimenez's bat "started to come to life" recently during Grapefruit League play, it's not going to be enough to crack the Opening Day roster. Jimenez -- who is on a minor-league contract -- will begin the season at Triple-A Durham and "could be huge for us at any point during the season," per Cash.