MLB Player News

Strahm (leg) tossed a perfect inning of relief Friday in the Royals' 5-2 loss to the Giants in Cactus League play.

Strahm had been lifted from his previous spring appearance Wednesday after being struck in the left leg by a line drive, but he suffered nothing more than a contusion and felt well enough to get back on the mound two days later. The 34-year-old lefty is ready to go for Opening Day as he kicks off his second stint in the Royals organization after being acquired from the Phillies over the winter. Strahm is expected to be a key part of the bridge to closer Carlos Estevez.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four total RBI in an exhibition loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.

Soler accounted for the bulk of the Angels' run production with a solo blast in the second inning and a three-run shot in the sixth. The 34-year-old has looked rejuvenated this spring, slashing .361/.452/.750 with three homers, five doubles, nine runs and six RBI through 15 games. Soler is expected to work primarily as the Angels' DH this season but could also see occasional time in the outfield.

Judge went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk Sunday in a Grapefruit League win over Philadelphia.

Judge took Aaron Nola deep in the fifth inning for his third homer in Grapefruit League play. The slugger also hit two home runs for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic, so he seems to be in good form heading into the regular season. Judge has slugged over 50 long balls in three of the past four regular seasons, and that's the kind of production fantasy managers who invested in Judge on draft day will be looking for again this year.

The Athletics announced Monday that Medina will be part of the team's bullpen to begin the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Medina could merit consideration for a spot in the rotation later on in the season, but at least to begin the campaign, he'll likely operate as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. Deploying Medina in relief should allow the Athletics to better manage the right-hander's workload over the course of the campaign, after he missed all of 2025 while completing his recovery from his Aug. 6, 2024 Tommy John surgery. Medina faced no restrictions during spring training but showed shaky command in the Cactus League, allowing six earned runs on six hits while posting a 5:9 K:BB in 7.1 innings.

Pereira was scratched from Monday's Cactus League lineup versus the Athletics due to illness, Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Derek Hill subbed in for Pereira in right field for the White Sox. Pereira should be healthy for Opening Day, and he is projected to begin the season as a reserve outfielder for Chicago.

The Athletics announced Monday that Ginn will be part of the team's bullpen to begin the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Ginn has made 22 of his 31 career appearances with the Athletics as a starter and was given the chance to compete for a rotation spot in spring training, but he'll ultimately have to settle for a spot in the bullpen after yielding a 10.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB over 15 innings during the Cactus League. With Jack Perkins beginning the season at Triple-A Las Vegas and Ginn and Luis Medina slated to operate as multi-inning options out of the bullpen, the Athletics will head into Opening Day with Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales and Aaron Civale as their five-man rotation.

The Athletics optioned Perkins to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Perkins came to camp in the mix for a spot either in the rotation or bullpen, but he didn't win either after allowing four runs with a 7:7 K:BB over nine Cactus League frames. The 26-year-old remains one of the club's more talented arms and should play a role with the big club in 2026. Perkins will likely open the season in the Sacramento rotation.

Martinez finished Grapefruit League play with a 14.49 ERA and 7:6 K:BB over 13.2 innings.

Martinez surrendered a whopping 29 hits (including five home runs) in his four spring training starts. It will not prevent him from occupying a spot in the Rays' rotation -- he's already been announced as the starter for Saturday's game in St. Louis -- and Martinez should have some leash given his $13 million salary. Fantasy managers will probably want to steer clear of starting Martinez for the time being, however.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 28-year-old outfielder got hold of a Nick Martinez cutter in the first inning for a two-run homer, one of three Toronto long balls off the right-hander. It was Sanchez's first home run of the spring, and he's been heating up with Opening Day approaching, going 5-for-13 over his last three Grapefruit League games. Sanchez has never been able to fully capitalize on some impressive metrics during his MLB career, including 93rd percentile bat speed in 2025 and a 95th percentile hard-hit rate in 2024, but the Blue Jays have a track record of helping big swingers unlock another level of production.

Murray (finger) went 1-for-2 with a walk, a run and an RBI while appearing in three Cactus League games last week.

Murray had previously exited a March 7 game after being struck in the right pinky finger by a pitch, but he was cleared for action just over a week later. The 26-year-old infielder finished Cactus League play with a .238/.333/.619 slash line to go with two home runs and one stolen base across 27 plate appearances. He'll open the season at Triple-A Charlotte but should make his MLB debut at some point in 2026 after being added to the White Sox's 40-man roster over the winter.