MLB Player News

Crouse (lat) struck out two and allowed two earned runs on three hits over an inning of relief Saturday in the Orioles' 8-6 win over the Pirates in his Grapefruit League debut.

The appearance was Crouse's first of spring training and signals that he's back to full health after he hadn't pitched in a game since April 3, 2025 while he recovered from a right lat strain. After being cut loose by the Angels last April shortly upon suffering the injury, Crouse had remained a free agent until he signed a minor-league deal with the Orioles in January. He's likely to open the season at Triple-A Norfolk.

Sandlin (elbow) is listed among the Angels' available relievers for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The Angels haven't confirmed that Sandlin will pitch Sunday, but his inclusion on the lineup card nonetheless indicates that he's fully ramped back up after he was eased along during the first few weeks of spring training while he recovered from an offseason arthroscopic procedure on his right elbow. Since he's attending camp as a non-roster invitee, Sandlin likely won't have sufficient time to stake a claim to a spot in the Angels' Opening Day bullpen, but he could put himself in the mix for an early call-up if he pitches effectively at Triple-A Salt Lake to begin the season.

Lowe (oblique) served as the Angels' designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Mariners in Cactus League play.

Lowe checked back into the spring lineup for the first time since Feb. 25 after a sore left oblique kept him out of action. The Angels eased Lowe back in by having him serve as a DH, but he should get some exposure to the corner outfield in the coming days. Lowe has just one hit through 10 at-bats in the Cactus League, but regardless of how he performs over the rest of the spring, he's likely to begin the season in a strong-side platoon role for the Angels.

Foscue (hamstring) will serve as the Rangers' designated hitter and No. 7 batter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

Foscue will check back into the Rangers' spring lineup for the first time since Feb. 23 after a strained right hamstring had kept him out of action for just under three weeks. The 27-year-old will still need to prove that the hamstring injury doesn't present any problems for him defensively in order to win a utility gig on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, but he could still find himself on the outside looking in for a spot. Foscue has a minor-league option remaining, so the Rangers could send him to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the season in order for him to receive everyday at-bats.

LaViolette (hand) struck out in his lone at-bat and played two innings in left field in Saturday's 8-5 loss to the Padres in Cactus League play.

Though LaViolette hasn't been taking part in spring training with the big club, the Guardians opted to bring him aboard for Saturday's game to serve as an extra option in the outfield. A first-round pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, LaViolette didn't see any game action after being selected last summer while he recovered from a cleanup procedure on his left hand, but he appears to be heading into 2026 with a clean bill of health. The 22-year-old outfielder is likely to open the season at Single-A Hill City.

Pena (finger) said Saturday that he's been swinging a bat with one hand, throwing plyometric balls and fielding groundballs during his rehab program, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 28-year-old was diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger in early March, sidelining him for the World Baseball Classic and putting his availability for Opening Day into question. Pena's current participation in baseball activities is encouraging, and at this point, he's just awaiting clearance to throw and swing with both hands. Once fully cleared, the shortstop doesn't expect to need many at-bats before being ready for MLB action, so he still has a chance to be ready by Opening Day.

The Athletics are planning on having Butler (knees) make his Cactus League debut Tuesday versus the White Sox, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Butler's spring debut has been delayed after he underwent surgery on his right knee in October to repair a torn patellar tendon, as well as receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. Though the 25-year-old has been able to stay on top of his hitting progression, he's needed more time to complete a running program and take part in full defensive drills. Butler appeared to be running the bases at full speed during his workout Sunday, so the outfielder may have cleared the final hurdle in his long recovery process. Since he's already been able to get plenty of competitive at-bats in through live batting practice sessions and simulated games, Butler may need to play just a couple of Cactus League games to prove that he's ready to go for Opening Day.

The Rangers outrighted Diaz to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

After signing a one-year deal with Texas in December, Diaz entered spring training with a chance to stake his claim to the closer job in an unsettled bullpen. The right-hander's lack of command during spring training ultimately resulted in him not only falling short of a high-leverage role, but a spot on the 40-man roster. He'll remain in the Texas organization after drawing no interest on the waiver wire, having yielded eight earned runs on three hits and four walks over 1.2 innings in the Cactus League.

The Rangers reassigned Bride to minor-league camp Sunday.

Bride had been competing for a utility spot on the Opening Day roster but didn't help his case by slashing an underwhelming .226/.368/.290 over 38 plate appearances. The 30-year-old infielder is likely to begin the campaign at Triple-A Round Rock.

The Rangers optioned Corniell (triceps/back) to Double-A Frisco on Sunday.

Though he was able to make his big-league debut late last season, Corniell will end up dropping back down to the Double-A level to begin the 2026 campaign after back and triceps injuries prevented him from gaining much momentum this spring in his bid for a spot in the bullpen. Corniell at least appears to be heading into the season healthy after making his Cactus League debut Friday, issuing one walk and allowing no hits over a scoreless inning of relief.