MLB Player News

Ober threw two perfect innings with one strikeout in Friday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta. However, his fastball averaged just 89.9 mph and topped out at 91.1 mph, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The results look good, but he was essentially facing Atlanta's "B" lineup, and notably the velocity Ober showed earlier in camp was not there. While he's never been a particularly hard thrower, a significant bounce-back from his 5.10 ERA last season may prove difficult if he can't find a little more zip on the pitch he throws more than one-third of the time. Ober figures to make three more spring starts before slotting in behind Joe Ryan in the Twins' season-opening rotation.

DeLauter started in right field and went 1-for-3 with one RBI in Friday's spring game against the Angels.

DeLauter, who returned from lower-body soreness as the designated hitter earlier in the week, defended a position for the first time since being scratched from a game one week ago. Beyond left fielder Steven Kwan, the Guardians' outfield is unsettled, but DeLauter appears to be a lock, either in center or right field. He's hit safely in all four of his Cactus League games, going 6-for-11 with two doubles, one home run and four RBI.

Vazquez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Astros on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Vazquez is currently playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but afterward he will report to Astros camp and attempt to win the backup job behind Yainer Diaz. Cesar Salazar, the only other catcher currently on Houston's 40-man roster, is 2-for-13 so far this spring. Vazquez, now 35, spent the last three seasons in Minnesota, slashing a combined .215/.267/.311.

Caminero went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run for the Dominican Republic in Friday's 12-3 win over Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic.

Caminero looks to have taken his hot bat from spring training into the WBC, considering he's gone 5-for-12 (.417) with five RBI and one walk covering his first five Grapefruit League contests. The 22-year-old slugger was a first-time All-Star in 2025, though it's worth noting that the Rays are returning to pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field in 2026. During last year's regular season, Caminero posted a .953 OPS across 294 at-bats at hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field as opposed to a .743 OPS over 308 at-bats on the road.

Aranda went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run for Mexico in Friday's 8-2 win over Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.

Aranda's hot start to spring training appears to have carried into the WBC -- the first baseman has gone 5-for-13 (.385) with a double and two walks over six Grapefruit League outings. Even with the Rays heading back to pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field in 2026, the 27-year-old should occupy a premium spot in Tampa Bay's lineup to begin the new year. Aranda was a strong four-category fantasy contributor when healthy in 2025, as he hit .316 with 14 homers, 59 RBI and 56 runs scored across 370 regular-season at-bats (106 games).

Montero continues to have visa issues and hasn't yet arrived at Yankees camp, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Montero has been unable to join New York to this point while he works to resolve the visa issues. The veteran reliever had been slated to use the exhibition season to try to win a spot in the Yankees' bullpen, but given how much time he's already missed, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that Montero will break camp with the big-league club.

Schlittler pitched 2.1 scoreless innings against Tampa Bay in a Grapefruit League game Friday, allowing two hits and issuing one walk while striking out four batters.

Schlittler dealt with a back injury during the early part of spring training but appeared fully recovered Friday. He tossed 39 pitches and showed good velocity, topping out at 99.6 mph on his fastball. With his spring debut now in the books, Schlittler seems like he'll be ready for Opening Day, though he may be on a pitch count for his first few starts as he works to get fully ramped up.

Burke allowed four earned runs on five hits while striking out three across 3.0 innings in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

This was Burke's third outing of the spring, and he's allowed a combined six earned runs across his last six innings. Despite the poor line Thursday, he did manage to settle in after allowing all four of his runs to the first six batters he faced. While Burke is expected to land a spot in the rotation to begin the season, manager Will Venable has been purposely non-committal about the roles of his pitchers to this point in the exhibition season, per Barry Bloom of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Buxton was removed from Friday's World Baseball Classic game against Brazil after getting hit on the elbow by a pitch, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Buxton ran the bases for himself after taking a 92-mph fastball off his right elbow in the fifth inning, but he was replaced on defense to begin the next half-inning. The severity of his injury remains unclear, but more information on his status should come in the near future.

Detmers completed four innings in a Cactus League contest against Cleveland on Friday, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Detmers gave up a pair of runs in the second inning but ended his start by retiring the final seven batters he faced. The southpaw threw 39 of 64 pitches for strikes and got a healthy 11 whiffs. Detmers had given up five runs over 4.2 frames across his first two appearances this spring, so Friday's outing was a step in the right direction. He's locked into a role in the Angels' rotation to begin the campaign, but given his success as a reliever last year, the team could opt to move him back to the bullpen at some point if the return to starting doesn't go well.