MLB Player News

Meyers (back) is starting in center field and batting sixth Monday against the Nationals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

He dealt with back spasms over the weekend but is back as expected Monday. Meyers seems like a pretty safe bet to open the year as the Astros' starting center fielder as long as he's healthy.

Alvarez will start at designated hitter and bat second in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Just as manager Joe Espada had suggested would be the case Sunday, Alvarez will enter the lineup Monday for what will be his spring debut. Alvarez was limited to 48 games last season due to hand and ankle injuries, but when healthy, he's consistently performed as one of the top hitters in the game. Espada has previously referred to Alvarez as the Astros' everyday designated hitter heading into 2026, so the 28-year-old would seem likely to see even less exposure to left field than he has in past seasons as Houston looks to keep him healthy over the course of the campaign.

Fortes went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Fortes has now gone 3-for-10 with a walk and two runs scored covering five spring outings. The right-handed-hitting backstop is lined up as Tampa Bay's primary catcher, but the lefty-hitting Hunter Feduccia is a threat to Fortes' reps behind the plate as well. Fortes slashed just .213/.307/.348 with three homers, three doubles, and 11 RBI across 101 regular-season plate appearances after being traded from the Marlins to the Rays at last year's deadline, and he'll likely slot somewhere into the lower part of the lineup to open 2026.

Aldegheri was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

Aldegheri appeared in two games with the Angels during spring training, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four batters over 4.1 innings. The 24-year-old struggled to a 7.90 ERA and 2.20 WHIP over 13.2 innings in four appearances, including two starts, with the Angels in 2025. He will now head to Salt Lake ahead of the regular season, and he'll look to impress at the Triple-A level in an attempt to get another shot with the major-league club in the near future.

Lugo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

Lugo will head to the Triple-A level after batting .091 with a double, an RBI, and four strikeouts over 11 at-bats in five contests during spring training. The outfielder produced a .232 average with four home runs, nine RBI and nine runs scored over 69 at-bats in 31 contests with the Angels last season. He'll look to impress with Salt Lake in an attempt to get another crack with the major-league roster in 2026.

Baez was optioned to Double-A Midland on Sunday.

Baez will head to Double-A after tossing a scoreless inning, striking out two batters and hitting another, in his only appearance with the Athletics during spring training. The 23-year-old combined to produce a 2.36 ERA with 101 strikeouts over 110.2 innings in 24 starts with Double-A San Antonio and Double-A Midland last season.

Nunez was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Nunez will open the 2026 campaign at the Triple-A level after appearing in three games during spring training, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 2.2 innings. The right-hander produced a 7.11 ERA and 1.89 WHIP with 11 strikeouts over 12.2 innings in 10 appearances with the Padres and Athletics in 2025. He'll look to impress with Las Vegas in order to potentially get another shot with the big-league roster in 2026.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said that deGrom threw a 30-pitch side session and will make a Cactus League start "really soon," Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

DeGrom reported to spring training at full health, but the Rangers are deliberately easing the 37-year-old righty into their Cactus League pitching schedule. Schumaker noted that deGrom has been building up through bullpen sessions and live batting practice sessions on the back fields of camp, which has allowed the two-time Cy Young Award winner to stay on pace with the Rangers' other rotation candidates during his spring throwing progression. The skipper expects deGrom to make 3-to-4 appearances in games before the end of camp, which should put deGrom in line to make a start during the Rangers' first series of the season in Philadelphia at the end of the month.

Ober's fastball velocity sat around 90-91 mph during his live batting practice session Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander saw his average velocity tick down to a career-low 90.3 mph while managing hip problems last season, so it's encouraging that he's already at or above that level early in spring training. Ober struggled to a 5.10 ERA in 27 starts last year, but his 3.66 ERA across the three prior campaigns makes him a decent candidate to bounce back in 2026, assuming he can stay healthy.

Oviedo (illness) is scheduled to start Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The right-hander was sent home from camp Thursday due to an illness, but he's ready to make his second start of spring training Monday. Oviedo allowed a run on three walks and a hit over 1.2 frames during his spring debut last week.