MLB Player News

Casas said recently that he has yet to test out his surgically repaired left knee with running or sliding, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Casas believes he will be ready to play "for some affiliate" Opening Day and doesn't rule out the possibility that it could be with the Red Sox, but it's unlikely. His rehab from patellar tendon surgery has come along well, but the 26-year-old still has some boxes to check before being cleared to play in games. With Willson Contreras set to man first base, the Red Sox can afford to proceed with caution with Casas. When Casas is ready to return to the big club, he will be in the mix for starts in the designated hitter slot.

Schlittler (back) is scheduled to throw about 25 pitches in a simulated inning of live batting practice Wednesday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees have been moving Schlittler along slowly in his throwing program after he experienced mid-back inflammation shortly upon reporting to camp. He was able to throw multiple bullpen sessions without incident and will now take the next stop forward by facing hitters. If all goes well Wednesday, Schlittler could get the green light to make his Grapefruit League debut at some point next week.

Montgomery (illness) will start at shortstop and bat cleanup in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Reds.

After falling ill, Montgomery was scratched from the starting nine ahead of Monday's game against the Rockies, but the young infielder looks to be good to go following a couple days of rest and recovery. Montgomery is poised to enter 2026 as the White Sox's everyday shortstop after slugging 21 home runs in just 71 games as a rookie last season, but trimming down his 29.3 percent strikeout rate will likely be essential if he's to improve upon his middling .239 batting average.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday that Melton has yet to make a Grapefruit League appearance due to general right arm soreness, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Hinch said the club is "playing it pretty conservative" and will get Melton "checked out" before a more concrete update on his condition is revealed. Melton was already likely on the outside looking in for a spot in Detroit's rotation following the team's signings of Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander, and the injury could be a knockout blow to his chances of making the Opening Day roster even if it's not a long-term issue.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Wednesday that Crawford is tending to a shoulder issue and is expected to make his Cactus League debut at some point next week, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Wilson downplayed any concern about Crawford's availability for Opening Day, noting instead that the Mariners are merely taking a cautious approach with the shortstop in the early stages of spring training. Crawford's absence from the lineup in the Mariners' initial Cactus League games will open up more opportunities for top prospect Colt Emerson to see some reps at shortstop, though Emerson still appears likely to open the season at Triple-A Tacoma.

Rodriguez went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Rodriguez hasn't shown any signs of rust to start the spring -- the outfielder is now 4-for-7 with a pair of doubles in his first three Cactus League games. Rodriguez should continue to see regular at-bats with the Mariners early in the spring before he reports to the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez slashed .267/.324/.474 during the 2025 regular season while joining the 30-30 club for the second time in his career, logging 32 homers and 30 stolen bases.

Williams allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk while striking out one over 1.1 innings in Tuesday's start against the Dodgers.

A first-inning walk and a fielding error by third baseman Juan Brito drove up Williams' pitch count and forced an early exit with one out. The right-hander then returned for the second inning and set down the side in order. He threw 33 pitches (17 strikes). Reducing walks and better location are his focus heading into 2026. In some order, Williams and Tanner Bibee will be atop the Guardians' rotation this season.

Alexander allowed four runs on five hits and a walk across two-thirds of an inning in Tuesday's Grapefruit League matchup with the Mets. He struck out one.

It was a disastrous start to the spring for Alexander, who gave up back-to-back one-out singles before Mike Tauchman smacked a three-run homer in the first inning. Alexander then gave up a solo shot to Ronny Mauricio with two outs, followed by a single and a walk, before he was ultimately pulled. Alexander served as a swingman for Houston after he was acquired off waivers from the A's in May. The right-hander posted a 4.77 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP and 65:26 K:BB across 77.1 innings between the Astros and Athletics. Alexander will likely start the year with Triple-A Sugar Land if he can't crack the Opening Day bullpen.

Emerson went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's Cactus League matchup against the White Sox.

It was a nice showing for Emerson, who'd gone 0-for-5 in his first three spring appearances. The 20-year-old infielder is competing with Cole Young to earn the starting second-base job on Opening Day, though it seems more likely that Emerson will start the year with Triple-A Tacoma. He's coming off an excellent campaign in the minors, where he slashed .285/.383/.458 with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 130 games across three levels. Even if Emerson doesn't break camp with the Mariners, he's almost certain to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026.

Bazzana started at second base and went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's spring game against the Dodgers.

Bazzana accounted for all the Guardians' offense with a three-run shot in the second inning. It was his first Cactus League hit, which he sent 423 feet to center field. Cleveland's top pick in the 2024 draft has made three spring appearances thus far and will continue to pile up at-bats over the next week in advance of his participation in the World Baseball Classic for Team Australia.