MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Cabrera's (ankle) status for Opening Day is "TBD," Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera is working his way back from last May's surgery to repair a fracture and ligament damage in his left ankle. He has been going through drills and is coming along well, but the utility player has yet to practice sliding on his surgically repaired ankle and doesn't appear close to playing in games. If healthy, Cabrera would likely be part of the Yankees' roster in a reserve role, but the club could play it safe and have him start the regular season on the injured list.

Bickford was shut down from throwing Tuesday due to a triceps strain, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Bickford joined Detroit on a minor-league contract in January but is now dealing with an arm injury early in camp. The right-hander was already a longshot to crack the Opening Day roster, and the injury likely guarantees he'll open 2026 at the Triple-A level.

Rangers GM Ross Fenstermaker said Tuesday that Walcott could be ready for game action in August, "if all things according to plan" in his rehab from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Walcott could return to hitting within a 5-to-6 month timeline, but it'll likely be longer before he's cleared to take the field. The 19-year-old is Texas' top prospect, and getting him back into game action, even in a limited capacity, would set him up nicely heading into 2027. Walcott spent the 2025 campaign at Double-A Frisco, where he totaled 13 homers, 32 steals and a .255/.355/.386 slash line in 124 contests.

Yesavage threw a side session Tuesday and is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut sometime next week, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays are building up Yesavage deliberately following a considerable workload jump in 2025. His next mound work will be a live batting practice session, and a Grapefruit League start could follow that. The top pitching prospect threw 139.2 innings in 2025, including the postseason, after logging 93.1 innings as a junior at East Carolina in 2024. The Blue Jays plan to manage Yesavage's workload fluidly throughout the season, per Zwelling, who notes that Yesavage could have starts skipped or pushed back depending on how he's recovering between outings.

Diaz (foot) will be the designated hitter Wednesday and will start at catcher in Friday's Grapefruit League game, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Diaz was delayed due to a foot sprain suffered in the Dominican Winter League, but he isn't too far behind, as he's scheduled to catch in a game before the end of February. Cesar Salazar is Diaz's only backup, so there should be ample playing time available for the latter once he puts the foot sprain behind him.

Alvarez will not make his spring debut until "a little bit later" due to normal buildup, per manager Joe Espada, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Carlos Correa and Christian Walker are slated to make their debuts Thursday, with Jose Altuve debuting Friday and Alvarez debuting sometime after that. Alvarez is discounted in fantasy drafts this year due to his injury issues in 2025, so it will be worth tracking how long his spring debut is delayed.

Tiedemann experienced left elbow soreness after a side session last week and will be shut down from throwing for a week after undergoing an MRI, which came back clean, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

It's encouraging that the left-hander appears to have avoided any structural damage, but any elbow problems early in camp are particularly notable after he missed all of 2025 while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Tiedemann is one of the Blue Jays' top prospects, and the organization was considering having him work as a reliever this season in his first year back from the procedure. The 23-year-old's outlook could gain some clarity next week when he's re-evaluated, but his availability for the start of the campaign is now in question regardless of whether or not a longer shutdown is needed.

Stephenson (shoulder) said Tuesday he believes he'll be ready for Opening Day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

He threw another bullpen session Monday after showing up to camp behind schedule due to a nerve issue and thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms he experienced this offseason. It remains to be seen if Stephenson's stuff has suffered as a result of these physical issues, as he has not made his Cactus League debut yet.

Joyce (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session Wednesday, likely only throwing fastballs and changeups, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Joyce said Tuesday that his throwing progression is going well, but he's not yet ready to incorporate sliders into his routine. It's not clear whether he'll be ready in time for Opening Day, but he continues to make steady progress.

Okamoto went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League game against the Mets on Monday.

The 29-year-old slugger launched a Clay Holmes slow curve to straightaway center field in the second inning for his first long ball of the spring. Okamoto will leave camp soon to join Team Japan for the WBC, but he's making a good first impression this spring for the Jays. He's being counted on to fill a near-everyday role at third base during his first season in MLB.