MLB Player News

The Giants optioned McCray to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

McCray appeared in just 22 games for the Giants last season, during which he went 2-for-22 (.091) with two RBI and three runs scored. He improved his performance at the plate in the Cactus League, logging a .792 OPS over 40 plate appearances, but he projects to spend most of his time in the minors this year working as organizational depth.

The Giants optioned Eldridge to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Eldridge posted an .830 OPS with six RBI and eight runs scored through 19 Cactus League games, but 19 of his 40 at-bats resulted in a strikeout. The 21-year-old had been in the running to open the regular season as San Francisco's primary designated hitter, but he will instead report to Sacramento, which will allow him to continue developing his discipline while making regular starts at first base. Now that Eldridge is out of the picture, Jerar Encarnacion figures to be the most likely candidate at DH for the Giants.

The Brewers optioned Henderson to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Henderson impressed during his five regular-season starts with Milwaukee last year, turning in a 1.78 ERA and 0.99 WHIP alongside a 33:8 K:BB through 25.1 frames. Although he won't be part of the Brewers' Opening Day rotation, there's a strong chance that the 24-year-old right-hander will be called upon to start for the big club at some point, and injuries to Brandon Woodruff (lat), Quinn Priester (wrist) and Kyle Harrison (finger) could allow Henderson to return to the majors sooner rather than later.

The Brewers optioned Black to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Black played well for the Brewers in the Cactus League, going 11-for-20 with 14 RBI, six runs scored and three steals in just six games. He cooled down while playing for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, however, tallying just one hit and five strikeouts in his 10 at-bats. Andrew Vaughn and Jake Bauers are expected to receive the vast majority of starts at first base for Milwaukee, so Black will likely spend most of the season as organizational depth at Nashville.

The Brewers optioned Perkins to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Perkins has spent the past few seasons working as Milwaukee's fourth outfielder, but after posting a .665 OPS through 35 plate appearances in the Cactus League, he will seemingly cede that title to Brandon Lockridge to begin the regular season. A return to the majors could come if Perkins' offensive production begins to tick up in the minors, though his ceiling would likely remain as a bench piece.

Church has an .825 OPS through 13 Grapefruit League games and has made a strong case to make St. Louis' Opening Day roster, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old entered camp with a fairly clear path to a roster spot, with Lars Nootbaar (heel) set to begin the season on the injured list, and Church has responded with a .290 batting average, one homer and one steal in 37 plate appearances. With the Cardinals committing to a rebuild this offseason, a strong start to the campaign could allow Church to retain a sizable role even after Nootbaar gets healthy.

Scott has a .161/.317/.226 slash line with one double and five stolen bases through 42 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.

The 25-year-old reworked his swing during the offseason and entered spring training looking to bunt for base hits more often, but he's racked up just five total bases through 13 Grapefruit League games. Scott will provide strong defense in center field, but his bat will likely need to come to life at some point in 2026 to retain the starting job. He played in 138 games last year and posted a .216/.305/.296 slash line with five homers and 34 steals.

Birdsong (forearm/elbow) is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

An MRI on Birdsong's right arm Sunday revealed a Grade 2 forearm strain and a UCL sprain. After receiving a second opinion, the 24-year-old righty has opted to undergo surgery to address the issue, which will rule him out for the entire 2026 campaign in addition to the start of 2027.

Smith (forearm) will start at first base and bat third in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Smith was originally expected to return from his forearm injury Wednesday, but he'll now make his return after an extra day of rest. He's posted a .966 OPS through 29 plate appearances this spring and will have one more week of Cactus League games to prepare for the regular season.

Moreno (forearm) will start as Arizona's designated hitter and bat fifth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Moreno has sat out the Diamondbacks' last several spring games while managing forearm tightness, but he's now ready to return to action after a few days of rest. After beginning Cactus League play 5-for-28 at the dish, he will now use the next week to prepare to work as Arizona's primary backstop.