MLB Player News

Gurriel (knee) took live batting practice Tuesday and ran the bases, indicating his return is ahead of schedule, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Gurriel's stated goal is to be ready for Opening Day -- it's the first thing he mentioned to manager Torey Lovullo upon his arrival in camp -- but the manager's comments suggest more caution. Lovullo stated he was blown away by how Gurriel has looked early on, but then added, "I will say, right now, we're going to take it as slowly as we possibly need to, and then plug in where we can." It appears the Diamondbacks are preparing for Gurriel to miss time early in the regular season. Alek Thomas has taken reps in left field -- Gurriel's normal position -- instead of right field. It was initially thought Thomas could fill in for injured right fielder Corbin Carroll (hand), but the club is optimistic Carroll can return in time for the opener.

Varland (undisclosed) faced live hitters during Wednesday's full-squad workout.

Varland didn't pitch after July 28 last season while tending to an undisclosed injury, but he's seemingly back to full health for spring training. The Nationals added Varland to their 40-man roster via a waiver claim in January and will give him the chance to compete for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. Over parts of two big-league seasons across stops with the White Sox, Brewers and Dodgers, Varland owns a 4.82 ERA and 47:24 K:BB over 46.2 innings.

Montes de Oca (elbow) faced live hitters during Wednesday's full-squad workout.

Montes de Oca looks to be free of restrictions this spring after he missed the entire 2025 season while he was on the mend from his second career Tommy John surgery, which he underwent late in 2024. The 29-year-old right-hander signed a minor-league deal with the Nationals in January and is likely to open the season in the Triple-A Rochester bullpen.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said Wednesday that it "would be a tough ask" for Griffin to make the Opening Day roster, Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan reports.

Griffin is a 19-year-old with only 21 games of experience above A-ball, so cracking the Opening Day roster would indeed be a difficult leap. It's also not a surprise that Kelly is tamping down expectations for the top prospect this early in spring training. It should become clearer the deeper we get into camp as to whether Griffin has a real chance to head north with the big club. Griffin hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases across three levels in his first professional season in 2025.

Canning (Achilles) will begin the season on the injured list but "might not be there for very long," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Recovering from a torn left Achilles, Canning said Tuesday that he feels 100 percent when throwing off the mound, but he still has some work to do in regard to the running and agility portion of his rehab. Cassavell suggests that Canning could be ready for his season debut around late April or early May, though a there's no clear timetable just yet. The right-hander held a 3.77 ERA and 70:35 K:BB across 76.1 innings for the Mets in 2025 before getting hurt. Once healthy, Canning should slot into the Padres' rotation.

Musgrove (elbow) is considered a full participant in Padres camp but will have his workload watched early in the season after missing the entirety of the 2025 campaign, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Musgrove is coming back from Tommy John surgery but will not have a strict innings limit in 2026 in his age-33 season. The Padres will be sensible about how hard they push him early on, however, and an initial six-man rotation is one avenue they're considering. Musgrove boasts a 3.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 25.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.1 percent walk rate in his four seasons with the Padres.

Nootbaar (heels) has been able to hit and throw without issue but is just now getting into the stage of being able to run unaided, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Recovering from surgery in early October to address deformities on both of his heels, Nootbaar's arrival in Cardinals camp was delayed until Wednesday as the team awaited the delivery of an altered gravity treadmill. The outfielder said Wednesday that he does not have a timeline for a return, but the consensus is that he will begin the season on the injured list. Once healthy, Nootbaar will be the club's everyday left fielder.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Myers will be on the team's Opening Day roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Myers has a minor-league option remaining, but the Mets will retain him on the big-league roster in some capacity rather than keeping him stretched out at Triple-A Syracuse. It would likely take multiple injuries to other starters for Myers to be part of the Mets' rotation, so he should be expected to fill a long-relief role.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Wednesday that Ohtani will remain the team's leadoff hitter during the 2026 season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

For the first time since his final season with the Angels in 2023, Ohtani is preparing for a full season of pitching, but that won't affect the Dodgers' approach with him as their everyday designated hitter. After slugging a career-high 55 home runs while making 148 of his 158 starts out of the leadoff spot during the 2025 regular season, the four-time MVP will continue to set the table for Los Angeles once again in 2026. Per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani is expected to start at DH in the Dodgers' first two Cactus League games this weekend to get some competitive at-bats under his belt before he joins Team Japan in advance of the World Baseball Classic. Roberts has already said that Ohtani won't pitch for Japan in the WBC, but the two-way phenom will likely continue to build up through bullpen and live batting practice sessions throughout the spring to ensure that he'll be part of the Dodgers' Opening Day rotation.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that he's leaning towards using Betts as the team's No. 3 hitter against both right- and left-handed pitching in 2026, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani will continue to serve as the club's leadoff hitter during the upcoming season, but Roberts has yet to decide who will bat second and fourth in the Dodgers' star-studded lineup. The 33-year-old Betts primarily served as the Dodgers' No. 2 hitter in 2025, so the move down one spot in the order shouldn't dramatically affect his fantasy value. Instead, the bigger question is whether he can halt or potentially reverse the decline at the plate and as a baserunner he displayed in 2025; Betts' .258 average and .148 ISO were the lowest marks of his career, and his eight stolen bases were his fewest since his 2014 rookie campaign, when he played just 52 games.