MLB Player News

The Cardinals optioned Hence to Double-A Springfield on Friday.

The right-hander is one of the organization's top prospects and was added to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Hence was limited to 79.2 innings last season at Springfield due to back and lat discomfort, but he was dominant when available with a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 109:26 K:BB. Returning to the Double-A level is a bit of a surprise, and it shouldn't be long before he's bumped up to Triple-A Memphis.

The Diamondbacks optioned Elbis to Double-A Amarillo on Friday.

The 22-year-old was in big-league camp after being added to the 40-man roster in November, but he was never a likely bet to actually make the Opening Day roster. Elbis had a 2.69 ERA in 16 starts at High-A Hillsboro last year before being promoted to Amarillo, where he had a 4.57 ERA across 45.1 innings.

Edman went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Cactus League victory against Texas.

Through 23 at-bats this spring, Edman has five hits, including two homers and a double. He started in center field Thursday, and he has also logged time at second base. Edman could begin the campaign as Los Angeles' starter at the keystone if the organization opts to have Hyeseong Kim spend some time in the minors as he adjusts to baseball in North America. If that's the case, Edman could quickly gain fantasy eligibility at second base in leagues with a 20-game threshold, boosting his value considerably.

Steele (illness) is feeling better and will get some throwing in at the Cubs' spring training complex Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Steele had been scheduled to start Thursday's Cactus League game against the Royals but had to stay home while battling the flu. The lefty is expected to get in one more appearance, likely in a simulated game, before making his first start of the regular season March 19 against the Dodgers in Tokyo.

Roberts was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

Roberts finished last season in the majors but is set to begin the 2025 campaign at Triple-A. The right-hander had a 3.71 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB across 26.2 innings for the Cubs last year.

The Cubs optioned Little (lat) to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Little never made an appearance this spring, as the Cubs have brought him along slowly after he ended last season on the injured list with a left lat strain. It's not clear when he might be ready to pitch in games. The big southpaw posted a 3.46 ERA and 28:18 K:BB across 26 relief innings for Chicago in 2024.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Neither blast came against a particularly noteworthy pitcher -- he took Tekoah Roby deep for a two-run shot in the fourth inning before lofting a solo homer off Leonardo Taveras in the sixth -- but it was still a strong showing from Ruiz. The 26-year-old backstop may have worn down last season, stumbling to a .229/.260/.359 slash line with 13 homers in 127 regular-season games, but the Nats made no move to add a backup in the offseason who could potentially take some of the workload off him.

Soroka gave up one run on four hits over four innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out six without walking a batter.

The right-hander built up to 61 pitches (37 strikes) as he faced a number of St. Louis regulars, including Nolan Arenado, Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn. Injuries looked like they had completely derailed Soroka's career, but he found some success last season in the bullpen for the White Sox, and he's now in camp with the Nats looking to prove he still has something to offer as a starter. So far so good for Soroka, who's delivered a 9:1 K:BB through his first seven spring innings.

Abrams' slow start to spring training isn't a concern yet for the Nationals, Bobby Blanco of MASN Sports reports.

The shortstop's issues on and off the field late last season, which prompted a demotion to Triple-A Rochester, have put a spotlight on his performance early in camp. So far Abrams has struggled, going 3-for-19 (.158) through six Grapefruit League appearances with zero strikeouts or walks, but it's the latter the team wants him to focus on. "We know he's got some power. We want to make sure that it doesn't transpire into just him trying to hit home runs all the time," manager Dave Martinez said this week. "We need him to get on base for us. If he's going to lead off, he's got to be able to get on base, accept his walks. Right now, he's really trying to work on staying on the ball and work on his timing a little bit. But he's been really good." Abrams was slashing .283/.344/.513 at the end of June last year prior to his second-half struggles, and the Nats still believe he can provide that level of production on a consistent basis.

Diaz (hamstring) is expected to make his Cactus League debut this weekend after looking good in a live batting practice session Wednesday, Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Diaz tweaked his hamstring during a fielding drill in late February, but it appears he's put the injury behind him. The 28-year-old is expected to open the 2025 season as the Reds' closer and as a reliever still has enough time to ramp up before Opening Day.