MLB Player News
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Jhostynxon Garcia CF | PIT
Pirates' Jhostynxon Garcia: Having strong spring
Garcia has gone 14-for-28 with two home runs, five RBI, nine runs scored and three stolen bases in 12 Grapefruit League games.
Garcia is battling for a bench spot in Pittsburgh this spring and has made his case in multiple ways. Per Jason Mackey of MLB.com, Garcia has worked with Marcell Ozuna on his swing decisions, and particularly delaying the timing of his swing. Garcia has also impressed manager Don Kelly with his work in the outfield, an important factor because Ryan O'Hearn -- a subpar defender -- is expected to be the Pirates' primary right fielder. Even if Garcia starts the new campaign with Triple-A Indianapolis, he should play a role in Pittsburgh at some point this season.
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Jonathon Long 3B | CHC
Cubs' Jonathon Long: Faces pitchers Friday
Long (elbow) faced live pitching Friday as he continues to ramp up his activity level, MLB.com reports.
Long has resumed regular workouts and facing live pitching is another step forward in his rehab process from an injury he sustained in an exhibition game last month. The 24-year-old was diagnosed with a left elbow bruise and cleared of any structural issues earlier in March, so he should be fully healthy in the near future. Long figures to being the season with Triple-A Iowa and could push toward the majors at some point if he continues to tear up the level like he did in 2025.
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Kyle Stowers RF | MIA
Marlins' Kyle Stowers: Back in lineup Saturday
Stowers (hamstring) is starting in left field and batting in the leadoff spot in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Stowers was sidelined for the past two weeks while rehabbing from a right hamstring strain, but he has progressed enough in his recovery to be back on the field for Saturday's game. He's looking to build off a productive 2025 season in which he slashed .288/.368/.544 with five steals (on six attempts), 25 home runs and 73 RBI over 457 plate appearances.
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Justin Steele SP | CHC
Cubs' Justin Steele: Faces live hitters Friday
Steele (elbow) faced live hitters Friday for the first time in 11 months as he continues his recovery from UCL revision surgery last April, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Steele only threw 19 pitches, but it was still an important milestone in his long road back following surgery. The lefty has been ramping up his throwing during the winter and early spring, and he's tentatively targeting a May or June return to the majors. Steele was fairly sharp in his session Friday, recording three strikeouts and two flyball outs, and he said he felt good afterward. The team will surely be cautious with the southpaw, though it looks like he'll be able to help the rotation at some point this year.
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Chase Burns P | CIN
Reds' Chase Burns: Short outing Friday
Burns allowed one hit and struck out two over two scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against the Giants.
At a stage in spring training when most starters are ramping up to four or five innings, Burns was intentionally held back in his fourth Cactus League start Friday. Reds manager Terry Francona discussed the pitcher's usage with Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "This kid is still working through some of his routines and stuff," Francona said. "And he had a good five days with the trainers working on the flexibility and the mobility. We just want to make sure. He's good to go. It might cost him an inning, but he's OK." Burns' previous outings were marked by falling behind hitters and running into trouble, so his 17 strikes over 24 pitches Friday were a good sign. Francona confirmed that Burns will still be stretched out as a starter going forward, which means he's still in the mix for one of two available rotation spots along with Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson.
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Merrill Kelly SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly: Expects IL stint
Kelly (back) said Friday that he expects to be on the injured list to open the regular season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Kelly spoke about his chances of making the Opening Day roster following his Cactus League debut Friday. "I won't go into depth on what the tentative plan is right now, but yeah, as of right now, not very good," the pitcher said. That's the bad news; the good news is that Kelly's back held up over 1.2 innings (36 pitches), which was the priority of the day. Stints on the IL can be backdated three days, which means Kelly would miss at least the first 12 days of the regular season. He would be eligible for activation in time for April 7 against the Mets.
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Blake Treinen RP | LAD
Dodgers' Blake Treinen: Unsteady so far this spring
Treinen pitched a scoreless inning in a Cactus League outing against Seattle on Friday, allowing three walks and striking out one batter.
Treinen entered in the fifth frame and walked the bases full, but he managed to escape the inning without giving up any runs. The veteran reliever hasn't looked sharp this spring -- he's given up four earned runs with a 3:5 K:BB over 4.1 frames -- but he's essentially a lock for Los Angeles' regular-season bullpen. That said, Treinen had the worst campaign of his career last year, posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.84 WHIP with a 36:19 K:BB across 26.2 regular-season innings, so the team may be wary about using him in high-leverage situations right away, especially given his results this spring.
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Michael King SP | SD
Padres' Michael King: Struggling this spring
King allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters over four innings in a Cactus League start against the Athletics on Friday.
King notched a nice strikeout total, but he was also pounded for three homers, which came on back-to-back-to-back A's blasts in the fourth inning. The right-hander began the Cactus League slate with a fine 2.2-inning, one-run outing against the Angels, but since then he's yielded 13 earned runs on 15 hits (including five long balls) over 10 frames spanning three starts. Spring training stats rarely carry much importance, and King is locked into a rotation spot for the Padres, but a bounce-back outing before the end of the exhibition slate could be useful to reset the hurler heading into the regular season.
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Chris Devenski RP | PIT
Pirates' Chris Devenski: Suffers head injury Friday
Devenski was removed from Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers after being struck in the head by a batted ball.
Devenski took a batted ball to the side of his head but appeared to be alert while being carted off the field. He'll continue to undergo tests and treatment from medical staff, and the Pirates should provide an update on the 35-year-old right-hander over the coming days. Devenski signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates in January after playing in the Mets organization in 2025. He mostly pitched for Triple-A Syracuse last year but appeared in 13 regular-season games (one start) for the Mets, posting a 2.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB across 16.2 innings.
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Pavin Smith RF | ARI
Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith: Sidelined by forearm injury
Smith is dealing with forearm tightness and will be rested for the next couple of days, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.
Both Smith and catcher Gabriel Moreno are dealing with forearm tightness, though only the latter will undergo further testing. That indicates that Smith's injury isn't considered a long-term concern, and he could be back in Cactus League action over the coming days. Smith is looking to build off a 2025 campaign in which he slashed .258/.362/.434 with two steals, eight home runs and 28 RBI in 287 plate appearances during the regular season.