MLB Player News

The Giants moved Birdsong (forearm) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Birdsong is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, so his move to the 60-day IL was inevitable. The transaction frees up a spot on San Francisco's 40-man roster for veteran reliever Ryan Borucki, who was signed to a one-year contract Saturday.

San Francisco signed Borucki to a one-year contract Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Borucki spent time in White Sox camp this spring but was released Friday. He looked good in Grapefruit League action, however, pitching six scoreless innings with an 8:1 K:BB over six appearances, and the Giants were quick to snap him up. Borucki gives San Francisco another lefty in the bullpen and has plenty of experience with 187 career MLB appearances under his belt.

The Cubs plan to add Conforto to their Opening Day roster, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

With Seiya Suzuki (knee) set to miss the start of the regular season, Conforto now figures to be the favorite to start in right field on Opening Day. His path to playing time will be much less clear once Suzuki returns, however, as Conforto will likely move into a reserve role while making an occasional appearance as a DH. Since he signed with the Cubs in late February, the 33-year-old has slashed .241/.290/.345 with one RBI and two runs scored through 29 plate appearances in the Cactus League.

Manager Craig Counsell said Saturday that Suzuki (knee) will not be ready in time for Opening Day, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Counsell added that the team still hasn't decided whether to place Suzuki on the injured list, but the Cubs may play it safe and give the slugging outfielder all the time he needs to ensure he's fully healthy when he makes his season debut. Either way, Suzuki sitting down means that Michael Conforto will likely open the season as Chicago's starting right fielder, as the latter is expected to be included on the Opening Day roster.

Moore (foot) signed a major-league contract with the Phillies on Saturday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Moore triggered an opt-out clause in his minor-league deal with the Phillies on Thursday, which gave the club 48 hours to add him to their 40-man roster before he entered free agency. Now that the two sides have agreed to a major-league deal, Moore will remain in the organization and is expected to be part of Philadelphia's Opening Day bench. The 33-year-old utility man has posted a .566 OPS with six RBI, four runs scored and two steals through 38 plate appearances in spring training.

The Reds optioned Maxwell to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Maxwell struggled to limit traffic on the basepaths during spring training, posting a 5.40 ERA and 2.04 WHIP over 8.1 innings, though he managed to collect 13 strikeouts in that span. If the 25-year-old can right the ship at Louisville, the Reds may consider recalling him to join the big-league bullpen as a depth piece.

The Reds optioned Hinds to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Hinds will head back to the minors to begin the new season despite swinging a scorching bat this spring (1.388 OPS). The 25-year-old was a major offensive threat in the minors last season too, as he slashed .302/.359/.563 with 24 homers, 83 RBI, 79 runs scored and 21 steals across 435 plate appearances. If his impressive offensive performance continues into the start of the 2026 Triple-A season, he could earn a spot on the big-league roster relatively soon.

The Reds optioned Bleday to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Bleday made a great case to be included on the Opening Day squad by slashing .317/.364/.683 with four homers, 11 RBI and eight runs scored over 44 plate appearances in the Cactus League. However, he will come up short and instead begin his first season with the Reds in Triple-A, where he posted a .980 OPS over 132 plate appearances in 2025.

Tauchman was removed from Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros with a left knee injury, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Tauchman seemingly injured himself while running out of the batter's box in the third inning. He attempted to play through it but was still visibly bothered by his knee until he was removed in the fifth. The 35-year-old non-roster invitee had been in the running to grab a spot on the Mets' bench, but he now may be in jeopardy of beginning the year on the injured list.

The Pirates reassigned Griffin to minor-league camp Saturday.

Despite being included in several roster projections, the 19-year-old will officially head back to the minors to begin the 2026 season after going 7-for-38 (.184) in spring training with four homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored. Although he missed the cut for the Opening Day roster, a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis is certainly possible, and his MLB debut could still come in the near future if he continues to dominate minor-league pitching as he did in 2025 (.941 OPS).