MLB Player News

Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Saturday that Song will open the 2026 regular season on the injured list due to a right oblique strain.

Song suffered an oblique injury during batting practice in January and aggravated the issue in March. He's progressed enough in his recovery to hit in a cage and could start seeing live at-bats in the coming days, but it looks like the South Korean slugger will open the season on the Padres' IL, which would free up a roster spot for Ty France to make San Diego's Opening Day roster.

France will be part of the Padres' Opening Day roster, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

France joined the Padres in mid-February on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. He played well at the plate across 17 Cactus League games, posting a .318/.367/.545 slash line with two home runs and 12 RBI in 49 plate appearances. With Sung-Mun Song (oblique) expected to open the season on the IL, France could see a fair amount of playing time as a utility man for San Diego.

Arraez went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's 5-2 split-squad win over the Royals.

Arraez returned to Cactus League play after helping Team Venezuela win its first World Baseball Classic title. During the tournament, the 28-year-old slashed .308/.367/.692 with 10 RBI, six runs scored and two home runs across 30 plate appearances in seven games. The veteran infielder signed a one-year, $12 million pact with San Francisco in January and is expected to serve as the team's everyday second baseman. Over 154 games with San Diego in 2025, he slashed .292/.327/.392 with 66 runs scored, 61 RBI, 11 stolen bases and eight long balls in 675 plate appearances.

Griffin gave up three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. He struck out five.

The 30-year-old southpaw has seen extensive work on the back fields this spring, with Friday's start being just his second Grapefruit League appearance, but Griffin built up to 78 pitches (53 strikes) and appears ready to take the ball for his first MLB game since 2022. Over eight innings this spring, he's delivered a 4.50 ERA and 9:2 K:BB, and he'll handle a mid-rotation role for the Nationals to kick off 2026 after spending the last three seasons in Japan.

The Giants reassigned Bericoto to minor-league camp Friday, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Bericoto joined the Giants for spring training for the first time in his career, slashing .429/.432/.714 with 13 RBI, eight runs scored, three long balls and three doubles across 44 plate appearances in 19 games. The 24-year-old outfielder is a candidate for a big-league call-up at some point this season, and manager Tony Vitello spoke highly of Bericoto's work ethic. "He doesn't want anyone to outwork him," Vitello said. "He wants reps. I think we all know with experience, he's going to play at this level."

Franklin is still in the running for a spot on the 26-man roster with Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell both set to begin the season at Triple-A Rochester, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old outfielder was added to the 40-man roster this offseason after being acquired from the Cubs in the Michael Soroka trade, and Franklin could make the jump to the big leagues after slashing a combined .266/.383/.418 over 117 Triple-A games last season between Iowa and Rochester with 12 homers and 19 steals. He hasn't shown much this spring at the plate, however, batting .233 (7-for-30) with zero extra-base hits and a 1:11 BB:K. Franklin is capable of playing all three outfield positions, and that versatility could earn him the final spot on the Nationals' bench.

Manaea will not begin the season in the Mets' starting rotation, although manager Carlos Mendoza indicated Saturday that the veteran southpaw would be used in a piggyback role, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Mendoza didn't specify which starter would get an abbreviated workload to accommodate Manaea, however. Manaea's velocity has been down this spring, and getting used in a long-relief role could buy him more time to round into form. His actual Grapefruit League results have been solid as he has a 3.72 ERA and 9:2 K:BB in 9.2 innings. Freddy Peralta, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes and Kodai Senga will open the season in the rotation.

Perez gave up two runs on four hits and a walk over five innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He struck out five.

In what was likely to be his final spring outing, Perez fired 52 of 81 pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old right-hander has a 5.52 ERA over 14.2 Grapefruit League innings thanks to a few untimely long balls, but Perez's 20:7 K:BB offers a more accurate glimpse at his upside. He's expected to take the mound March 28 at home against the Rockies.

Ramirez went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Friday's split-squad game against the Nationals.

The 24-year-old catcher has struggled to get much going in Grapefruit League action, as Friday's double was his first hit in camp and he's batting just .053 (1-for-19) with a 1:8 BB:K. Ramirez also went 1-for-7 with a double in two games for the Dominican Republic during the WBC. After a 2025 rookie season that saw Ramirez slash .231/.287/.413 with 21 homers and 16 steals over 136 games, he's looking for more consistency -- both at the plate and behind it -- in his sophomore campaign.

Paddack allowed one run on two hits over four innings in Friday's split-squad game against the Nationals. He struck out three without walking a batter.

The right-hander gave up his first run of the spring on a CJ Abrams single in the second inning. Paddack's 0.69 ERA and 12:3 K:BB over 13 innings in camp are encouraging, but over the last five seasons he's stumbled to a 5.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 7.5 K/9 while averaging about 76.1 innings a year due to various injuries. Even if he can stay healthy, Paddack doesn't profile as more than an innings-eater for the Marlins while they wait for younger pitchers like Robby Snelling and Braxton Garrett to muscle their way to the majors.