MLB Player News

Smith started at first base and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's spring game against the White Sox. He also stole a base.

Smith, who returned to action after missing a week of Cactus League play due to a forearm injury, immediately extended his spring hit streak to eight games. His first-inning single plated Arizona's first run, before he stole his first base of the spring later in the frame. Steals are not typically a feature of Smith's game; he's swiped seven bags (10 attempts) over six MLB seasons. The lefty-batter is slashing .303/.303/.606 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs and five RBI through 11 spring contests. That's likely enough to retain his projected role as the primary first baseman against right-handers.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo mentioned Sewald as a potential closer candidate Wednesday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Lovullo has yet to name a closer and said he probably won't until the regular season begins, but Sewald has the most experience of the group competing for the role. "I love where [Paul] Sewald is at," the manager said. "He's been throwing the heck out of the ball. We have other guys that have been doing the exact same thing. So, out of fairness to the group, I probably won't say anything until Opening Day." Those comments came after Sewald authored a fourth consecutive scoreless Cactus League appearance. Overall, he has allowed two runs over six innings (3.00 ERA) with zero walks and four strikeouts. Kevin Ginkel (11.81 spring ERA) and Ryan Thompson (6.14 ERA) are also among the relievers that could get save opportunities early in the regular season.

Soroka allowed one hit and one walk while striking out eight over five scoreless innings in Thursday's spring start against the White Sox.

Soroka dazzled in his first game back from a stint with Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. The right-hander threw 70 pitches (48 strikes) and will get one more spring start next Tuesday against the Guardians, Arizona's final preseason game. With Merrill Kelly (back) slated to begin the season on the injured list, Soroka will open the regular season as part of the team's five-man rotation.

Kussow recently underwent labrum surgery on his right shoulder and was placed on the FCL Mets' full-season injured list Wednesday, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Kussow was a fourth-round pick by the Mets in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. This was slated to be his first full minor-league season, but instead the right-hander will spend the entirety of the campaign recovering and rehabbing from surgery.

The Rockies reassigned Condon to minor-league camp Thursday.

Condon has hit very well this spring, slashing .385/.457/.718 with three home runs, four doubles and nine RBI through 20 games. However, he's yet to play beyond Double-A in the minors, so Colorado has opted to give him more time to develop on the farm. With that said, the Rockies are far from loaded at first base, so Condon could be up with the big club in short order, especially if he has a hot start to the campaign.

Alvarez was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Houston due to back tightness, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Alvarez struck out in the third inning in his only plate appearance and was replaced by a pinch hitter in the fourth. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the backstop's exit was precautionary, though it's not clear if Alvarez will miss additional time. He's been having a strong spring, slashing .364/.423/.636 with one home run, three doubles and four RBI through 10 games.

The Giants optioned Fitzgerald to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Fitzgerald's performance dropped dramatically last season, as he finished the year with a .217/.278/.327 slash line after having posted an .831 OPS the year prior. His offensive woes have followed him into spring training, so the Giants will send him to Triple-A to get back on track.

The Giants optioned McCray to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

McCray appeared in just 22 games for the Giants last season, during which he went 2-for-22 (.091) with two RBI and three runs scored. He improved his performance at the plate in the Cactus League, logging a .792 OPS over 40 plate appearances, but he projects to spend most of his time in the minors this year working as organizational depth.

The Giants optioned Eldridge to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Eldridge posted an .830 OPS with six RBI and eight runs scored through 19 Cactus League games, but 19 of his 40 at-bats resulted in a strikeout. The 21-year-old had been in the running to open the regular season as San Francisco's primary designated hitter, but he will instead report to Sacramento, which will allow him to continue developing his discipline while making regular starts at first base. Now that Eldridge is out of the picture, Jerar Encarnacion figures to be the most likely candidate at DH for the Giants.

The Brewers optioned Henderson to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Henderson impressed during his five regular-season starts with Milwaukee last year, turning in a 1.78 ERA and 0.99 WHIP alongside a 33:8 K:BB through 25.1 frames. Although he won't be part of the Brewers' Opening Day rotation, there's a strong chance that the 24-year-old right-hander will be called upon to start for the big club at some point, and injuries to Brandon Woodruff (lat), Quinn Priester (wrist) and Kyle Harrison (finger) could allow Henderson to return to the majors sooner rather than later.