MLB Player News

The Mets optioned Gerber to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Gerber pitched well during his brief stint in the majors last season, giving up just one earned run while striking out four batters over 4.1 innings. However, he will need to show consistent success before the Mets welcome him into their bullpen, especially after posting a 6.23 ERA and 1.46 across 43.1 frames in Triple-A last year.

Freeman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored Wednesday in a Cactus League win over San Francisco.

Freeman left the yard for the first time this spring with a solo shot in the third inning. The steady first baseman has hit well this spring, posting a .429/.500/.643 slash line with three doubles, 10 RBI and six runs scored. Freeman should be an everyday fixture in the Dodgers' lineup this season and could see a few more RBI opportunities with his anticipated move to the cleanup spot.

The Mets optioned Mauricio to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday.

Although he slashed .313/.389/.531 with five RBI, three runs scored and two steals through 13 spring games, Mauricio will not be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster. He may be called up during the season to serve as bench depth, but with Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor (hand) projected to start regularly in the Mets' infield, it would still be difficult for Mauricio to crack the starting nine if the infield group stays healthy.

Ohtani tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in a Cactus League start against the Giants on Wednesday, allowing one hit and issuing two walks while striking out four batters.

This was Ohtani's first outing of the Cactus League slate, as he spent much of spring with Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The two-way star didn't pitch during the tournament, but he continued to work on his throwing progression with bullpen and live batting-practice sessions. Ohtani certainly didn't seem to be very far behind in his ramp-up Wednesday -- he threw 61 pitches (34 strikes) and topped out at 99.9 mph on his fastball, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. While Ohtani will likely have some slight innings limitations early in the campaign, he's slated to be part of the Dodgers' rotation from the get-go and may need only a few starts to ramp up to a full workload.

Skenes will start Opening Day against the Mets on March 26.

It wasn't hard to see this decision coming, as Skenes took home the National League Cy Young Award last season after posting a 1.97 ERA and 0.95 WHIP alongside a 216:42 K:BB over 187.2 innings. The 23-year-old ace struggled to collect wins last season -- a problem that could continue into 2026 -- but he should still be viewed as one of the top fantasy pitchers in virtually all formats.

The Phillies reassigned Wilson to minor-league camp Thursday.

The veteran right-hander signed with the Phillies as a non-roster invitee in December, but he was inconsistent across four Grapefruit League appearances with a 7:7 K:BB. Wilson could still receive a look as a multi-inning reliever for the Phillies at some point this season.

The Pirates optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Rodriguez made a strong case to make the Pirates' Opening Day roster while posting a .977 OPS across 30 plate appearances this spring, but he will instead return to Triple-A to begin the regular season. The 25-year-old would likely be recalled to Pittsburgh if the big club needs extra depth behind the plate or at first base.

Bailey went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 5-1 Cactus League loss to the Dodgers.

Bailey went hitless Wednesday and is now slashing .241/.281/.345 with four RBI, four runs scored and three doubles across 32 plate appearances in 11 games this spring. The Gold Glove catcher remains an elite defender but is coming off a lackluster 2025 campaign at the plate. In 135 regular-season games last season, he slashed .222/.277/.325 with 55 RBI, 47 runs scored, six home runs, one stolen base and a career-worst 29.4 percent strikeout rate across 452 plate appearances.

Ramos went 1-for-3 with a double in Wednesday's 5-1 Cactus League loss to the Dodgers.

Ramos returned to Cactus League play after joining Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic, where he slashed .063/.273/.125 with four walks, three runs scored, a double and an RBI in 22 plate appearances across five games. The 26-year-old outfielder hit San Francisco's lone double Wednesday and was one of two Giants players to record an extra-base hit. He appeared in a career-high 157 regular-season games in 2025, slashing .256/.328/.400 with 85 runs scored, 69 RBI, 21 long balls and six stolen bases over 695 plate appearances. He has hit 20-plus homers in back-to-back seasons and is expected to spend most of his time in left field in 2026.

Profar will miss the full 2026 season after the appeal of his 162-game PED suspension was denied Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 33-year-old outfielder was handed the suspension in early March, and the ban is now official with the appeal process completed. It's the second straight season with a PED suspension for Profar, who will also be ineligible to play in the postseason.