MLB Player News

Birdsong said Wednesday that he recently met with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion on his right forearm and is weighing whether to undergo surgery or treat the injury through rest and rehab, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Recently diagnosed with a Grade 2 right forearm strain, Birdsong looks destined to miss extended time to begin the season regardless of how he elects to treat the injury. While surgery would provide a more permanent fix for the forearm injury than rest and rehab, Birdsong would likely be sidelined through at least the middle of the 2027 season if he opts for a procedure to repair his UCL and/or flexor tendon. Expect Birdsong to make a decision on his treatment plan within the next few days.

Hiura (hand) is listed as an available bench option for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Giants, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Hiura's last spring appearance came back on Feb. 28, when he exited a game against the Cubs early after getting hit on the hand by a pitch. The Dodgers reassigned him to minor-league camp shortly thereafter, but Hiura's inclusion on the lineup card for Wednesday implies that he's moved past the hand injury.

The Giants announced Wednesday that Harber has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain and will require 4-to-6 weeks of recovery time, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

One of the top position prospects in the Giants organization, Harber wasn't in serious consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster but had impressed nonetheless throughout the spring, slashing .357/.424/.571 over 33 Cactus League plate appearances before sustaining the hamstring injury Saturday. He now appears on track to miss at least the first month of the minor-league season while recovering from the injury, but once he's back to full health, Harber is expected to report to Double-A Richmond, according to Pavlovic.

The Dodgers optioned Hurt to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

With a 12:2 K:BB and 1.09 WHIP over 7.1 innings across three Cactus League appearances, Hurt made a good case for winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen, but the Dodgers' ample pitching depth along with the fact that he had two minor-league options remaining ended up working against the right-hander. Hurt has been deployed as a starter for much of his minor-league career, but he appears set to operate as a full-time reliever for Oklahoma City to begin the upcoming season.

Burleson went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during Monday's spring game against the Nationals, but he has a .286/.459/.393 slash line with one homer and eight walks through 38 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

The 27-year-old has a 6.6 percent walk rate since making his MLB debut in 2022, but he apparently entered camp looking to take a more patient approach. Burleson clubbed 18 homers with an .802 OPS in 139 games last season and is poised to operate as St. Louis' primary first baseman in 2026.

The Cardinals optioned Fitts to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.

Fitts' demotion signals that Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante have beaten him out in the camp competition for the final two spots in the Cardinals' Opening Day rotation. After being acquired from the Red Sox over the winter, Fitts had an uneven performance over his three Grapefruit League starts, posting a respectable 9:3 K:BB but allowing six earned runs on nine hits across 9.1 innings.

Allen agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Wednesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

After spending the 2025 season in the Korea Baseball Organization with the NC Dinos, Allen became a free agent this winter and initially agreed to a deal with Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. However, following a couple of strong appearances for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Allen will wind up forgoing the opportunity in Mexico to join the Dodgers organization. The 28-year-old lefty will likely open the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, though it's unclear whether he'll work out of the bullpen or rotation after serving as a full-time starter in the KBO in 2025.

Urias (elbow) will start at third base and bat third in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Urias will make his return to the St. Louis spring lineup for the first time since March 9, after he had been temporarily held out of action due to elbow soreness. The Cardinals' willingness to deploy him in the infield rather than at designated hitter in his return suggests that the elbow issue is no longer affecting his throwing. Urias is likely to serve as a utility infielder for the Cardinals, with most of his starts expected to come against left-handed pitching when St. Louis is at full strength.

Herrera (knee) will start at catcher and bat second in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Herrera is expected to play behind the plate for the first three innings of Wednesday's contest in what marks his first game action since March 6. The 25-year-old has been slowed by knee inflammation over the past two weeks, but assuming he emerges from Wednesday's contest without any setbacks, he should be ready to go for Opening Day. Herrera is expected to a regular part of the St. Louis lineup this season, seeing the bulk of his action at designated hitter while occasionally spelling Pedro Pages at catcher.

Marte started in center field and went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's spring game against Cleveland.

Marte gave the Reds an early lead with his second-inning homer, his third of the Cactus League. Normally a right fielder, Marte made a third consecutive start in center field, as the club seeks to expand its outfield options. TJ Friedl remains the primary center fielder. Marte is batting .275 (11-for-40) with four doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI through 14 Cactus League contests.