MLB Player News

Miller (back) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports.

The same back issue kept Miller from playing during the Arizona Fall League and most of spring training, and he looks like he'll be on the shelf indefinitely at Triple-A to start the season. Assuming he can eventually get healthy, Miller will have some rust to knock off, but he doesn't need much more minor-league seasoning before he's ready to help the big club.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Alvarez has looked good this spring, batting .381 (8-for-21) with three doubles and a homer. The 24-year-old backstop is locked into the starting spot for the Mets, and given how he finished last season -- .276/.360/.561 over 41 games after the All-Star break with eight home runs -- a breakout could be in the cards if Alvarez can stay healthy in 2026.

Kimbrel is in the running the final spot in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen, Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.

Left-hander Bryan Hudson is also getting a long look, with Austin Warren and Richard Lovelady in the mix as well. Kimbrel is a shadow of the dominant closer he was a decade ago, but the 37-year-old righty has impressed Mets manager Carlos Mendoza with the late life on his fastball, which sits around 93 mph these days. "He's doing what he is supposed to be doing," Mendoza said Monday. Kimbrel does have a 2.25 ERA through four spring innings, but it comes with a 2:4 K:BB. If he does make the 26-man roster, he would have a base salary of $2.5 million.

Hudson may be the favorite to claim the final spot in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen, Tim Britton and Will Sammon of The Athletic report.

Craig Kimbrel appears to be his biggest competitor for the job, with Austin Warren and Richard Lovelady also in the mix. Hudson struggled in 2025 between the Brewers and White Sox, in both the majors and at Triple-A, but the 28-year-old southpaw blamed some tinkering with his mechanics and pitch mix that went awry. "I was working on some delivery stuff and changing some things I really shouldn't change," Hudson said Monday. "So we're getting back to the basics this year to get back after it." In 2024 with Milwaukee, when his cutter was a bigger part of his arsenal, he posted a 1.73 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 62:17 K:BB over 62.1 innings.

Realmuto (illness) is starting at catcher and batting second Tuesday against the Twins, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

He was under the weather for a couple days. Realmuto is batting .235 with one home run in seven games this spring.

Bleday started in right field and went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Monday's spring game against Arizona.

Bleday recorded a hit in his fifth consecutive Cactus League game and is slashing .324/.375/.649 with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI over 13 spring training games, but he's still not guaranteed a roster spot. There are five players vying for three bench spots, and Bleday is one of four outfielders on that list having a productive spring. The other outfielders competing include Will Benson (.250, four HR), Dane Myers (.333) and Rece Hinds (.382, four HR).

Abbott allowed eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three over two innings in Monday's spring start against the Diamondbacks.

Abbott was roughed up again in his fifth Cactus League start and needed 76 pitches to get those six outs. He was pulled with none out in the third inning to ensure a fourth up-and-down, and then he was chased early in the fourth after giving up two hits and a walk. The left-hander is having a difficult spring with a 13.85 ERA and has allowed multiple runs in all five spring outings. Abbott will get one more start and hopes to figure out his mechanics before taking the ball Opening Day next week against the Red Sox.

Burnes (elbow) threw a bullpen session Monday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Burnes threw a second bullpen session and mixed in curveballs after tossing 15 pitches (all fastballs) last Friday. The plan going forward calls for the right-hander to pitch again this coming Friday, and to then complete two sessions per week for the next month while incorporating all his pitches. At the moment, Burnes is estimated to be throwing at about an 80-to-85 percent effort level.

McCann went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Monday's spring game against Cincinnati.

McCann swatted his first home run of the Cactus League and is batting .214 over 28 spring at-bats. He's expected to serve as the backup to Gabriel Moreno (forearm) but could be needed for more depending on the starter's recovery. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports on Monday that Moreno will begin a throwing program next week, which also marks the start of the regular season. Lovullo is confident there's enough time for the injured catcher to ramp up for Opening Day; if not, McCann appears ready to fill in.

Nelson allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out six over four innings in Monday's spring start against the Reds.

Nelson upped his pitch count to 66 (39 strikes) in his fourth Cactus League start and will get one more outing in before the regular season. He sports a 4.50 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just two walks over 12 innings. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo hasn't set his rotation for the regular season beyond Zac Gallen on Opening Day, but Nelson should be among the top three.