MLB Player News

Conforto has a good shot at earning an Opening Day bench spot with the Cubs, particularly with Tyler Austin (knee) out of the mix for several months, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Conforto was signed to a minor-league deal last month, but he's seemingly doing enough to make a good impression, and the Cubs have at least one reserve outfield spot to fill with Austin undergoing surgery on his right knee. Conforto would give Chicago a reliable veteran presence, and while he might not make a huge fantasy impact right away as a bench piece, he could see his value climb quickly if he ever found himself in an everyday role. The 33-year-old batted just .199 with a .638 OPS and 12 home runs last season across 138 regular-season games for the Dodgers, though he was a bit better in 2024 with the Giants, posting a .237 average, .759 OPS and 20 long balls in 130 contests.

Perez is now the favorite to open the regular season as Atlanta's sixth starter or as a potential swingman, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Perez's chances of cracking the Opening Day roster appeared slim to none just a few weeks prior, but the injury bug continues to bite Atlanta's starting rotation. Joey Wentz (knee) is the latest casualty, as he was diagnosed with a torn right ACL on Monday. This will undoubtedly improve Perez's chances of making the big-league roster, especially when considering that Atlanta opens the campaign with 13 games in 13 day, making it all the more likely the club elects to carry six starting pitchers, per Bowman. "I love the fact that Martin's in our camp, the guy can still really pitch," said skipper Walt Weiss. Perez has surrendered one run while striking out three over five innings so far this spring.

The Phillies signed Luzardo to a five-year, $135 million contract extension Monday, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided.com, the deal also includes a $32.5 million club option for 2032. Luzardo had been set to reach free agency after the upcoming season, but he's now locked in with the Phillies at least through the end of the 2031 campaign. The left-hander finished seventh in the National League Cy Young voting in his first season in Philadelphia after posting a 3.92 ERA and 216:57 K:BB over 183.2 innings covering 32 starts.

The Cardinals reassigned Mathews to minor-league camp Monday.

Mathews showed encouraging signs in his last Grapefruit League appearance in racking up seven strikeouts over 2.2 innings, but he was always destined to open the season in the rotation at Triple-A Memphis. The southpaw will be seeking a bounce-back year after he stumbled in 2025 with a 3.93 ERA and 107:74 K:BB over 94 innings with Memphis.

The Cardinals optioned Raquet to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Raquet made three appearances during Grapefruit League play, yielding one run with a 5:1 K:BB across three innings. The Cardinals don't have a ton of left-handed relief depth, so the lefty-throwing Raquet is a good bet to see some action at the big-league level this season.

The Cardinals optioned Mautz to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

The Cardinals previously hadn't dismissed the possibility of Mautz making the team as a reliever, but he will begin the season in the rotation at Triple-A Memphis. Mautz posted a 2.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 134:33 K:BB over 114.2 innings at Double-A Springfield in 2025.

The Phillies optioned McFarlane to Double-A Reading on Sunday.

McFarlane was awarded a spot on the Phillies' 40-man roster over the winter after turning in a 4.84 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 82:43 K:BB over 80 innings between Reading and High-A Jersey Shore in his first season back in action following his September 2023 Tommy John surgery.The 24-year-old righty is regarded as one of the more exciting young arms in the Philadelphia system, but he's likely at least a year away from contributing for the big club.

The Cardinals optioned Hjerpe (elbow) to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Hjerpe just recent resumed throwing from the mound following last April's Tommy John surgery. A former first-round pick, Hjerpe is aiming to make his season debut around midseason.

The Cardinals optioned Baez to Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Shortly after homering in his third straight Grapefruit League game, Baez is cut from big-league camp. The 22-year-old had a breakout 2025 season, hitting .287/.384/.500 with 20 homers and 54 stolen bases between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield. If Baez is able to carry over that success into a hot start in 2026, he could push for a major-league debut sooner rather than later.

Henderson is dealing with mild right elbow soreness, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

It's a troubling development after Henderson missed the last several weeks of the 2025 season with a flexor strain, though he reported improvement with how his elbow was feeling Monday. Henderson has made two appearances during Cactus League action, but it's not clear when he might be ready to appear in another game. The right-hander is competing for a spot in the Brewers' Opening Day rotation.