MLB Player News

Clifford is looking to build on the progress he made last season with his outfield defense, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Specifically, the 22-year-old worked on improving his reads, jumps and first step. "We put a lot of thought into the prep step stuff, and the numbers backed up that I got better out there," Clifford said in camp this week. "I'm hoping to build on it this year as well... Just continue to try to become more explosive. I don't have the highest top speed, obviously, so the first couple steps are really important to me." Twenty of his 34 starts with Triple-A Syracuse last season came in an outfield corner, and with the Mets not yet settled on the identity of their starting right fielder, a strong showing by Clifford in spring training on both sides of the ball could give him another route to a big-league debut in 2026. His most likely future position for New York remains first base, however, and his bat could play in either spot after slashing .237/.356/.470 with 29 homers in 139 games last year between Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton.

Snelling will start for the Marlins in their Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Mets, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The southpaw is set to work only one inning, but Snelling is in camp looking to make as many good impressions as possible. Miami doesn't have a spot for him in the Opening Day rotation after signing Chris Paddack, but after being named the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2025, Snelling could be the next man up in case of an injury. The 22-year-old delivered a dazzling 1.27 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 81:17 K:BB over 11 starts and 63.2 innings for Triple-A Jacksonville last season after a mid-July promotion from Double-A.

The Diamondbacks are preparing for Carroll (hand) to return by or soon after Opening Day, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The team isn't saying it out loud, but they believe Carroll's track record of healing quickly and work ethic makes Opening Day a real possibility. Another clue is how the Diamondbacks are preparing the outfield with both Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel (knee) sidelined. The original plan floated by manager Torey Lovullo was to have center fielder Alek Thomas cover right field until Carroll was back, but early in camp, Thomas has been lining up in left field, where he could play until Gurriel returns. Of the two injured outfielders, the sense is that Gurriel is likely to need more time than Carroll.

Gurriel (knee) took live batting practice Tuesday and ran the bases, indicating his return is ahead of schedule, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Gurriel's stated goal is to be ready for Opening Day -- it's the first thing he mentioned to manager Torey Lovullo upon his arrival in camp -- but the manager's comments suggest more caution. Lovullo stated he was blown away by how Gurriel has looked early on, but then added, "I will say, right now, we're going to take it as slowly as we possibly need to, and then plug in where we can." It appears the Diamondbacks are preparing for Gurriel to miss time early in the regular season. Alek Thomas has taken reps in left field -- Gurriel's normal position -- instead of right field. It was initially thought Thomas could fill in for injured right fielder Corbin Carroll (hand), but the club is optimistic Carroll can return in time for the opener.

Varland (undisclosed) faced live hitters during Wednesday's full-squad workout.

Varland didn't pitch after July 28 last season while tending to an undisclosed injury, but he's seemingly back to full health for spring training. The Nationals added Varland to their 40-man roster via a waiver claim in January and will give him the chance to compete for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. Over parts of two big-league seasons across stops with the White Sox, Brewers and Dodgers, Varland owns a 4.82 ERA and 47:24 K:BB over 46.2 innings.

Montes de Oca (elbow) faced live hitters during Wednesday's full-squad workout.

Montes de Oca looks to be free of restrictions this spring after he missed the entire 2025 season while he was on the mend from his second career Tommy John surgery, which he underwent late in 2024. The 29-year-old right-hander signed a minor-league deal with the Nationals in January and is likely to open the season in the Triple-A Rochester bullpen.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said Wednesday that it "would be a tough ask" for Griffin to make the Opening Day roster, Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan reports.

Griffin is a 19-year-old with only 21 games of experience above A-ball, so cracking the Opening Day roster would indeed be a difficult leap. It's also not a surprise that Kelly is tamping down expectations for the top prospect this early in spring training. It should become clearer the deeper we get into camp as to whether Griffin has a real chance to head north with the big club. Griffin hit .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases across three levels in his first professional season in 2025.

Canning (Achilles) will begin the season on the injured list but "might not be there for very long," AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Recovering from a torn left Achilles, Canning said Tuesday that he feels 100 percent when throwing off the mound, but he still has some work to do in regard to the running and agility portion of his rehab. Cassavell suggests that Canning could be ready for his season debut around late April or early May, though a there's no clear timetable just yet. The right-hander held a 3.77 ERA and 70:35 K:BB across 76.1 innings for the Mets in 2025 before getting hurt. Once healthy, Canning should slot into the Padres' rotation.

Musgrove (elbow) is considered a full participant in Padres camp but will have his workload watched early in the season after missing the entirety of the 2025 campaign, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Musgrove is coming back from Tommy John surgery but will not have a strict innings limit in 2026 in his age-33 season. The Padres will be sensible about how hard they push him early on, however, and an initial six-man rotation is one avenue they're considering. Musgrove boasts a 3.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 25.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.1 percent walk rate in his four seasons with the Padres.

Nootbaar (heels) has been able to hit and throw without issue but is just now getting into the stage of being able to run unaided, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Recovering from surgery in early October to address deformities on both of his heels, Nootbaar's arrival in Cardinals camp was delayed until Wednesday as the team awaited the delivery of an altered gravity treadmill. The outfielder said Wednesday that he does not have a timeline for a return, but the consensus is that he will begin the season on the injured list. Once healthy, Nootbaar will be the club's everyday left fielder.