MLB Player News

Hernandez admitted Tuesday that he played through a left groin injury for much of the 2025 season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Hernandez missed just two weeks of action after straining his groin in early May, but he acknowledged he "wasn't moving the way I know I can move" for the remainder of the season. The veteran outfielder was slashing .306/.329/.582 with a 149 wRC+ when he was hurt and then hit only .225/.271/.408 with an 86 wRC+ the rest of the way, so it's fair to suggest the injury affected his performance. The 33-year-old Hernandez is fully healthy now in Dodgers camp and looking for a bounce-back 2026 campaign.

Polanco isn't expected to play in any spring games until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.

The Mets are bringing a number of key position players along slowly this spring, including Luis Robert, Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty (hamstring). Unlike those three, Polanco doesn't have any serious injury concerns -- he played 138 games in 2025 for the Mariners, his highest total since 2021 -- but the 32-year-old is getting a crash course on defense at first base, so an extra week of drills at the position before he works his way into game situations can only help.

Alvarez isn't expected to see game action this spring until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.

The Mets are bringing a number of key position players along slowly this spring, including Luis Robert, Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty (hamstring). Alvarez underwent thumb surgery right after the end of last season, which explains the team's caution with its starting catcher, but the 24-year-old appeared to be fully healthy when he reported to camp. The Mets are hoping that good health extends into the regular season -- Alvarez played only 76 games in 2025, his lowest total in three years since becoming a big-league regular.

Dobbins (knee) will travel Wednesday to visit a doctor in Wisconsin, where he hopes to be fully cleared for spring-training activities, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Recovering from last July's right ACL surgery, Dobbins has thrown bullpen sessions and live batting practice sessions with the rest of the Cardinals' pitchers, but his fielding and running has been limited. As long as he gains clearance Wednesday, Dobbins should make some Grapefruit League appearances for St. Louis. However, the late start likely takes him out of the Opening Day rotation competition.

Mitchell (shoulder) said Wednesday that he received full clearance for baseball activities in early February, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Mitchell was limited to only 25 games in 2025 before requiring a second surgery on his left shoulder, but he will not have any restrictions this spring. The 27-year-old has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, having never played more than 69 contests in any big-league season. Mitchell will compete for the starting job in center field this spring.

Dubon will start at shortstop for Atlanta while Ha-Seong Kim recovers from finger surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Acquired from Houston in the offseason to be the team's primary utility player, Dubon will instead see a near-everyday role out of the gate with Kim potentially sidelined into May. Dubon averaged 439.3 plate appearances for the Astros over the prior three seasons, slashing a modest .264/.299/.378 with little power or speed but seeing action at every spot on the diamond except pitcher and catcher.

Nardi is a few days behind schedule due to a blister on his pitching hand, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Nardi was able to throw Tuesday, so it doesn't seem to be a significant setback. The lefty reliever will be held out of the first few Grapefruit League contests, but his prep for the regular season shouldn't be affected. Nardi missed the entire 2025 campaign with back issues, but if he's healthy in 2026, he'll likely fill a high-leverage relief role in Miami.

Bender is slightly behind schedule in Marlins camp due to a shin injury, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

It's not clear how or when Bender sustained the injury, but he threw a bullpen session Tuesday. The veteran reliever will not appear in Grapefruit League games right away, but it's not a significant setback. Bender is slated to serve in a setup role for the Marlins in 2026.

Phillips is part of a group competing for the final spots in the Reds' bullpen, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Phillips made the transition from starter to reliever in 2025 following a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). To treat and manage TOS, the right-hander received Botox injections, which alleviated the symptoms and allowed him to pitch in shorter stints. Phillips was dominant over the final six weeks of 2025, using a two-pitch mix of four-seamers and sweepers (0.53 ERA, plus-5 Run Value) to post a 1.80 ERA with 28 strikeouts and eight walks over his final 17 appearances. The right-hander will compete with the likes of Sam Moll, Zach Maxwell and Luis Mey for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Thompson said he addressed an issue of tipping pitches that impacted him early in 2025, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Thompson was uncharacteristically ineffective over the first 19 outings last season, leaving a May 19 appearance with a 7.50 ERA while allowing 2.0 home runs per nine innings. Once the side-armer discovered he was tipping pitches and addressed the issue, Thompson finished with a stretch of 29 games during which he posted a 1.16 ERA and did not allow a home run over 23.1 innings. The right-hander enters spring training as part of an unsettled bullpen without a closer and could pick up save opportunities on 2026. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo included Thompson along with Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald as potential closers.