MLB Player News

Long has been diagnosed with a bruise and cleared of any structural issues with his left elbow, putting him on track to potentially return to baseball activities by the end of the week, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The 24-year-old was unable to join Team Chinese Taipei for the World Baseball Classic due to the injury, but he's now progressing toward game action. If he can avoid any setbacks, Long could be ready to join Triple-A Iowa for the start of the minor-league season.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Higashioka (back) is feeling better and is expected to return to the spring lineup Monday against the Padres, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 35-year-old backstop was scratched from the lineup Saturday due to back spasms but is on track for a quick return to the lineup. Higashioka had a .694 OPS in 94 games last season and is expected to split playing time with Danny Jansen behind the plate for the Rangers this year.

Pallette (shoulder) made his Cactus League debut Tuesday and has struck out five while allowing three hits and one walk over two scoreless innings between two appearances.

Pallette's spring debut was delayed while he contended with right forearm fatigue earlier in camp, but his bid for the Guardians' Opening Day roster won't be derailed. The Guardians selected Pallette in the Rule 5 Draft over the winter, so he'll need to remain on the 26-man active roster or a reserve list throughout the season, or else Cleveland will have to offer him back to the White Sox.

The Rays optioned Keegan to minor-league camp Sunday.

Keegan played in seven Grapefruit League games but never got going at the plate, as he finished 1-for-11 with six strikeouts. He should return to Triple-A Durham, where he posted a .735 OPS with 10 homers in 69 games during 2025.

The Rays optioned Cook to minor-league camp Sunday.

The 24-year-old was added to Tampa Bay's 40-man roster in November but was always a longshot to crack the Opening Day roster. Cook missed some time in 2025 due to injuries but pitched well for Double-A Montgomery when available, finishing with a 2.30 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB over 15.2 innings.

The Brewers optioned Crow to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Crow will likely be in line for a full-time stay in the Nashville rotation in 2026 after he made all but two of his starts last season at Double-A Biloxi, with whom he submitted a 2.51 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 52:8 K:BB in 43 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster over the winter, but he's buried on the organizational starting pitching depth chart and is unlikely to be in store for an extended stay in Milwaukee at any point during the upcoming season.

The Rockies optioned Thompson to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Thompson was added to Colorado's 40-man roster in November but won't make the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old outfielder will return to Albuquerque, where he posted a .296/.392/.519 slash line with 18 homers and 12 steals in 120 games last year.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Sunday that Dunn is day-to-day with a low-grade knee strain, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

The injury is expected to keep Dunn out of the Reds' Cactus League lineups for a few days, but the outfielder doesn't appear to be at any major risk of missing the start of the season. The missed game action could prove costly to Dunn in his battle for a reserve job in the Reds' Opening Day outfield, however.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Waldschmidt to minor-league camp Sunday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Heading into spring training, Waldschmidt looked to have a legitimate shot at earning a spot on the Opening Day roster after Arizona didn't make any major additions to its outfield over the winter to compensate for Lourdes Gurriel's (knee) extended absence to begin the season. Even with Corbin Carroll (hand) going down with a fractured hamate early in camp to put his availability for Opening Day in jeopardy, Waldschmidt never gained much momentum in his bid for a roster spot despite posting a .796 OPS through nine Cactus League games. Though he could continue to get regular run in Arizona's spring lineups while Carroll is rehabbing and while Alek Thomas is playing for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, Waldschmidt looks like he'll need to continue to mash at Double-A Amarillo or Triple-A Reno to begin the regular season before receiving his first big-league call-up.

Colorado optioned Peralta to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

The left-hander finished 2025 working in the majors but is set to open 2026 in the minor leagues. Peralta had a 9.47 ERA and 16:18 K:BB across 19 frames in the big leagues last year, and he wasn't much better at Triple-A with a 9.09 ERA.