MLB Player News

The Cubs optioned Neely to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Neely delivered three scoreless frames with six strikeouts in three spring appearances, but it wasn't enough to give him a chance of cracking the Opening Day roster. The right-hander struggled to a 6.23 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 28 outings with Iowa last year.

The Cubs optioned Ramirez to Double-A Knoxville on Sunday.

The 21-year-old infielder was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster over the winter but will need more seasoning in the upper levels of the minors before receiving his first taste of the big leagues. Ramirez will return to Knoxville for a second straight season after slashing .280/.346/.386 with eight home runs and 28 stolen bases across 563 plate appearances in the Southern League in 2025.

The Cubs optioned Triantos to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Chicago protected Triantos from the Rule 5 Draft over the winter by adding him to its 40-man roster, but the 23-year-old was never viewed as a likely candidate to break camp with the big club. Triantos is slated to begin the season at Iowa, where he slashed .260/.318/.371 with seven home runs and 28 stolen bases across 444 plate appearances in 2025.

Velazquez is among the competitors for playing time in left field for the Cardinals while Lars Nootbaar (heels) is sidelined, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Nootbaar is expected to get a late start to the season as he continues his recovery from surgery on both heels. In camp as a non-roster invitee, Velazquez entered play Sunday having gone 5-for-17 with one home run, one double and a 2:1 BB:K over his first six Grapefruit League contests. The Cardinals' lineup leans lefty-heavy, which helps Velazquez's case as a right-handed hitter, but working against him is that he's the only one in the mix that's not already on the 40-man roster. Nathan Church, Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese are also competing for reps in left field.

The Cubs optioned Cowles to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Cowles was jettisoned from Chicago's 40-man roster last September and again at the beginning of spring training, but each time he's ended up reuniting with the Cubs after being claimed and waived by another team. Now back on the 40-man, at least for now, the 26-year-old is expected to handle an everyday role in Iowa to begin the season and could receive his first big-league call-up if the Cubs require an extra infielder at any point.

Oviedo allowed two hits and struck out four over 3.1 scoreless innings in Saturday's spring start against the Rays.

After a wild, rocky start to the Grapefruit League, Oviedo has impressed in two subsequent outings and is the frontrunner for Boston's final rotation spot. That first spring appearance, when the right-hander walked three and hit a batter, has been followed by 6.1 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts and zero walks.

The Pirates optioned Brannigan (nose) to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Brannigan has been out of action since suffering a fractured nose after being hit in the face by a bad hop in his Grapefruit League debut back on Feb. 22. The injury isn't considered significant, but it's an unfortunate setback after the 24-year-old infielder missed the final three months of the 2025 season while recovering from shoulder surgery. The Pirates haven't revealed if Brannigan will be ready for game action by the time spring training concludes, so he could open the season on Indianapolis' 7-day injured list.

Leahy struck out five across four perfect innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League start against the Mets.

Leahy bounced back from a rough second spring training outing with a stellar effort Saturday, requiring only 47 pitches to cruise through his four frames. The right-hander remains a favorite to capture one of the final spots in the Cardinals' rotation, and that the club is considering opening the year with a six-man setup would only increase his chances.

The Pirates optioned Harbin (lat) to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

Harbin isn't expected to resume throwing until at least early April after he sustained a right teres major muscle tear early in camp, so his demotion to Triple-A was fully anticipated. Indianapolis is likely to place Harbin on its 7-day injured list shortly before the International League season gets underway.

The Cubs optioned Martin to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

The left-hander was added to Chicago's 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and he gave up two earned runs with two strikeouts across 3.1 innings during spring training. Martin had a 2.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 80:35 K:BB over 63 innings at the Triple-A level last season, and he could make his MLB debut at some point this year if he performs similarly.