MLB Player News

Stephenson (shoulder) will throw his first live batting practice session of spring training Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson continues to work his way back from a nerve issue and thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms. He's been throwing bullpens for the past couple weeks and continues to believe he'll be ready for Opening Day. Stephenson missed the entire 2024 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery and was limited to just 12 appearances in 2025, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB across 10 innings.

Keaschall is starting Thursday's Grapefruit League contest in left field, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

It's notable because it marks the first time Keaschall will play the outfield since undergoing elbow surgery in 2024. The 23-year-old made his major-league debut last season and only played second base if he wasn't slotted in as the designated hitter. While Keaschall is expected to man the keystone for Minnesota, position versatility will allow Minnesota to keep Keaschall's bat in the lineup after he slashed .302/.382/.445 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 25 runs scored, 14 stolen bases and a 19:29 BB:K across 207 plate appearances last season.

Springs allowed three hits and a walk over 2.1 scoreless innings in Wednesday's Cactus League loss to the Diamondbacks. He struck out four.

Springs allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base but ultimately worked through traffic to deliver a scoreless outing. The performance marked an improvement from the 33-year-old's first Cactus League appearance against the Royals on Friday, when he allowed four earned runs, including a home run, over 1.2 innings. The southpaw appeared in 32 games (30 starts) in 2025 spanning 171 innings, posting a 4.11 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with a career-low 7.3 K/9. Springs is expected to slot into the middle of the rotation for his second season with the Athletics in 2026.

Winn (arm) will start at designated hitter and bat leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Pirates.

Winn has been held out of action for the past few days after feeling some arm soreness as a result of a heavy workload on the backfields this past weekend. He'll be eased into things at DH on Thursday before working his way back in at shortstop.

Miller (back) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and could return to action as soon as next week, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Miller has yet to make his Cactus League debut this spring due to lower-back tightness, though he's progressing toward a return. The southpaw will aim to start the season at full strength after his 2025 campaign was cut short due to a left elbow injury. Over 36 relief appearances last season, Miller posted a 1.50 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 22:20 K:BB in 30 innings.

Griffin gave up two hits and a walk over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Venezuela. He struck out one.

Seeing his first game action of the spring, the 30-year-old left-hander tossed just 15 strikes on 29 pitches but avoided any damage against a star-studded lineup headlined by the likes of Ronald Acuna, Jackson Chourio and Salvador Perez. Griffin is expected to break camp in the Nationals' rotation after signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal to return to MLB from Japan, and the addition of a split-finger fastball to his low-velocity arsenal could allow him to handle a regular turn, or transition to a swingman role if Washington gets unexpected contributions from younger arms.

Peterson gave up one hit and two walks over three scoreless innings during Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Israel. He struck out four.

The Israeli WBC lineup doesn't have any big MLB names in it, and Peterson had little trouble navigating his three frames on 48 pitches (28 strikes). The southpaw is locked into a rotation spot for the Mets after throwing a career-high 168.2 innings in 2025, but his 4.22 ERA and 1.37 WHIP were significant downgrades from his 2024 numbers.

Lindor (hand) took swings Wednesday for the first time since undergoing hamate bone surgery, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

It's a big step in Lindor's recovery, as he tries to ensure he's ready for Opening Day. The veteran shortstop has avoided setbacks in his rehab so far, but he's still a long way from having a firm timeline for spring game action. For now, Lindor will continue his hitting progression in controlled environments.

The Diamondbacks optioned Ray to minor-league camp Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Ray was added to Arizona's 40-man roster this offseason but never had a real chance to crack the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old permitted four runs (two earned) with a 2:2 K:BB over 1.1 frames in his lone Cactus League appearance. Ray will open the 2026 season in the Triple-A Reno rotation.

The Diamondbacks optioned Diaz to minor-league camp Thursday, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Diaz was touched up for four runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings this spring. The righty shifted to a relief role at Triple-A Reno last season and will have to harness his control (73 walks in 57 minor-league innings in 2025) before the Diamondbacks consider him for their bullpen.