MLB Player News
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Jordan Lawlar SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Will start opener in CF
Lawlar will start in center field in Arizona's Cactus League opener Saturday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
This will be Lawlar's first start in center field in a Diamondbacks' uniform. He was given reps in center during winter ball and has been working with outfielders during spring drills. As part of the team's adjustment to being without injured outfielders Corbin Carroll (hand) and Lourdes Gurriel (knee) for rest of spring training, Lawlar is expected to see time in the outfield in camp and into the regular season.
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Roman Anthony OF | BOS
Red Sox's Roman Anthony: Named leadoff hitter
Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Anthony will serve as the Red Sox's main leadoff hitter to begin the regular season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Anthony took over as the Red Sox's leadoff man midway through the 2025 campaign, and he'll officially remain at the top of the order in 2026 after posting a .396 OBP in 71 big-league contests last season. The 21-year-old outfielder made three appearances as a leadoff hitter against southpaws last year, but it's unclear if the Red Sox plan to drop him further down the order when faced with a lefty-on-lefty matchup.
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Luke Keaschall 2B | MIN
Twins' Luke Keaschall: Starting Saturday's exhibition
Keaschall (thumb) will start at second base and bat second in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.
A left thumb injury ended Keaschall's 2025 season and required surgery in October, but he is ready to roll this spring. While he didn't flash a ton of over-the-fence pop as a rookie with four homers in 49 games, Keaschall displayed an intriguing combination of contact, gap power and speed. The 23-year-old projects as Minnesota's starting second baseman to begin 2026.
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Zac Gallen SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen: Throws live BP session
Gallen threw a live batting-practice session Friday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Gallen, who was signed last week, threw his first session since entering camp. He threw about 20 pitches, and manager Torey Lovullo was pleased with what he saw. "The fastball command looked good," the manager said. "It looked like he was throwing a nice cutter, his breaking ball I think was trending in a very positive direction." It appears that Gallen isn't too far behind the other starters despite missing the first handful of days in camp. The pitcher said he felt good and was given positive feedback from the batters he faced.
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Edwin Uceta RP | TB
Rays' Edwin Uceta: MRI shows inflammation, impingement
An MRI on Uceta's shoulder revealed inflammation and what looks like a slight impingement, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
All things considered, this is good news for one of the Rays' top bullpen arms. Uceta will receive a cortisone shot, and the hope is that he can resume throwing in a week or so. He will be cutting it close for Opening Day, and Griffin Jax's draft price figures to climb, though it does not sound as though Uceta is currently in danger of missing extended regular-season action.
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Josh H. Smith SS | TEX
Rangers' Josh Smith: Starts at 2B in opener
Smith started at second base and went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Friday's spring opener against the Royals.
After the Rangers traded second baseman Marcus Semien during the offseason, Smith's name was part of the group in line to compete for second base. The super-utility player recently confirmed he's been preparing to play the keystone since Semien's departure from the organization. Smith should be a regular presence in the lineup against right-handers at some position.
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Otto Kemp 3B | PHI
Phillies' Otto Kemp: Ready for spring opener
Kemp (kneecap, shoulder) will start in left field and bat cleanup in Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Blue Jays, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Kemp underwent a pair of surgeries in the offseason, one to repair a fracture in his left kneecap and another to clean out damage to his left shoulder. He seems to be a full-go this spring, and the 26-year-old appears slated to fill a super-utility role for Philadelphia after appearing at four different positions as a rookie (third base, first base, second base and left field).
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Wyatt Langford OF | TEX
Rangers' Wyatt Langford: Offseason work targeted obliques
Langford engaged in offseason workouts designed to strengthen his core and obliques, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Langford endured three separate stints on the injured list last year due to oblique-related issues. The outfielder attempted to address a repeat occurrence during the winter months. "I did way more like rotational stuff, like med ball type throws and rotational lifts, versus last year," the outfielder said. "I just had a better idea of what I was doing." Langford made leaps from his rookie 2024 season to 2025, increasing his OPS (from .740 to .775), OPS+ (115 to 127) and bWAR (3.9 to 5.6).
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Ramon Urias 2B | STL
Cardinals' Ramon Urias: Inks deal with St. Louis
Urias signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Cardinals on Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The 31-year-old Urias was spotted in the clubhouse ahead of the team's first Grapefruit League game. He will provide the Cardinals with defensive versatility, as he can play all around the infield. Urias is eligible at second and third base, but he is coming off his worst offensive season to date, having slashed just .241/.292/.384 in 112 games between Baltimore and Houston in 2025.
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Moises Ballesteros C | CHC
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Expected to report Saturday
Ballesteros (personal) is expected to report to spring camp Saturday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
After working through visa issues that have delayed his entry into the United States, Ballesteros will finally be able to begin preparing for the regular season. The 22-year-old's poor defense will likely keep him from starting behind the plate with the Cubs, but after slashing .298/.394/.474 across 66 regular-season plate appearances last year, he could earn a job as Chicago's primary DH.