MLB Player News

Barger (ankles) resumed baseball activity at the Blue Jays' complex in Florida this week and is expected to begin swinging the bat Friday or Saturday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Barger has played catch the last two days, and returning to hitting and running are the next steps in his recovery from sprained left and right ankles. Barger is expected to resume running Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and will go from there. While eligible to come off the injured list Friday, that doesn't appear to be a realistic target for Barger. Perhaps he'll be back with the Blue Jays for the start of their next homestand against the Guardians on Friday, April 24.

Rengifo will make his first professional start at first base in Thursday's game versus the Blue Jays.

Injuries have forced the Brewers to scramble a bit, and they will give Rengifo a shot at first base. Rengifo is off to an uninspiring .128/.180/.213 start at the plate this season and has been playing second fiddle to David Hamilton at third base.

Springer (toe) resumed hitting off a tee Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

"Looked pretty normal, which is good," manager John Schneider said Thursday. "He's feeling better." Springer will likely not need a rehab assignment, and the toe he fractured will just be "annoying" for a couple weeks, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. The Blue Jays are aiming for Springer to return for their next homestand, which begins Friday, April 24 against the Guardians.

Florentino (ankle) has progressed to playing in extended spring training games this week, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Florentino has been sidelined all season with a left ankle injury that dates back to February. The Pirates will see how the top prospect handles extended spring action before determining whether to send him on an official rehab assignment or activate him from the 7-day injured list at High-A Greensboro. Florentino was one of the biggest prospect breakouts in 2025 when he slashed .290/.400/.548 between the Florida Complex League and Single-A Bradenton.

Hicks went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to Atlanta.

The 26-year-old backstop had gone 12 straight games without leaving the yard after a power surge in the first week of the season, but Hicks got hold of an Osvaldo Bido slider in the eighth inning Wednesday and ripped it down the right-field line for his fourth homer of the year. Hicks has been playing nearly every day between catcher (10 games), first base (six games) and DH (three games), slashing .309/.355/.545 with a stunning 18 RBI, two behind MLB leader Andy Pages.

Solometo is sidelined at Double-A Altoona with recurring left shoulder discomfort, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Solometo missed much of the 2025 season with shoulder problems, and they're evidently still nagging at him early on in the 2026 season. The lefty will get another opinion from Dr. Keith Meister before a decision is made on how best to proceed. He yielded four runs with a 0:2 K:BB over two innings in his first two appearances for Altoona before getting hurt.

Riley went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the Marlins.

It took 19 games, but Riley finally left the yard in 2026 when he launched a first-pitch fastball from John King over the left-field wall to lead off the sixth inning. The third baseman has a rough start to the campaign, but over the last eight games he's batting .303 (10-for-33) with three doubles, two steals, seven RBI and eight runs.

Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Rodon (elbow/hamstring) will likely begin a rehab assignment following Saturday's live batting practice session, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rodon is joining Double-A Somerset to face hitters Saturday. He could stay there and begin his rehab assignment afterward as long as everything goes well with Rodon's BP this weekend. Boone added that Rodon will likely need at least three rehab starts before returning to the majors for his 2026 season debut. An early- to mid-May return could be in the works for the left-hander. With both Rodon and Gerrit Cole (elbow) nearing returns, the Yankees could soon be getting a massive boost to their rotation.

Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.

Clevinger will be immobilized for several weeks before resuming workouts. The veteran right-hander has been pitching out of the bullpen at Triple-A Indianapolis, allowing five runs with a 9:5 K:BB across 8.2 innings. He won't be an option for the Pirates until sometime in June, at the earliest.

Falter (elbow) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over one inning with Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday. He struck out one.

Falter made his first rehab appearance as he works his way back from left elbow inflammation. It wasn't a strong outing for the southpaw, as after opening the frame with a strikeout, he allowed loud contact and traffic on the basepaths that resulted in two runs. Prior to landing on the injured list, Falter made two relief appearances for the Royals, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks across 3.1 innings with four strikeouts. His next rehab outing is scheduled for Saturday, barring any setbacks.