MLB Player News

Jenkins was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI on Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

The Twins' top prospect suffered the injury Saturday when attempting to beat out a double play. Jenkins is without an official timeline for his return, but the injury could affect his availability for the start of the Triple-A season. The 21-year-old received a taste of the Triple-A level late last year and has a decent chance of making his MLB debut at some point in 2026.

Verdugo agreed to a minor-league contract with the Padres on Sunday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The veteran outfielder signed with Atlanta for the 2025 campaign and had a .585 OPS in 56 games before being designated for assignment in early July. Verdugo will report to minor-league camp for the Padres, and it's difficult to envision a realistic path to him making the Opening Day roster.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell suggested Saturday that Busch won't be deployed in a platoon to open the season and has earned the right to play regularly versus left-handed pitchers, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Busch is coming off a breakthrough 2025 campaign in which he slashed .261/.343/.523 with 34 home runs, but the left-handed-hitting first baseman was largely shielded from same-handed pitching and did the overwhelming share of his damage versus righties, whom he faced for 497 of his 592 regular-season plate appearances. The Cubs signed the right-handed-hitting Tyler Austin this winter with the intention of having him fill the short side of a platoon, but with Austin now set to miss multiple months after recently undergoing a knee procedure, Counsell appears content to give Busch a full run of at-bats at first base. While the added exposure to lefties could lead to a drop in his batting average, Busch could increase his output in the counting categories due to the higher overall volume of plate appearances.

Soriano won't start Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners as scheduled due to an illness, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The right-hander has surrendered seven earned runs across 3.2 frames in his first two outings of spring training, and his third appearance will be pushed back due to an ailment. Soriano shouldn't miss much time and could slot back into the pitching schedule later in the week.

Church (lat) is slated to throw live bullpen sessions Tuesday and Friday, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Church is working his way back from a teres major strain and could be cleared for game action by early next week if he responds well to his upcoming live sessions. The 24-year-old righty has made just six career appearances in the majors, but he boasts one of the more electric arms in the organization and could be a factor in the late innings for the Rangers later in 2026 if he can stay healthy and keep the free passes in check.

Higashioka (back) will start at catcher and bat third in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

The veteran backstop had been out of the spring lineup for the past four days due to a back issue but appears to be good to go moving forward. Heading into his second season in Texas, Higashioka is likely to be part of a timeshare with Danny Jansen behind the dish.

Kelly (back) said Sunday that he's optimistic he'll avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the regular season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Kelly is no longer in line to start Opening Day versus the Dodgers, but he could be ready to pitch in Arizona's second series of the season at home versus Detroit, which runs March 30 through April 1. The right-hander was shut down one week ago after experiencing mid-back tightness but has seemingly responded well since receiving a cortisone shot. He was able to play catch Sunday without issue and could gradually increase the distance and intensity of his throwing sessions during the upcoming week.

Arias was scratched from Sunday's split-squad lineup against the Diamondbacks due to lower-back spasms, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Arias was penciled in to start at shortstop and bat cleanup, but he'll instead get some time to rest. The 26-year-old has gone 2-for-9 with a double and five strikeouts through his first four spring training games and is expected to open the campaign as Cleveland's primary shortstop.

Castro (knee) signed a contract Feb. 13 with Mexican League club Leones de Yucatan.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post previously reported that Castro had agreed to a minor-league contract with the Angels, but the deal evidently fell through. The 31-year-old will instead head south of the border to continue his playing career after spending 2025 with the White Sox and posting a 7.50 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in six innings. Castro missed the final four months of last season while recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, but he's presumably healthy now.

Dubin (elbow) struck out one batter and allowed two earned runs on two hits over an inning of relief Thursday in the Diamondbacks' 13-10 Cactus League win over the Royals.

Dubin appears to be fully healthy after spending the final two weeks of 2025 on the Orioles' injured list due to right elbow discomfort. He signed a minor-league deal with Arizona in December and is competing for a spot in the Diamondbacks' bullpen. Between his stops with Houston and Baltimore last season, Dubin posted a 5.08 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 28:11 K:BB in 33.2 innings.