MLB Player News

Matthews went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game versus the Pirates.

Matthews has swung the bat well to start the spring, going 4-for-10 with a double and a stolen base in his first four Grapefruit League games. Matthews, a first-round pick in 2023, is primarily an infielder, though he's been getting more work in the outfield this spring in an effort to make the Opening Day roster as a utility piece. Matthews struggled in a brief major-league stint last season, batting just .167 with four homers across 47 plate appearances. However, he put up impressive numbers in 112 games with Triple-A Sugar Land, slashing .260/.371/.458 with 17 homers and 41 stolen bases across 498 plate appearances.

Sirota (knee) swatted a solo home run in his only at-bat during Saturday's Cactus League loss to Texas.

Sirota entered as a pinch runner in the sixth inning and remained in the game in right field. He got one plate appearance and took full advantage of the opportunity, belting a solo homer to left field off minor-league lefty Dalton Pence in the eighth frame. Sirota ended last season on the minor-league 60-day IL due to a knee injury, but he appears to be past the issue. The 22-year-old is one of the Dodgers' top prospects after posting a .333/.452/.616 slash line with 13 homers, 54 RBI, 48 runs, five stolen bases and a 48:59 BB:K over 59 games between Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and High-A Great Lakes last year. He figures to progress to the upper levels of the minors this season and could be a fixture on the big-league squad as soon as 2027.

Peguero (hamstring) threw a live batting practice session Friday and is on track to play this week, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Peguero began experiencing tightness in his left hamstring in mid-February but is progressing toward his Cactus League debut. The right-hander made 17 relief appearances for the Giants in 2025 after his contract was selected from Triple-A Sacramento in August, recording a 2.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 17:8 K:BB across 22.1 innings.

Paredes went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Pirates.

Paredes started his spring with a bang, launching a homer off Pittsburgh's Bubba Chandler in the fifth inning. There are no doubts about Paredes' power potential -- he's hit 90 home runs over the last four seasons. However, there is a lingering question about where exactly he'll fit in Houston's lineup. Paredes served as the DH on Saturday, a spot expected to be occupied by Yordan Alvarez in the regular season. While his name has swirled in trade rumors for much of the winter, it's starting to appear more likely than not that Paredes will remain in Houston for now, in some kind of utility role.

Isaac made his Grapefruit League debut in Saturday's 12-3 loss to the Tigers, playing five innings at first base while going 1-for-2 with a base hit.

Isaac made his highly anticipated return to the field Saturday after he hadn't played in a game since June 25, when he was lifted from a contest at Double-A Montgomery after experiencing dehydration. Days later, Isaac was sent in for a brain scan that revealed a tumor, prompting him to undergo emergency surgery a week later. Per Adam Berry of MLB.com, manager Kevin Cash noted that the Rays have no expectations in terms of results for Isaac this spring, as the first-base prospect's main focus is getting comfortable following his extended absence. Isaac will be in the lineup Sunday versus Atlanta, starting at first base and batting sixth.

Through five Grapefruit League games, Jones is slashing .300/.417/1.200 with three home runs, six RBI, five runs and one stolen base.

Jones leads the Yankees in long balls this spring and ranks second in RBI. The young slugger had a similarly impressive exhibition slate last year, belting three home runs over 32 at-bats, though he also struck out 16 times. Jones has been a little better in that regard this spring with a 2:4 BB:K over 12 plate appearances, but it's likely that strikeouts will always be an issue for him. Jones was added to the 40-man roster in November after accumulating a .933 OPS with 35 homers, 80 RBI and 29 thefts across 506 plate appearances between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2025. There's a good chance he'll make his MLB debut at some point this season, though it's likely he'll begin the campaign in Triple-A.

Bummer (shoulder) struck out a batter in a perfect inning of relief in Friday's 15-8 win over the Red Sox in Grapefruit League play.

Bummer is back to full health after spending the final five weeks of 2025 on the shelf due to left shoulder inflammation. The 32-year-old is set to serve as one of Atlanta's top left-handed bullpen options in 2026 after compiling a 3.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 51:17 K:BB across 54.1 innings last season.

Perez (shoulder) allowed one earned run on one hit over two innings of relief in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Orioles in Grapefruit League play.

The veteran southpaw covered a pair of frames out of the bullpen behind Spencer Strider in his spring debut. Even with Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow), Hurston Waldrep (elbow) and AJ Smith-Shawver (elbow) all set to miss extended time to begin the season, Perez is a long shot to win a spot in the Atlanta rotation. Perez signed a minor-league deal in January after submitting a 3.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB across 56 innings in 11 appearances (10 starts) with the White Sox in 2025.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Sunday that an MRI on Stowers' right hamstring revealed a "very minor" strain, and the outfielder is expected to return to game action in 1-to-2 weeks, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Though the diagnosis comes as welcome news, the 28-year-old still appears set to miss a large chunk of the Marlins' Grapefruit League slate. He won't be shut down from baseball activities for long, with McCullough relaying that Stowers is expected to resume taking live at-bats on the back fields of camp within the next few days. He's coming off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he finished as an NL Gold Glove Award finalist in left field, slugged 25 home runs and stole five bases in 117 games.

Strider allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out two over two innings during his spring debut Saturday against the Orioles. His fastball averaged 93.1 mph and touched 94.3 mph, and afterwards the right-hander said, "it's going to take time to get those things where I know everyone wants them to be," Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

A lower velocity early in spring training is fairly common for pitchers, but Strider deserves extra scrutiny given that his fastball velocity has steadily trended downward since averaging 98.2 mph during his first full MLB campaign in 2022. It averaged 95.5 mph last season in his first year back from internal brace surgery on his elbow, and he was inconsistent on the mound with a 4.45 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and significantly lower 9.4 K/9. Strider is currently more focused on improving the shape of his fastball, which could help him regain some dominance even if his velocity doesn't return to that 2022 peak.