MLB Player News

Basallo (abdomen) is starting at catcher and batting cleanup in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The 21-year-old departed Thursday's spring game due to abdominal discomfort, but he's ready to retake the field after getting a couple days off. The fact that Basallo is immediately working behind the plate rather than being eased back in as the designated hitter is a good indication that the injury wasn't a serious concern.

Leiter allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one over 1.1 innings in Saturday's Cactus League start against the Dodgers.

Leiter needed 45 pitches to get those four outs, spread across three different innings. The three up-and-downs were a positive this early in camp, but the right-hander allowed three extra-base hits, including a Dalton Rushing home run in the first inning, and he managed to throw just 24 strikes. Leiter also featured more of the cutter he's been working on during the offseason, delivering seven of them, so the results may be less important than the process in this outing.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Sunday that White has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 right oblique strain and won't return to game action for 3-to-4 weeks, Louis Addeo-Weiss of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Arguably the top pitching prospect in the Miami organization, White received an invitation to big-league camp but was always considered likely to open the season in the Triple-A Jacksonville rotation. The oblique injury, which White picked up Friday in his spring debut, will keep him out for the rest of the Grapefruit League slate. Assuming the estimated recovery timeline holds, White could still be ready to go when Jacksonville opens its season March 27, although he would likely need time to ramp up in extended spring training first.

Bibee allowed three runs on three hits over three innings in Saturday's Cactus League start against the White Sox.

Bibee increased his pitch count to 47 (29 strikes) in his second spring outing. After a forgettable first inning in which he allowed a home run and all three runs, the right-hander retired the final six batters he faced. Per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, Bibee acknowledged putting too much pressure on himself last season after inking a five-year contract extension in March 2025, and he battles his mechanics all year. He eventually found a groove late, going 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA in four September starts, and he was the starting pitcher in the Guardians' lone postseason victory.

Pauley (forearm) is batting sixth as the designated hitter in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Pauley has dealt with tightness in his right forearm early in camp, but he's set to make his spring debut Sunday. The 25-year-old likely won't be fully cleared until he's deemed ready to handle defensive duties, but he still has plenty of time to do so ahead of Opening Day.

Frelick is 3-for-10 (.300) with a triple, a steal and a 3:0 BB:K through four games this spring.

Frelick has not been particularly busy early in the exhibition season, but he also has not been limited after playing through a sore knee in 2025. He is set to remain Milwaukee's primary right fielder, and he figures to be a fantasy factor after putting up a .288 batting average, 12 home runs and 19 steals over 590 regular-season plate appearances a season ago.

McLain batted second and went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's spring game against Milwaukee.

McLain has batted second and gathered hits in all four of his Cactus League appearances so far, going 6-for-12 with a walk and three RBI. He opened 2025 batting near the top of the batting order but struggled for much of the season and eventually was dropped to the bottom third. If he continues to hit like this, McLain could find himself batting second again with protection from Elly De La Cruz behind him.

Ortiz went 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, two RBI, two steals and a 2:3 BB:K over his last five spring games.

Ortiz posted a 1.145 OPS during the 2025 exhibition campaign before putting up a .593 mark during the regular season, so the early hot streak is not necessarily a sign of things to come. However, it is certainly better than the alternative for a player looking to get back on track. Despite the downturn, Ortiz is in line to remain the primary shortstop for the Brewers, but Milwaukee's top four prospects all play the same position, so it will be a pivotal 2026 campaign for Ortiz.

Melton (thumb) is starting in center field and batting second in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 25-year-old was scratched from the lineup Thursday due to soreness in his left thumb, but he's good to go a few days later. Barring an aggravation of the injury, Melton should be in the clear as he competes for a spot on Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster.

Greene allowed four runs on five hits and one walk over one inning in Saturday's spring start against the Brewers.

Greene threw a total of 37 pitches (21 strikes) against eight batters over two different innings in his Cactus League debut. The right-hander used his typical arsenal of four-seamer, slider and splitter but not the two-seamer he'd worked on during the offseason. He was yanked in the first without retiring a batter and lamented his location to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "Results obviously weren't great but going in, the plan - especially adjusting to the ABS - I wanted to fill the zone up. I was probably too middle today," Greene said. "Obviously, it's a good hitting team. I was trying to find a little bit more of those corners." Greene was better in his second inning, which included a walk, a groundout and double-play groundout. Despite the trials, the pitcher said he felt great, and manager Terry Francona was pleased with how the ball was coming out.