MLB Player News

Fairbanks struck out one in a perfect inning Saturday during a split-squad game against the Cardinals.

The right-hander has yet to allow a run over four innings this spring with a 6:1 K:BB. Signed to a one-year, $13 million contract in December, Fairbanks is set to be the Marlins' unquestioned closer this season after averaging 25 saves over the last three years for the Rays with a 2.98 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 in 151 innings.

Stowers went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Saturday's split-squad spring game against the Cardinals.

Getting the start in left field and hitting leadoff in his return to game action, Stowers didn't appear to be slowed down by the hamstring issue that cropped up in late February. The 28-year-old went first to third in the third inning on a Xavier Edwards single after drawing his free pass with two outs before coming home on a Connor Norby knock. Stowers should still have enough to time to get ready for Opening Day as he looks to build on a breakout 2025 campaign that saw him slash .288/.368/.544 with 25 homers in 117 games.

Long (elbow) went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies.

After facing live pitchers in a side session Friday, Long returned to game action a day later for the first time since late February. The 24-year-old sprained his elbow attempting to reach for a wide throw to first base, but he sustained no structural damage, and he now looks fully good to go after a few weeks of rehab work. Long is expected to begin the regular season with Triple-A Iowa and give the Cubs some depth behind Michael Busch.

Langeliers went 3-for-3 with three solo homers in Saturday's Cactus League win over the Royals.

Langeliers was locked in at the plate, going yard three times against Ryan Bergert. Fresh off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he slugged 32 doubles and 31 homers with an .861 OPS in 123 games, the catcher has continued to rake in Cactus League play, slashing .351/.429/.919 with six homers, three doubles and 11 RBI across 15 games.

Varsho went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

After launching two homers Friday against the Twins, Varsho went deep again Saturday to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, this time against two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on a 95.5 mph sinker that he crushed to right-center field. Varsho now has four home runs in 35 spring plate appearances as part of a .455/.486/1.000 slash line, and the 29-year-old center fielder might only need to stay healthy to put together breakout campaign in 2026.

Atlanta reassigned Keirsey to minor-league camp Saturday.

The outfielder was unable to secure a bench spot on the Opening Day roster and appears set to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett. With the Twins last season, Keirsey saw action in 74 games and slashed .107/.138/.179 with two home runs and 10 stolen bases over 88 plate appearances.

Atlanta reassigned English to minor-league camp Saturday.

English reached the majors for the first time in 2025 with the Diamondbacks, appearing in seven games while going 2-for-22. After becoming a free agent in the offseason, English signed with Atlanta on a minor-league deal. While he wasn't able to secure a bench spot on the Opening Day roster, English should get the chance to play on a near-everyday basis at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Scherzer gave up two hits and two walks over 4.2 scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. He struck out five.

With Tarik Skubal on the mound for Detroit, Scherzer's competitive fire kicked in even in a low-stakes exhibition game, and he tossed 42 of 65 pitches for strikes before exiting the mound with the Jays ahead 1-0. Scherzer has yet to give up a run in two spring starts since re-signing with Toronto in late February, posting a 6:3 K:BB in 8.2 innings, and with Jose Berrios (elbow) looking uncertain for Opening Day, the 41-year-old appears ticketed for a spot in the rotation to begin 2026.

The Phillies optioned Hoffman to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Hoffman made his MLB debut with a single appearance for the Phillies last season, and he showed his upside during spring training with a 10:1 K:BB across 7.1 innings. The 28-year-old had a 4.85 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across 65 innings at the Triple-A level last year, and he'll likely need to show a bit more consistency at Lehigh Valley to earn a longer look in the majors.

Brown allowed one run on two hits across four innings in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Rockies. He struck out six.

Brown has been racking up strikeouts so far this spring, and he now has 15 of them across 10.2 Cactus League frames. This is in line with the tall righty's career 10.3 K/9 during the regular season. The problem for Brown to this point has been consistency, particularly with his secondary pitches. He's been experimenting with a sinker in camp and may use it frequently in 2026 if he finds success with it in the early going.