MLB Player News

Noel left Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals after being hit by a pitch on the right thumb in the ninth inning, but he told Jake Rill of MLB.com on Saturday that he would have stayed in had it been the regular season.

The 24-year-old slugger is off the 40-man roster after being outrighted in January but remains in big-league camp for the time being. Noel is 4-for-11 with a double, a walk and two strikeouts in eight games so far this spring. While his power is immense, Noel will likely need to show improvement with his contact rate before being seriously considered for an in-season promotion.

Early allowed two hits and walked one while striking out four over 3.2 scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against the Tigers.

Early made his second Grapefruit League start and third appearance overall. The left-hander threw 51 pitches (31 strikes) and showcased a fastball that touched 96.2 mph and averaged 94.8, nearly one tick higher than it averaged in 2025. While nominally still in the competition for the final spot in the rotation, Early is expected to open the regular season at Triple-A Worcester. He's allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight over 8.1 spring innings.

Holliday (hand) hit 40 balls off a tee Saturday, using both hands to swing, and said afterward that he expects to take batting practice within the next week, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Holliday just resumed swinging a bat this week and was initially restricted to one-handed swings in an effort to protect his surgically repaired right hand. He's now swinging with both hands and seems to be making good progress from his Feb. 12 procedure. The 22-year-old is expected to miss the start of the 2026 season but does not appear in line for a lengthy absence.

The Orioles optioned Young to minor-league camp Saturday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Young made 12 starts for Baltimore last season, pitching to an unsightly 6.24 ERA and 1.54 WHIP over 57.2 innings. He was always a long shot to break camp given the Orioles' pitching additions over the offseason. The right-hander will presumably stay stretched out as starting depth at Triple-A Norfolk.

Williams allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out five over 3.2 innings in Friday's spring start against the Angels.

Williams had early trouble in the first inning but settled down after that in his third Cactus League start. He increased his pitch count to 56 (41 strikes) and didn't issue a free pass for the second straight outing. Walks were an issue for the right-hander in 2025 (4.5 BB/9), but thus far, Williams has issued just one walk through eight spring innings.

Baez (back) will start at second base and bat sixth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Lower-back tightness kept Baez off the field for a few days but will not significantly hinder his preparations for the start of the season. The 33-year-old is off to a nice start this spring with four hits, including a homer, to go along with a stolen base through four exhibition games. He has three-position eligibility entering the 2026 campaign (3B, SS, OF) but his exact role is still to be determined.

Ober threw two perfect innings with one strikeout in Friday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta. However, his fastball averaged just 89.9 mph and topped out at 91.1 mph, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The results look good, but he was essentially facing Atlanta's "B" lineup, and notably the velocity Ober showed earlier in camp was not there. While he's never been a particularly hard thrower, a significant bounce-back from his 5.10 ERA last season may prove difficult if he can't find a little more zip on the pitch he throws more than one-third of the time. Ober figures to make three more spring starts before slotting in behind Joe Ryan in the Twins' season-opening rotation.

DeLauter started in right field and went 1-for-3 with one RBI in Friday's spring game against the Angels.

DeLauter, who returned from lower-body soreness as the designated hitter earlier in the week, defended a position for the first time since being scratched from a game one week ago. Beyond left fielder Steven Kwan, the Guardians' outfield is unsettled, but DeLauter appears to be a lock, either in center or right field. He's hit safely in all four of his Cactus League games, going 6-for-11 with two doubles, one home run and four RBI.

Vazquez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Astros on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Vazquez is currently playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but afterward he will report to Astros camp and attempt to win the backup job behind Yainer Diaz. Cesar Salazar, the only other catcher currently on Houston's 40-man roster, is 2-for-13 so far this spring. Vazquez, now 35, spent the last three seasons in Minnesota, slashing a combined .215/.267/.311.

Caminero went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run for the Dominican Republic in Friday's 12-3 win over Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic.

Caminero looks to have taken his hot bat from spring training into the WBC, considering he's gone 5-for-12 (.417) with five RBI and one walk covering his first five Grapefruit League contests. The 22-year-old slugger was a first-time All-Star in 2025, though it's worth noting that the Rays are returning to pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field in 2026. During last year's regular season, Caminero posted a .953 OPS across 294 at-bats at hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field as opposed to a .743 OPS over 308 at-bats on the road.