MLB Player News

Lowder allowed one walk and struck out three over three hitless and scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against the Angels.

Lowder was on point with all of his pitches, dispatching nine of 10 batters faced on 30 offerings (21 strikes). He was so efficient that the right-hander retired to the bullpen to throw another 10 pitches. This was Lowder's first Cactus League start and second spring outing. The ability throw all his pitches for strikes should serve him well in the competition for the final spot in Cincinnati's rotation.

Swanson went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

Swanson, who has appeared in only two Cactus League games so far, mustered his first long ball of the spring slate Friday. The veteran shortstop shouldn't need a ton of work to get ready for the regular season, and he'll look to build on the 24 home runs and 77 RBI he tallied across 159 regular-season games for the Cubs in 2025. Swanson did say earlier this month that he is willing to swap some power for more contact in 2026. He's batted below .245 in each of his three seasons in Chicago but hit .277 in 2022 with Atlanta, so there could be room for improvement in this category, though his homer total might decrease as a result.

Carroll (hand) has resumed baseball activity, Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic reports.

Carroll had a bat in his hand Friday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo again indicated the outfielder is ahead of schedule but can not estimate a timeline until the outfielder's swinging bat to ball.

Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Rodgers' injured shoulder will cause him to miss some time, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The Red Sox sent Rodgers in for an MRI on his right shoulder Thursday after he made an early exit from Wednesday's Grapefruit League contest. Cora said the team is still waiting for the results of Rodgers' tests, but "it doesn't look great." It's unknown how long the 29-year-old will be sidelined, but the missed time will put a major dent in his chances at winning a spot on the Red Sox's bench.

Cabrera struck out three batters across two perfect innings in Friday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

Making his spring training debut for the Cubs after getting traded over to the team in January, Cabrera looked sharp as he didn't allow any baserunners over his two innings of work. The righty can miss plenty of bats, as evidenced by his career 10.0 K/9, but he also has struggled with control at times and has a career 4.5 BB/9. Cabrera did manage a career-best 3.1 BB/9 in 2025 for the Marlins to go along with a 3.53 ERA, which was down from the 4.95 ERA he posted a year earlier. If the 27-year-old righty can continue to limit walks, he could be in store for a strong first season in Chicago.

Nelson struck out three over two hitless and scoreless innings in Friday's spring start against Seattle.

Nelson breezed through all six batters faced in his Cactus League debut, throwing 25 pitches (17 strikes). As usual, he was efficient and relied heavily on his four-seamer, a pitch he threw 62 percent of the time in 2025. He also mixed in cutters (seven) and curveballs (three). "I feel good, honestly, about the pitch mix right now," Nelson told Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic. "It's probably the best I've felt this time of the year. Now just build up some endurance and some length." The right-hander added that he'd feel comfortable taking the ball Opening Day; the Diamondbacks must decide who will replace Merrill Kelly (back) for the regular-season opener March 26.

Holliday (hand) said Saturday that he has been cleared to resume throwing a baseball, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Holliday was cleared for fielding and one-handed swings earlier this week after getting the stitches removed from his hand, and he's now added throwing to his regimen. Assuming he continues to progress without any issues, he'll begin taking regular swings Thursday as part of a plan to have him back in Baltimore's lineup around mid-April.

Flaherty allowed a run on a hit and a walk across two innings of work in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out four.

Flaherty has been eased in to action so far this spring, as he's logged just three innings across two Grapefruit League appearances so far, but he shouldn't need much work to get ready for the year. The veteran righty is coming off an up-and-down 2025 campaign in which he posted a 4.64 ERA across 161 regular-season innings but also struck out 188 batters. Flaherty had a much sharper 3.17 ERA in 2024, his first season with the Tigers before getting traded to the Dodgers at the deadline that year. He should slot into the middle of Detroit's rotation in 2026, potentially right behind Tarik Skubal and new addition Framber Valdez.

Baez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Baez has now gone 4-for-7 through three spring games, and his home run Friday was his first of the exhibition slate. Earlier this month, the veteran was suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023. The WBC's governing body classifies marijuana as a banned substance, but Major League Baseball does not, so his status with the Tigers is unaffected. Baez looks like Detroit's primary shortstop to begin the year, though he could also move into a utility role and play some in center, particularly if top prospect Kevin McGonigle makes a push for the role at short. The 33-year-old had something of a bounce-back campaign in 2025, but his fantasy value overall has been trending down across his four seasons with the Tigers.

Baty (hamstring) will start at first base and bat fourth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Baty tweaked his hamstring during an offseason workout shortly before the start of spring training, but he's now been cleared to begin playing in exhibition games. Now that he's healthy, the 26-year-old is expected to compete with top prospect Carson Benge for the starting job in right field this spring. If Baty loses the battle, he will likely still make the Opening Day roster as a utility man.