MLB Player News

After fading down the stretch last season, Crow-Armstrong is aiming to make his swing more consistent and compact this year in an effort to find more sustained success at the plate, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Crow-Armstrong was one of the top players in the league before the All-Star break, blasting 25 home runs and posting an .846 OPS. However, he faded some after the break, as he mustered only six long balls and a .634 OPS. Chicago assistant hitting coach John Mallee said he noticed that as the season went on, the talented outfielder developed a longer stride in his swing, which led him to miss more pitches or make weaker contact when he did connect. Crow-Armstrong still had a great season with the 31 long balls and 35 stolen bases, making him one of only seven players in all of baseball to get to 30 in each of those categories. The 23-year-old's combination of power and speed makes him a valuable fantasy asset, and he could take a step forward in 2026 if he tightens up his swing and makes more consistent contact all year.

Rodriguez's contact ability has generated reaction from observers in camp, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Rodriguez spent time with Double-A Chattanooga (82 games) and Triple-A Louisville (53) in 2025 before earning a promotion to the Reds' 40-man roster during the offseason. He slashed .298/.357/.481 with 12 home runs in Double A and .260/.304/.405 with seven homers in his introduction to Triple A. While onlookers are impressed by Rodriguez's ability to hit anything thrown at him, they also feel he needs to be more selective. The soon-to-be 22-year-old outfielder also played offseason ball in the Dominican Winter League, where he slashed .301/.375/.504 with four homers across 128 plate appearances and walked as many times as he struck out (13).

Burns will compete for the fifth starter's role during spring training, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. He showed improvement with his changeup during a two-inning live batting practice session on Monday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Dayton Daily News reports.

Burns experienced just about everything a pitcher can during his first year of professional ball in 2025, hitting three levels of the minors before making his MLB debut with the Reds. He also experienced an injury, time on the injured list and returned to pitch as a reliever over the final weeks of the regular season and into the postseason. The right-hander held his own for the most part and can leverage that experience to compete for the final rotation spot. His fellow candidates for the job are Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar (elbow). Burns possesses an elite four-seamer and slider (43.9 Whiff%) and has succeeded thus far on the strength of those two pitches, but adding a useful changeup or cutter could take him to another level.

Soroka might open the season in the bullpen, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Diamondbacks enter spring training well stocked in the rotation but with an unsettled outlook in the bullpen. Soroka, signed by Arizona as a free agent in December, made 17 starts for the Nationals and Cubs in 2025 before a shoulder injury limited him to relief work over the final two weeks of the regular season. Built into Soroka's contract are incentives that reward him for starts or relief appearances -- two points for every start, one point for a relief outing. He will earn $250,000 each for reaching 10 and 20 points, $425,000 each for reaching 30 and 40, and $650,000 for reaching 50. Barring a significant injury, the 28-year-old right-hander could reach those incentives as a full-time starter or reliever or a combination of the two roles.

Hampton (elbow) has been throwing on flat ground and could return to pitching in games in May or June, per MLB.com.

Hampton underwent Tommy John surgery last February, so he didn't pitch at all during the 2025 campaign. The right-hander nonetheless remains one of New York's top pitching prospects and was added to the 40-man roster in November, as the Yankees opted to shield him from the Rule 5 Draft. Hampton is likely to spend much of the season at the Double-A level once he's ready to throw in games again.

Altuve (foot) is healthy to start spring training and is expected to serve as the Astros' primary second baseman this season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Altuve dealt with a rocky transition to left field to start the 2025 campaign and finished the year with a nagging foot injury, resulting in a .265 batting average, the lowest of his career apart from the 2020 shortened season. Now healthy and back at second base, Altuve will look to rebound in 2026. Manager Joe Espada emphasized the 35-year-old Altuve's health earlier in the offseason, stating that he needs to "help Jose have the right amount of time to be off his feet." With Houston's current surplus of infielders, it seems likely that Altuve will at least play fewer than the 155 games he did in 2025.

Anderson has impressed early in spring training and is expected to advance quickly through the Mariners system, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Anderson has yet to make his professional debut since being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, but the left-hander is already receiving rave reviews following his performance Sunday during a live batting practice session against some Mariners regulars. Anderson is likely to begin the upcoming season with High-A Everett, though he's not expected to "spend a heck of a lot of time in the high minors," according to Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners' president of baseball operations. Seattle's rotation is one of the league's best, and while Anderson still has a lot to prove, he could have an outside chance at making his MLB debut at some point in 2026.

Bigge (face) threw live batting practice Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After pitching eight games in the Dominican Winter League, Bigge appears to be just about all the way back from the multiple facial fractures he suffered when he was hit by a foul ball in June of last season. The 27-year-old right-hander said Sunday that he's fully cleared medically, and the expectation is that Bigge will be competing for a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen during spring training.

Realmuto is an option to bat cleanup in 2026, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Manager Rob Thomson considers Alec Bohm the favorite for the role, and it sounds like Adolis Garcia is in contention as well. Realmuto enters his age-35 campaign in fairly evident decline, considering his OPS has dropped steadily in each of the past four seasons, but the possibility of hitting fourth in Philadelphia's lineup at least gives him some upside as a late-round catcher option in fantasy drafts.

Bohm is the most likely option to bat fourth in Philadelphia's lineup this season, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Manager Rob Thomson also mentioned Adolis Garcia and J.T. Realmuto as candidates for the cleanup role in 2026. Nick Castellanos, who signed with the Padres on Saturday, handled the majority of the cleanup duties a year ago, and it's possible the Phillies will use spring training as an audition to determine who's next in line as their primary No. 4 hitter. Bohm bounced around the batting order last season and ended up spending around half his time in the lower half of the lineup, so it's encouraging to hear he's in pole position to hit cleanup this spring.