MLB Player News

Brujan is one of the top candidates to fill in for Francisco Lindor (hand) at shortstop, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Ronny Mauricio, Grae Kessinger and Jackson Cluff will also be in the mix for spring reps at short while Lindor recovers from hamate bone surgery. Brujan has experience all over the diamond as a utility player and posted a UZR/150 of 4.6 over 237 innings at shortstop with the Marlins in 2024, and the switch hitter might be the Mets' best defensive option to cover for Lindor.

Bichette isn't expected to take any reps at shortstop while Francisco Lindor (hand) is sidelined, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

The Mets don't believe Lindor will miss much regular-season action, so they'll keep Bichette at the hot corner and let him adapt to a new defensive position without interruption. That plan could change, however, if Lindor has any kind of setback. Bichette has never played a professional game at third base, but he did handle second base during the Blue Jays' run to the World Series last season without much difficulty.

Crismatt needs right elbow surgery and will be sidelined indefinitely, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

It's unclear what specific procedure Crismatt requires, but even a minor one will likely sidelined him for a least a few months. The right-hander is in Rangers camp as a non-roster invitee. If Crismatt is able to make it back later this season, he'll likely pitch at Triple-A Round Rock.

Thorpe has been slowed by tendinitis in his surgically repaired right elbow, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Thorpe missed all of the 2025 season after having Tommy John surgery last March, and he's hit a speed bump in his recovery. The right-hander is not currently shut down, as he's scheduled for three flat-ground throwing sessions this week and is hopeful he's cleared to throw off a mound within the next three weeks. Thorpe still have a chance to contribute for the White Sox during the first half, but he can't afford any more setbacks.

The Guardians re-signed Lively (elbow) to a two-year minor-league contract Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Lively will be in camp with Cleveland as he continues his rehab from a UCL reconstruction and flexor tendon repair that he had last May. He's currently throwing out to 75 feet, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The right-hander has a chance to make some appearances late in the 2026 season, but this is more of a depth addition for 2027 by the Guardians. Lively has posted a 3.68 ERA and 147:64 K:BB over 195.2 innings covering 38 starts during his two seasons in Cleveland.

The Dodgers signed Muncy to a one-year, $7 million contract extension Thursday. The deal includes a $10 million club option (or $3 million buyout) for 2028.

Muncy was already locked in for the 2026 season after the club picked up his $10 million option, and he's now guaranteed another $10 million through the end of the 2027 campaign. The 35-year-old has battled injuries the last two seasons but has remained very good with the bat, having slashed .243/.376/.470 with 19 home runs across 100 regular-season tilts in 2025. Muncy is slated to be the Dodgers' primary third baseman again in 2026.

Walcott will undergo UCL surgery on his right elbow and will miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

The hope is that Walcott needs internal brace surgery rather than a full Tommy John repair, but the Rangers won't know until he has the procedure in a few days. The former would give him a slight chance to return late in the season. Slated to turn 20 in March, Walcott is one of the game's elite prospects and could have pushed for a major-league debut this season. He slashed .255/.355/.386 with 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases over 124 games in 2025 at Double-A Frisco as a 19-year-old.

Ramirez has committed himself this offseason to improving his defense behind the plate, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. "I was learning something new every game," Ramirez said Wednesday about his rookie campaign in the majors. "That's what I was experiencing last season. I'm coming with that experience this year. It feels really good because you know exactly where to go and what to do."

The 24-year-old has already impressed with the offensive side of his game -- he was the first rookie catcher in MLB history to record 20 homers and 15 steals in a season -- but Ramirez's defense needs a lot of work. He spent the offseason in the Dominican Republic working on his mobility, to improve his range and ability to block balls in the dirt, but that's not the only hole in his skill set. Ramirez's minus-14 defensive runs saves in 2025 included a rough 8.8 percent caught-stealing rate, as base stealers were successful on 82 of 91 attempts against him. His bat will be a fixture in the Marlins' lineup in 2026, but if Ramirez's defense continues to be an issue, he could be moved to first base or DH considering top catching prospect Joe Mack is knocking on the door at Triple-A.

Cease has been working on changing the shape of his four-seam fastball and adding a changeup to his arsenal, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander has always had premium raw stuff in his high-90s fastball, which averaged a career-high 98.1 mph in 2025, and plus slider, but his actual results have rarely matched the scouting reports. Adding a change or splitter could help improve his numbers against left-handed hitters -- last season with the Padres, Cease had a 4.00 K/BB and 31.4 percent strikeout rate against RHP, but just a 2.36 K/BB and 28.0 percent K rate against LHP. Until he begins using any new pitches in game action, however, there's no reason to expect something radically different than the pitch mix that saw him use his four-seamer and slider 83.1 percent of the time last year.

Jimenez seems likely to have a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Toronto's infield depth got a little thinner after it was announced that Anthony Santander (shoulder) would miss most of all of the 2026 season, which pushed Addison Barger out of the third-base mix and into right field. Ernie Clement was the team's main utility infielder last year, but with Bo Bichette now a Met, he's stepping into a starting role at second base. That leaves Jimenez as the next man up to handle backup duties at the middle-infield spots. The 24-year-old shown hasn't shown much at the plate, managing a .635 OPS in 242 career big-league plate appearances, and he could be joined on the bench, or even pushed aside, by glove-first prospect Josh Kasevich.