MLB Player News

Gelof (shoulder) started at designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in Monday's Cactus League win over the Reds.

Gelof was slow-played to open the spring after undergoing surgery last September to repair a dislocated left shoulder, but he made his Cactus League debut Monday and started hot with an RBI double in his first at-bat that left the bat at 107.9 mph. After showing flashes of greatness during his rookie 2023 campaign, the 26-year-old has struggled to recapture that form and is coming off an injury-riddled 2025 in which he slashed .174/.230/.272 across 30 MLB games. A strong finish to spring training could improve his chances of making the big-league roster, though it's still quite possible that Gelof opens the 2026 season with Triple-A Las Vegas.

Mack (neck) is starting at catcher and batting cleanup in Tuesday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Nationals.

Mack was unavailable for a bit due to neck stiffness, but he's been cleared to return to action. The 23-year-old is 3-for-18 with one home run and a 2:6 BB:K this spring and is projected to open the season at Triple-A Jacksonville.

Kwan started in center field and went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI in Monday's spring game against Kansas City.

Kwan belted a pair of two-out, two-run home runs for his first two Cactus League homers. A Gold Glove winner in left field, the Guardians are testing Kwan in center field, where he's played seven consecutive games. The experiment hasn't affected his bat. Kwan's batting .286 (6-for-21) over nine spring games. Moving Kwan to center field would grant up-and-coming outfielders like Chase DeLauter, CJ Kayfus and George Valera, all of whom profile better as corner outfielders, opportunities for regular at-bats.

Messick allowed two hits and one walk while striking out four over 4.2 scoreless innings in Monday's spring start against the Royals.

Messick was dominant in his third Cactus League outing (two starts), upping his pitch count to 66 (41 strikes) in a bid to earn a spot in the Guardians' rotation. The left-hander lowered his spring ERA to 1.93 over 9.1 innings. Cleveland's received good work from all its starters over the last week, and the decision will be tough one for manager Stephen Vogt. Messick has three minor-league options, which could work against him in the competition with Joey Cantillo (no options) and Logan Allen (one) for the final two spots in the rotation.

Crochet allowed three runs on five hits while striking out two over 4.2 innings in Monday's spring start against the Phillies. He also hit a batter.

Crochet's third Grapefruit League start didn't yield pretty results, but the left-hander was pleased overall with his execution, per Sean McAdam of MassLive.com. His velocity was down, but Crochet explained that was more a function of building arm strength and tinkering with mechanics. Philadelphia touched him for two runs in the second inning, which were aided by a couple of softly hit, well-placed singles. A third run was charged to him when a runner stole home after Crochet departed the game. Pitching into the fifth inning and hitting 59 pitches (42 strikes) leaves Crochet on schedule for Opening Day against the Reds on March 26.

Canha started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Monday's spring game against the Padres.

Canha, who hit safely for a fourth straight Cactus League game, seemingly has responded to the Rangers' recent signing of Andrew McCutchen. The two veterans are competing for a spot as a right-handed hitting complement to Joc Pederson at designated hitter and as a depth outfielder. Canha has more recent experience in the outfield, having started 133 games there over the past three seasons compared to McCutchen's 20.

McCutchen started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Monday's spring game against San Diego.

McCutchen stepped on the field for the first time since signing a minor-league deal with the Rangers last week. The 39-year-old has a little more than two weeks to show decision-makers that he can still make an impact. The early results were hopeful, as McCutchen's two batted-ball events clocked in at more than 100 mph. Designated hitter would appear to be his best shot at hooking on with the club, as the right-handed complement to Joc Pederson.

Tovar worked on shedding weight and simplifying his swing this offseason, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Tovar was limited to 95 games in 2025, in part due to an oblique strain. He attributed that injury to overly complicated swing mechanics and playing at slightly above his preferred weight. Tovar shed seven pounds during the offseason and simplified his swing in an effort to bounce back in 2026. He's gone 3-for-14 this spring, but has struck out only twice, and he is also representing Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

France appears to have a path to make the Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Sung-Mun Song's oblique injury has seemingly opened up an opportunity for France, who has been seeing the ball well so far this spring. The 31-year-old is 10-for-27 (.370) at the dish with five RBI and two runs scored following Monday's exhibition against the Rangers. France is in consideration for a utility role of sorts, as he logged time at second base earlier in his career and could provide a solid bat off the bench, which as Cassavell notes, could be of interest to skipper Craig Stammen. However, this will all depend on whether Song is forced to begin the 2026 regular season on the injured list.

Kim suffered a left hand injury Sunday while with Team Korea at the World Baseball Classic and didn't play in Monday's 7-2 win over Team Australia, Matthew Moreno of SI.com reports.

Kim's injury happened while he was stealing a base against Team Chinese Taipei on Sunday. He sported a thin wrap around his left hand Monday while sitting out Korea's victory against Australia, per Dodgers Nation, but to this point there's been no word on the exact nature or severity of the injury. This may just end up being a minor issue, and Kim is still at least several days away from returning to the Dodgers as Korea has already advanced to the quarterfinals of the WBC, but if the injury lingers, it could impact Kim's bid to open the regular season as Los Angeles' starter at second base while Tommy Edman continues his recovery from ankle surgery.