MLB Player News
-
Nabil Crismatt RP | TEX
Rangers' Nabil Crismatt: Undergoing UCL surgery
Crismatt will undergo surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right elbow, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
It had been previously reported that Crismatt needed elbow surgery, and now it's been revealed that it will be a season-ending UCL repair. Whether he requires a full Tommy John surgery or something less invasive won't be known until the operation. Crismatt had been in Rangers camp on a minor-league contract.
-
Jurickson Profar LF | ATL
Braves' Jurickson Profar: Expected to be primary DH
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Friday that he expects Profar to be deployed at designated hitter often early in the season, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Profar will not be a full-time DH, as Weiss likes the flexibility of using others in the spot on occasion, but heading into the season he is viewed as the team's primary option. The switch hitter could shift to left field against tougher southpaws, with the lefty-swinging Mike Yastrzemski going to the bench.
-
Jason Adam RP | SD
Padres' Jason Adam: Thinks he could be ready for opener
Adam (quadriceps) said Friday that he "absolutely" thinks he could be ready in time for Opening Day, 97.3 The Fan reports.
Coming back from left quadriceps tendon repair surgery, Adam has been throwing bullpen sessions but still needs to show he can field his position and run without issue. The reliever said that the "ultimate priority" is to be healthy for the bulk of the season, but he believes he has a chance to be available for Opening Day. Previous estimates have had Adam in line for his season debut around mid-April, and that's probably still the most likely scenario.
-
JR Ritchie SP | ATL
Braves' JR Ritchie: Impressing in Atlanta camp
Ritchie has drawn "some excitement" with how he's looked early on in spring training, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Ritchie is a long shot to break camp as part of Atlanta's rotation, but he could push to make his major-league debut sooner rather than later. The 22-year-old began the 2025 season at High-A Rome and finished it at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 2.64 ERA and 140:54 K:BB over 140 innings across three levels. It was his first full pro season, as he missed much of the previous two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery after being the 35th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft.
-
Ha-seong Kim 2B | ATL
Braves' Ha-Seong Kim: Could be ready by early May
Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that he's optimistic4r Kim (finger) will be ready to make his season debut in early May, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Kim had surgery in January to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger. The initial timeline provided had him returning in the second half of May as a best-case scenario, but is sounds like the veteran infielder could beat that projection. Mauricio Dubon is expected to be Atlanta's primary shortstop while Kim recovers.
-
Zac Veen RF | COL
Rockies' Zac Veen: Gets sober, adds muscle
Veen revealed this week that he got sober over the offseason and now weighs 245 pounds after finishing last season at 202 pounds, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Veen said that he had "a pretty big substance abuse problem for a few years," but he's been able to "cut that out of my lifestyle and replace [it] with protein" to remake his body. According to his high school coach, Johnny Goodrich, Veen's speed and exit velocities have improved with the added muscle. Veen went just 4-for-34 at the plate during his brief time with the Rockies last season and is likely ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 campaign, but the 24-year-old could eventually earn another promotion.
-
Yohel Pozo C | STL
Cardinals' Yohel Pozo: Down 33 pounds from last season
Pozo has lost 33 pounds since the end of last season, he shared on his X account.
The slimmed-down Pozo was non-tendered by the Cardinals in November before quickly re-signing on a split contract. He's part of a crowded mix at catcher for St. Louis, with Ivan Herrera (elbow), Pedro Pages and perhaps Jimmy Crooks ahead of him on the depth chart. Pozo -- who slashed .231/.262/.375 with five home runs in 67 games in 2025 -- is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Memphis.
-
Sandy Alcantara SP | MIA
Marlins' Sandy Alcantara: Working on sweeper
Alcantara is incorporating a sweeper into his pitch mix, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
The 30-year-old righty began working on the pitch this offseason, and Alcantara is already comfortable enough with it that he threw nine of them during a pitch-design session Thursday, getting a swing and miss from Javier Sanoja on one sweeper. "Me and [pitching coach Daniel Moskos] had a conversation last year about that," Alcantara said. "We need a pitch that breaks more and is more slow. Finally, we have it." Alcantara has a strong finish to 2025 even without the new offering, going 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 52:10 K:BB in 53.2 innings over his last eight starts -- numbers comparable to his 2022 campaign, when he won the NL Cy Young Award.
-
Nate Pearson RP | HOU
Astros' Nate Pearson: Had offseason cleanup on elbow
Pearson underwent a cleanup procedure on his right elbow during the offseason but will throw a bullpen session Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander joined the Astros on a one-year, $1.35 million contract during the offseason, and it appears he's opening camp in good shape despite the procedure. Pearson surrendered 15 earned runs over 11 relief outings for the Cubs last season but was dominant at the Triple-A level with a 2.22 ERA across 44.2 innings. He's primarily worked as a reliever since 2021, but Houston is expected to give him a chance to stretch out as a starter during spring training.
-
Munetaka Murakami 1B | CHW
White Sox's Munetaka Murakami: Could play some third base
White Sox manager Will Venable said Friday that he expects Murakami to play "some" at third base, but "most of his time will be spent at first," Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
Third base was Murakami's primary position in Japan, but he's seen as a defensive liability there and is a better roster fit at first base for the White Sox. However, it's possible the 26-year-old sees enough action at the hot corner in order to earn eligibility at the position for 2027. Miguel Vargas is slated to be the team's everyday third baseman.