MLB Player News

Naylor introduced a toe tap late in the 2025 season and became one of the Guardians' top hitters over the final month of the regular season, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

It was a very up-and-down 2025 season for Naylor until he pivoted away from a leg kick to a toe tap in August. "We don't get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. After implementing the toe tap and getting accustomed to it, the catcher took off in September. Over 19 games, Naylor slashed .290/.324/.548 with a 136 wRC+ and a 48.1 percent hard-hit rate. Those results have carried over to the spring in both the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada and in Cactus League games. Naylor slashed .353/.353/.588 in four WBC games and is slashing .385/.467/.615 in five Cactus League contests.

Falter allowed no hits or walks across three scoreless innings in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Dodgers. He struck out five.

Falter was originally slated to start Tuesday's contest, but manager Matt Quatraro instead deployed the southpaw out of the bullpen to evaluate his versatility and adaptability, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. Falter responded with his best outing of the spring, entering in the fourth inning and striking out five of the nine batters he faced while averaging 93.6 mph on his fastball, up from 92.1 mph last season. The 28-year-old appears to be on the outside looking in for a spot in the Royals' rotation, especially if the club sticks with a traditional five-man group, so his ability to pitch effectively in relief could boost his chances of making the roster as a left-handed bullpen option.

Urias (elbow) will start at third base and bat third in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Urias will make his return to the St. Louis spring lineup for the first time since March 9, after he had been temporarily held out of action due to elbow soreness. The Cardinals' willingness to deploy him in the infield rather than at designated hitter in his return suggests that the elbow issue is no longer affecting his throwing. Urias is likely to serve as a utility infielder for the Cardinals, with most of his starts expected to come against left-handed pitching when St. Louis is at full strength.

Valera (calf) began running Tuesday as part of his activity, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Valera had begun throwing and hitting earlier in the week, and the Guardians are hopeful he can return to game action in the coming days. Based on the calendar, there is some question whether Valera will be ready to go by Opening Day. Cleveland's outfield picture is unclear beyond Steven Kwan, and Valera is one of seven outfielders competing for three or four spots.

Herrera (knee) will start at catcher and bat second in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Herrera is expected to play behind the plate for the first three innings of Wednesday's contest in what marks his first game action since March 6. The 25-year-old has been slowed by knee inflammation over the past two weeks, but assuming he emerges from Wednesday's contest without any setbacks, he should be ready to go for Opening Day. Herrera is expected to a regular part of the St. Louis lineup this season, seeing the bulk of his action at designated hitter while occasionally spelling Pedro Pages at catcher.

Marte started in center field and went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's spring game against Cleveland.

Marte gave the Reds an early lead with his second-inning homer, his third of the Cactus League. Normally a right fielder, Marte made a third consecutive start in center field, as the club seeks to expand its outfield options. TJ Friedl remains the primary center fielder. Marte is batting .275 (11-for-40) with four doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI through 14 Cactus League contests.

Lodolo allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out seven over 4.2 innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Guardians.

Lodolo made his fourth Cactus League start and upped his pitch count to 77 (46 strikes), with one start remaining before the regular season begins. The lefty allowed a home run for the third consecutive outing but was much improved from his previous outing, when the Dodgers touched him for six runs. Lodolo is set to start the Reds' second game of the regular season.

The Diamondbacks plan to have Crisantes open the 2026 season as the starting second baseman at Double-A Amarillo, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.

Crisantes had his 2025 season cut short in May by a posterior labral tear in his left shoulder at High-A Hillsboro. At the time of the injury, he was slashing .252/.358/.415 with four homers in 34 games to begin his age-20 campaign. More impressively, he walked more than struck out and had an in-zone contact rate of 93 percent. The organization feels confident in pushing the 21-year-old up a level.

The Diamondbacks plan to have Waldschmidt begin the 2026 season as the starting center fielder at Triple-A Reno, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.

Waldschmidt came up through the system as a corner outfielder -- the result of a knee injury during his junior at the University of Kentucky that pushed him to left field. After his promotion to Double-A Amarillo last year, the organization re-introduced Waldschmidt to center field and were impressed by the results. If the experiment of using former top prospect Jordan Lawlar in center field at the MLB level doesn't pan out, Waldschmidt will be another option to play the position.

Murakami went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-4 Cactus League win over the A's.

It was the first Cactus League home run for Murakami, who now owns an even 1.000 OPS through 17 plate appearances with the White Sox this spring after joining the club on a two-year, $34 million contract in December. Back from the World Baseball Classic, Murakami told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, "Compared to when I left Arizona, I feel much better as far as conditioning, as well. I'm seeing the ball better, I'm swinging better, so I'll keep that approach up and try to hit as much as possible." The 26-year-old is slated to open the season as the starting first baseman on the South Side.