MLB Player News

Warren completed four-plus innings in a Grapefruit League game against Tampa Bay on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out four batters.

Warren retired 12 of the first 14 batters he faced and shut out the Rays through four frames. He returned for the fifth and gave up back-to-back singles before being pulled, and one of those baserunners scored following the right-hander's departure. Warren has looked great this spring, posting a 1.77 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB over 20.1 innings spanning five starts. He's locked into the Yankees' rotation to begin the campaign, and if he continues pitching well into the regular season, he could stick as part of the starting staff even after Gerrit Cole (elbow) and Carlos Rodon (elbow) return to action.

Birdsong said Wednesday that he recently met with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion on his right forearm and is weighing whether to undergo surgery or treat the injury through rest and rehab, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Recently diagnosed with a Grade 2 right forearm strain, Birdsong looks destined to miss extended time to begin the season regardless of how he elects to treat the injury. While surgery would provide a more permanent fix for the forearm injury than rest and rehab, Birdsong would likely be sidelined through at least the middle of the 2027 season if he opts for a procedure to repair his UCL and/or flexor tendon. Expect Birdsong to make a decision on his treatment plan within the next few days.

Hiura (hand) is listed as an available bench option for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Giants, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Hiura's last spring appearance came back on Feb. 28, when he exited a game against the Cubs early after getting hit on the hand by a pitch. The Dodgers reassigned him to minor-league camp shortly thereafter, but Hiura's inclusion on the lineup card for Wednesday implies that he's moved past the hand injury.

The Giants announced Wednesday that Harber has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain and will require 4-to-6 weeks of recovery time, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

One of the top position prospects in the Giants organization, Harber wasn't in serious consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster but had impressed nonetheless throughout the spring, slashing .357/.424/.571 over 33 Cactus League plate appearances before sustaining the hamstring injury Saturday. He now appears on track to miss at least the first month of the minor-league season while recovering from the injury, but once he's back to full health, Harber is expected to report to Double-A Richmond, according to Pavlovic.

The Dodgers optioned Hurt to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

With a 12:2 K:BB and 1.09 WHIP over 7.1 innings across three Cactus League appearances, Hurt made a good case for winning a spot in the Opening Day bullpen, but the Dodgers' ample pitching depth along with the fact that he had two minor-league options remaining ended up working against the right-hander. Hurt has been deployed as a starter for much of his minor-league career, but he appears set to operate as a full-time reliever for Oklahoma City to begin the upcoming season.

Crawford received a cortisone injection in his injured shoulder Wednesday, and manager Dan Wilson said it's unclear if the shortstop will be ready to play in the March 26 season opener versus the Guardians, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Following the injection, Crawford will be shut down for a few days, according to Divish. The veteran shortstop has been dealing with the shoulder issue for most of spring training and has appeared in just seven Cactus League contests. He has two hits across 18 trips to the plate and now may be in danger of missing Opening Day. If Crawford is shelved to begin the season, Leo Rivas and top prospect Colt Emerson would be the top candidates to fill in at shortstop.

Burleson went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during Monday's spring game against the Nationals, but he has a .286/.459/.393 slash line with one homer and eight walks through 38 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

The 27-year-old has a 6.6 percent walk rate since making his MLB debut in 2022, but he apparently entered camp looking to take a more patient approach. Burleson clubbed 18 homers with an .802 OPS in 139 games last season and is poised to operate as St. Louis' primary first baseman in 2026.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Wednesday that Berrios has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow and won't be available for Opening Day, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Schneider noted that Berrios is pain free, and the hope is that the right-hander will resume throwing soon with the intention of pitching through the injury. With Shane Bieber (forearm) opening the season on the injured list and Trey Yesavage being brought along slowly to monitor his workload, Berrios could still have a significant role this season after finishing the 2025 campaign in the bullpen, but first he'll need to show he can be effective despite the elbow issue.

The Cardinals optioned Fitts to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.

Fitts' demotion signals that Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante have beaten him out in the camp competition for the final two spots in the Cardinals' Opening Day rotation. After being acquired from the Red Sox over the winter, Fitts had an uneven performance over his three Grapefruit League starts, posting a respectable 9:3 K:BB but allowing six earned runs on nine hits across 9.1 innings.

Allen agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Wednesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

After spending the 2025 season in the Korea Baseball Organization with the NC Dinos, Allen became a free agent this winter and initially agreed to a deal with Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. However, following a couple of strong appearances for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, Allen will wind up forgoing the opportunity in Mexico to join the Dodgers organization. The 28-year-old lefty will likely open the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, though it's unclear whether he'll work out of the bullpen or rotation after serving as a full-time starter in the KBO in 2025.