MLB Player News

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.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Dezenzo won't do any throwing over the next few days after his right elbow flared up while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Espada noted that the injury isn't affecting Dezenzo at the plate, so the 25-year-old should still be available as a designated hitter over the Astros' final handful of Grapefruit League games. That said, Yordan Alvarez will be in line to serve as the Astros' primary designated hitter once the regular season gets underway, so Dezenzo will likely need to prove that he's able to throw at full distance and velocity before the end of camp to have a realistic shot at making the Opening Day roster as a backup corner infielder and corner outfielder.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Pena (finger) has resumed throwing and will start swinging a bat with both hands this weekend, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Pena has been out of action since fracturing the tip of his right ring finger while corralling a groundball for Team Dominican Republic in an exhibition game two weeks ago. The injury kept Pena from playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he was able to resume taking part in limited baseball activities last week and will take another step forward by throwing and swinging the bat. Espada said Wednesday that Pena "has not been ruled out" for Opening Day, but the shortstop's availability for the start of the season will depend on how his injured digit responds to the increased activity over the next few days. Carlos Correa would likely slide over from third base to cover shortstop if Pena needs to miss time to begin the season.

Butler (knees) started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the White Sox.

Butler made his long-awaited spring debut after being eased into action following October surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee, as well as a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. The 25-year-old had a quiet day at the plate, going hitless with a pair of strikeouts in his final two at-bats, though simply getting into game action is more notable than the results themselves. The Athletics have Wednesday off, but Butler could make his Cactus League debut in the outfield as soon as Thursday.

The Orioles optioned Espada to minor-league camp Wednesday, Cordell Woodland of 105.7 The Fan Baltimore reports.

Espada had spent the entire 2025 season in the minors before earning a call-up to Baltimore in September and making one relief appearance for the big club. The 29-year-old righty had been competing for a spot in the Orioles' Opening Day bullpen but wasn't able to secure a spot despite pitching well in the Grapefruit League (two unearned runs on one hit and one walk over four innings). He'll likely report to Triple-A Norfolk for the start of the 2026 season.