MLB Player News

MLB announced Monday that Rojas has been suspended 80 games for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing drugs, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Word of Rojas' looming suspension came out earlier this month, and Rojas lost his appeal. He won't be eligible to play in the regular season until late June. With Rojas set to miss the first half of the season, Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh should see somewhat regular playing time in the Philadelphia outfield. Rojas posted an underwhelming .569 OPS across 172 plate appearances at the big-league level last regular season.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters Monday that Ramirez is "feeling much, much better today" after the superstar third baseman left Sunday's Cactus League game against the Athletics due to left shoulder inflammation, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

"We're going to assess [Ramirez] day-by-day. He should be fine in a few days," Vogt relayed during Monday's presser. Stebbins notes that there are no plans for Ramirez to undergo imaging on his left shoulder. That indicates the injury is not considered a long-term concern by medical staff and puts the superstar third baseman on track for Opening Day.

The White Sox reassigned Smith to minor-league camp Monday.

The 22-year-old southpaw will open the 2026 season in the minors, likely with Double-A Birmingham. That's where he spent all of last year, posting a 3-3 record across 20 starts with a 3.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 108:56 K:BB across 75.2 innings. Per Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times, Smith will open the year in Triple-A and could make his major-league debut this season.

The White Sox reassigned Miller to minor-league camp Monday.

Miller signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox back in January after spending the entire 2025 season at Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs' organization. Miller has appeared in 74 career games at the big-league level, logging a 3.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 72:28 K:BB across 93 innings.

The Rangers optioned Foscue to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.

Foscue missed three weeks of action in spring training due to a strained right hamstring but progressed enough in his recovery to return to the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, when he went 0-for-2 with one walk. He spent the vast majority of the 2025 season in Triple-A, where he slashed .261/.341/.474 with seven steals, 19 home runs and 68 RBI over 453 plate appearances. Foscue appeared in only four regular-season games for the Rangers last year, but he would be in line for a major-league call-up should Texas require more depth in the infield.

The White Sox reassigned Dunn to minor-league camp Monday.

Dunn inked a minor-league pact with Chicago back in December after spending the 2025 season in Milwaukee's organization. He spent most of last season at Triple-A Nashville and has a career .551 OPS across 145 big-league plate appearances.

The Rangers optioned Church to Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.

Church made his Cactus League debut during Sunday's game against the Dodgers, when he struck out one batter and was charged with two runs (one earned) on two hits in one inning while tossing 19 pitches (13 strikes). He missed the majority of spring training while recovering from a teres major strain. That extended absence, coupled with the fact that he has minor-league options, will lead to Church opening the 2026 season in Triple-A, though he should see some major-league action when the Rangers need to bolster their bullpen.

The White Sox reassigned Harris to minor-league camp Monday.

Harris was in camp on a minor-league deal that included an invitation to spring training. The 26-year-old has swung the bat well this spring, slashing .471/.526/.588 with a pair of doubles, four RBI, two stolen bases and two walks across 19 trips to the plate. Harris should open the season with Triple-A Charlotte.

The Blue Jays optioned Clase to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday.

Clase was a longshot candidate to make the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster. The 23-year-old will start the season in the minors but would be a top candidate for a major-league call-up if Toronto requires additional depth in the outfield. Clase appeared in 34 regular-season games for the Blue Jays in 2025, with most of those appearances taking place between early May and late June. He posted a .588 OPS with three steals, two home runs and nine RBI in 112 major-league plate appearances last year.

Kerkering (hamstring) is slated to make an appearance Tuesday in a minor-league game on the back fields of camp, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Kerkering is no worse for the wear after tossing a live batting practice session over the weekend, so he'll be available to pitch for the first time in spring training, albeit in a controlled setting. The hard-throwing right-hander has been slowed by a Grade 1 right hamstring strain throughout the spring, but he should be able to avoid a stint on the injured list to begin the season if he's able to get a couple of appearances under his belt during the final week of camp.