MLB Player News

Pena (finger) said Saturday that he's been swinging a bat with one hand, throwing plyometric balls and fielding groundballs during his rehab program, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 28-year-old was diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger in early March, sidelining him for the World Baseball Classic and putting his availability for Opening Day into question. Pena's current participation in baseball activities is encouraging, and at this point, he's just awaiting clearance to throw and swing with both hands. Once fully cleared, the shortstop doesn't expect to need many at-bats before being ready for MLB action, so he still has a chance to be ready by Opening Day.

Brennan started at center field and went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 8-7 Cactus League loss to the Diamondbacks.

After reaching base on a fielder's choice in the second inning and coming around to score, Brennan added an RBI single in the third but was caught trying to steal second. Through 15 Cactus League outings, he's recorded eight runs scored, six RBI and four home runs while slashing .379/.455/.483 across 33 plate appearances. Following an injury-riddled 2025 campaign in which he underwent Tommy John surgery in June and sports hernia surgery in September, the 28-year-old outfielder signed a major-league deal with San Francisco in mid-February. The left-handed hitter is expected to operate as the Giants' fourth outfielder this season.

The Athletics are planning on having Butler (knees) make his Cactus League debut Tuesday versus the White Sox, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Butler's spring debut has been delayed after he underwent surgery on his right knee in October to repair a torn patellar tendon, as well as receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. Though the 25-year-old has been able to stay on top of his hitting progression, he's needed more time to complete a running program and take part in full defensive drills. Butler appeared to be running the bases at full speed during his workout Sunday, so the outfielder may have cleared the final hurdle in his long recovery process. Since he's already been able to get plenty of competitive at-bats in through live batting practice sessions and simulated games, Butler may need to play just a couple of Cactus League games to prove that he's ready to go for Opening Day.

Birdsong was diagnosed with a Grade 2 forearm strain and UCL sprain after undergoing an MRI on Sunday and will meet with Dr. Keith Meister for a second opinion, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday that the right-hander was headed for a second opinion on his arm injury, and that certainly makes sense given the initial diagnosis. Birdsong is weighing the treatment options, and surgery is likely to be on the table.

The Rangers outrighted Diaz to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

After signing a one-year deal with Texas in December, Diaz entered spring training with a chance to stake his claim to the closer job in an unsettled bullpen. The right-hander's lack of command during spring training ultimately resulted in him not only falling short of a high-leverage role, but a spot on the 40-man roster. He'll remain in the Texas organization after drawing no interest on the waiver wire, having yielded eight earned runs on three hits and four walks over 1.2 innings in the Cactus League.

The Rangers reassigned Bride to minor-league camp Sunday.

Bride had been competing for a utility spot on the Opening Day roster but didn't help his case by slashing an underwhelming .226/.368/.290 over 38 plate appearances. The 30-year-old infielder is likely to begin the campaign at Triple-A Round Rock.

The Rangers optioned Corniell (triceps/back) to Double-A Frisco on Sunday.

Though he was able to make his big-league debut late last season, Corniell will end up dropping back down to the Double-A level to begin the 2026 campaign after back and triceps injuries prevented him from gaining much momentum this spring in his bid for a spot in the bullpen. Corniell at least appears to be heading into the season healthy after making his Cactus League debut Friday, issuing one walk and allowing no hits over a scoreless inning of relief.

The Rangers optioned MacIver to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Texas looks set to head into Opening Day with Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka (back) as its two backstops, but MacIver should be first in line for a call-up if another catcher is required. The 29-year-old made his big-league debut last season for the Athletics, slashing .186/.252/.324 with three home runs and three stolen bases over 111 plate appearances.

The Guardians optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.

Rodriguez played in 31 games for Cleveland during the regular season last year and had a .626 OPS with two home runs and a 28.6 percent strikeout rate. He batted .273 across 25 plate appearances during spring training and failed to record any extra-base hits.

The Mariners reassigned Rucker to minor-league camp Sunday.

After sitting out the entire 2025 season, Rucker signed a minor-league deal with the Mariners in January and had been attending camp as a non-roster invitee. He's expected to open the upcoming campaign at Triple-A Tacoma and will serve as bullpen depth. The 31-year-old previously saw big-league action with the Cubs in 2021-23, logging a 4.96 ERA and 1.39 WHIP over 123.1 innings across 96 regular-season relief appearances.