MLB Player News

Lindor (hand) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Lindor's availability for Opening Day looked to be in doubt after he required surgery Feb. 11 to address a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, but the five-time All-Star has made excellent progress in his recovery. After he was able to resume playing shortstop in a minor-league game earlier in the week, Lindor took live batting practice Friday, setting him up for Sunday's spring debut. Assuming he's able to stockpile at-bats over the final week of Grapefruit League play, Lindor looks like he'll be available when the Mets begin their season March 26 versus the Pirates.

Roupp gave up two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks over three innings during Friday's split-squad game against the Reds.

The right-hander had a 3.80 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 102:45 K:BB across 22 starts last season and is expected to begin 2026 as a back-end starter for the Giants. Roupp's walk rate has been a bit of a concern, and that's remained the case during spring training with five free passes through nine innings. The 27-year-old has excelled in terms of run prevention with a 3.73 ERA through his first 45 big-league appearances, but Roupp's career 1.45 WHIP is much less attractive.

Fermin went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run, two additional runs scored and a walk in a Cactus League win over Cleveland on Saturday.

Fermin gave the Padres an 8-4 lead with his two-run blast in the fifth inning. The former Royal is locked into the starting catcher role for the Padres this season after spending several years backing up Salvador Perez in Kanas City. Fermin has been swinging a hot bat this spring, posting a .458/.480/.833 slash line with two homers, 10 RBI and nine runs through nine games.

Diaz walked one batter and struck out two over a scoreless inning for Team Puerto Rico in an elimination loss to Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.

Though Diaz and Puerto Rico won't advance, the tournament went well for the All-Star closer, as he pitched three scoreless frames and posted a 7:1 K:BB. Of course, the last time Diaz pitched in the WBC (in 2023), he tore his right patellar tendon and missed the subsequent MLB campaign, so the Dodgers have to be pleased that their offseason acquisition is returning to the club in good health. Diaz should see plenty of save chances this season for a team that is once again expected to be among the best in baseball.

Grisham is slashing .143/.226/.179 with no homers, three RBI, one stolen base and a 3:8 BB:K through 11 Grapefruit League games.

When Grisham accepted the Yankees' $22.025 million qualifying offer in November, it signaled that he'd be part of the team's starting outfield for 2026. While that remains the likely scenario, Grisham's poor spring highlights the fact that 23-year-old phenom Jasson Dominguez has exploded with a .371/.395/.686 slash line in exhibition play (along with three homers and three thefts) but doesn't have a path to everyday playing time. Given his contract, Grisham will probably get the opportunity to prove that last year's career-best campaign wasn't a fluke, but if he starts the season slowly, he could have Dominguez breathing down his neck.

Chisholm went 0-for-1 with two walks and a stolen base Saturday in a Grapefruit League game against Philadelphia.

Chisholm's theft was his first this spring. Overall, he's slashing .286/.474/.500 with one home run, three RBI and a 5:2 BB:K over seven games. Chisholm also played with Team Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic, going 4-for-18 with four RBI and a stolen base across four contests.

Crawford went 1-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

After being invited to Phillies camp for spring training, the 22-year-old outfielder has responded by batting .250 (9-for-36) with two RBI, two doubles, seven runs scored and two steals over 12 Grapefruit League outings. Crawford, one of Philadelphia's top prospects, appears poised for an Opening Day roster spot and is likely to see plenty of action in center field in 2026, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. It's also worth noting that Johan Rojas is facing a potential 80-game suspension at the onset of the regular season due to a positive drug test. Last year for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Crawford hit .334 with 34 extra-base hits, 47 RBI, 88 runs scored and 46 stolen bases across 440 at-bats.

Suzuki was removed Saturday from Team Japan's World Baseball Classic game versus Venezuela due to right knee discomfort and will continue to be evaluated, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Suzuki attempted to steal second base in the bottom of the first inning with a headfirst slide but came up limping afterward. He was shaking his right leg as he walked off the field with the trainer. Shota Morishita replaced Suzuki in center field. The Cubs will surely want to get Suzuki back to Arizona and get a complete diagnosis on their right fielder.

The Angels reassigned Madrigal to minor-league camp Saturday.

Madrigal inked a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training back in January, but he appears set to open the season in Triple-A Salt Lake despite slashing .333/.391/.429 with a pair of doubles and three RBI across 23 plate appearances during Cactus League action.

Cowser went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Cowser is heating up this spring, hitting safely in five straight Grapefruit League contests and seven of his last eight. The 25-year-old is set to begin the new campaign as Baltimore's primary center fielder, per Jake Rill of MLB.com, and he could see enough playing time in the corners to maintain near-everyday reps. Cowser is looking to bounce back in 2026 following an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, during which he was limited to 92 games (327 at-bats) and slashed just .196/.269/.385 with 16 home runs, 40 RBI and 14 stolen bases.