MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Saturday that he expects Kim (hand) to be back in the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Kim injured his left hand against Team Australia on March 8 while playing for Team Korea during the World Baseball Classic. The good news for Kim is that the injury isn't considered a long-term issue, and if he is able to return to the lineup Sunday, then there would be no concern of him being sidelined for the start of the 2026 season. Kim appeared in 71 regular-season games for the Dodgers in 2025, finishing with a .699 OPS with 13 steals (on 14 attempts), three home runs and 17 RBI over 170 plate appearances. Kim is projected to make the Dodgers' Opening Day roster as a utility man.

Cole has gone 3-for-10 with a home run in his last three Grapefruit League contests.

While Cole is starting to turn things around at the plate, it's been a quiet spring for the outfielder overall -- he's now batting .192 (5-for-26) with a .641 OPS and four steals in 11 games. The 25-year-old Cole remains in competition with Cam Smith, Joey Loperfido and Brice Matthews for Houston's final outfield spot.

Schneemann (ankle) is expected to be back in the Guardians' lineup in the next couple of days, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Schneeman was scratched from Friday's Cactus League game against the Angels due to a right ankle sprain. The injury doesn't appear to be a long-term concern and shouldn't impact Schneeman's availability for the start of the 2026 campaign. He appeared in 131 regular-season games for the Guardians in 2025 and finished with a .206/.283/.354 slash line with nine steals (on 12 attempts), 12 home runs and 41 RBI in 422 plate appearances. Schneeman is projected to make the Opening Day roster as a utility man.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters Saturday that Valera is rehabbing from a mild left calf strain and will not play over the next few days, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Valera has not appeared in a Cactus League game for the Guardians since Monday due to his injury, and he'll have his workload limited over the coming days to reduce the risk of aggravating the injury. He made his major-league debut in early September and appeared in 16 regular-season games for the Guardians, posting a .748 OPS with two home runs and five RBI in 48 plate appearances. Valera is competing against Chase DeLauter and CJ Kayfus for an everyday spot in the outfield, but an extended absence would put Valera in jeopardy of being omitted from the Guardians' Opening Day roster.

Kwan is not in the Guardians' starting lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to an upper respiratory infection, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Kwan will likely sit out for the next couple of days while battling through his illness, but there's no indication that it will impact his availability for Opening Day. Kwan has been seeing more playing time in center field during spring training, and across 28 Cactus League games he has slashed .259/.355/.593 with two home runs and five RBI in 31 plate appearances.

The Angels optioned Paris to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Paris made the Angels' Opening Day roster for the 2025 season and got off to a roaring start with a 1.263 OPS, five steals, five home runs and eight RBI in his first 15 games. However, his production at the plate fell off a cliff after that opening stretch, as he slashed .106/.165/.176 over his next 28 outings before being optioned to Triple-A in late May. Paris will start the 2026 season in the minors, though he could see some major-league action early on if Vaughn Grissom (hand) misses time.

The Angels optioned Moore to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Moore entered spring training as the presumptive frontrunner for the Angels' everyday second base job, but he didn't make much of a case for showing that he belonged on the Opening Day roster. Over 14 Cactus League games before being sent out, Moore went 7-for-40 (.175 average) with one home run, three RBI, one stolen base and 11 strikeouts. With the Angels also demoting Kyren Paris to Triple-A on Saturday, non-roster invitee Adam Frazier now looks like the favorite to begin the season as Anaheim's top option at the keystone.

Wood went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The young slugger also struck out in the fourth inning against Carl Edwards, his ninth K in 29 plate appearances this spring to go along with a .083 batting average (2-for-24). However, Wood has drawn five free passes, and a poor showing in a small sample during March isn't cause for much alarm. Wood is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he launched 31 homers with 94 RBI and 15 steals over 157 games while slashing .256/.350/.475.

Karros remains the favorite to make the Rockies' Opening Day roster as the starting third baseman, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Karros ascended through the minor-league ranks quickly following his selection by the Rockies in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB draft. He made his major-league debut in early August and spent the rest of the 2025 season with Colorado, finishing with a .226/.308/.277 slash line with one home run and nine RBI over 156 plate appearances. Karros hasn't displayed much power at the plate, but his defensive prowess should keep him in the lineup so long as he can make good contact and reduce his chase rate.

Littell allowed one run on three hits over three innings in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets. He struck out two without walking a batter.

Facing a split-squad lineup headlined by younger players like Brett Baty and top prospect Carson Benge, Littell tossed 28 of 39 pitches for strikes in his first spring start since signing a one-year deal with the Nationals on March 8. The veteran right-hander should be able to make two more starts prior to Opening Day, which likely won't be enough time to get fully built up, but Littell would likely be stretched out enough to factor into Washington's first turn through the rotation. If he needs to be held back, Brad Lord appears to be the most likely candidate to make a spot start in Littell's place. Over a career-high 186.1 regular-season innings in 2025 between the Rays and Reds, Littell posted a 3.81 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 130:32 K:BB.