MLB Player News

Marte is hitting .257 with just two homers and 13 RBI in 53 games. “I think it is a case of trying to make a positive impression in a new organization,” director of player development John Farrell said. “He’s gotten into good hitter’s counts, but has broken down fundamentally trying to drive the ball.” Any plans of replacing Aaron Boone midseason are probably out the window.

Riley should be 100 percent after core muscle surgery at the end of August, and he might be undervalued after a second straight disappointing season. He did strike out more often than usual last year, but his exit velocity numbers were just as good as when he hit 38 homers in 2022 and 37 in 2023.

Assuming the current group stays healthy, there’s probably one rotation spot available in Atlanta for Elder, Martín Pérez, Carlos Carrasco, Joey Wentz, José Suarez and anyone else who steps up. Elder figures to make the team either way, since he’s out of options, but he’d surely prefer to be a starter.

Skenes also struck out four, but just 27 of his 53 pitches went for strikes and the four balls in play against him averaged 100.8 mph. That’s fine for his first start of the spring, but ideally, he’ll be a little bit sharper for his World Baseball Classic outings.

Cruz hit leadoff again today. It’d be great for his fantasy value but also kind of funny if he was restored to the leadoff spot in a much stronger Pirates lineup this season after spending time last September hitting sixth and seventh behind the likes of Nick Gonzales and Tommy Pham.

Bradley’s odds of making Minnesota’s season-opening rotation rose exponentially when Pablo López underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this spring. The 24-year-old will stick around in Twins camp rather than heading out to pitch for Team Mexico in the upcoming international showcase.

Acuña suffered a cut above his left eyebrow and will undergo further evaluation to determine whether he’ll require stitches. He was 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and his first steal of the spring before departing. The 23-year-old infielder, who came over from the Mets in the Luis Robert Jr. trade last month, is presumably day-to-day for the moment. He’s competing for a spot on Chicago’s bench this spring.

This development carries real fantasy weight, as a long-term agreement would effectively remove the lingering service-time calculus that could keep Griffin off Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster. The 19-year-old prodigy has been the story of the Grapefruit League after a two-homer eruption against the Red Sox earlier this week. There’s little historical precedent for a teenager reaching the majors with just 21 games above High-A — Juan Soto in 2018 represents the most recent example — but Griffin’s extraordinary power/speed blend gives him a chance excel right away. If this spring is any indication, his fantasy stock isn’t just rising; it’s skyrocketing.

The 22-year-old Liranzo missed time and struggled to a .206/.308/.351 line in Double-A last year, causing him to fall off the annual Top 100 prospects list. Still, his bat remains plenty interesting, and he might be able to make it as a first baseman or DH if he can’t last behind the plate. It looks like the Tigers have a long-term starter at catcher anyway in Dillon Dingler.

It was to be expected, but it’s still fun to see Ponce’s velocities all up 3-5 mph from his Statcast “yearly average.” For him, that yearly average is from 2021, when he averaged 93.2 mph with his fastball in 15 appearances for the Blue Jays. He turned into a mid-90s guy in Japan, and he averaged 96.0 mph on his 10 fastballs today.

Mize’s velocity today was right around his 2025 norms, but interestingly, the spin rates on all his secondary pitches were significantly improved (his fastball held steady). That might be something to keep an eye on in the spring progresses. Mize isn’t looked at as being much of a factor in mixed leagues, but he was quite solid last year and is in a nice situation in Detroit.