MLB Player News

There wasn’t a great deal of clarity from either the Angels or Ohtani concerning the exact nature of the surgical procedure that he underwent back in mid-September to address the torn UCL in his right elbow. Yet, it sounds like he didn’t end up requiring a full reconstructive surgery. The 29-year-old two-way superstar isn’t expected to pitch until 2025 and will serve as the Dodgers’ primary designated hitter in 2024.

McLain will sit out Monday’s spring contest against the Brewers as he recovers from a flu bug that has been working its way through Cincinnati’s facility. The 26-year-old second baseman has been the talk of the Cactus League this spring with seven homers and two steals in 17 contests. He should be ready for the club’s Opening Day matchup later this week.

Peña hasn’t been officially ruled out for Houston’s season-opener later this week. The 28-year-old shortstop traveled with the club to Daikin Park for Monday night’s exhibition against Triple-A Sugar Land where he’ll take on-field batting practice. He’s made steady progress in his recovery from a fractured right finger and could be ready for Opening Day. The Astros are unlikely to make a final decision on his status until later this week.

Lodolo will resume throwing later this week after exiting his final spring start over the weekend with a blister on his left finger. The 28-year-old southpaw seems likely to either pitch at the back-end of Cincinnati’s rotation at the outset of the regular season, which would give him additional time to rest and recover, or require a brief trip to the injured list to put the issue to bed. There should be a decision on his status at some point later this week, likely based on how his next throwing session goes.

McCutchen earns a spot on Texas’ season-opening roster as a bench bat after hitting a blistering .444 (8-for-18) with three doubles in seven Cactus League contests this spring after signing a minor league pact earlier this month. The 39-year-old longtime Pirates icon will kick off his 18th season in the majors later this week, splitting time with Joc Pederson at DH for the Rangers.

Baz struck out five and walked none while facing Nationals regulars, which is kind of like taking on an average Triple-A lineup. He ends the spring with a 2.61 ERA and a 14/4 K/BB ratio in 10 1/3 innings over his three outings. Baz will open up as the Orioles’ No. 3 starter, making him a solid play with the Twins and Pirates first up on the schedule.

Two innings was apparently sufficient for Bassitt to remain on track for his season debut next Monday against the Rangers. He’s in line to start twice next week, with the second outing being a road start in Pittsburgh. That makes him attractive as a streaming option.

Teams typically use their better relievers early in games in spring training, but it seemed like manager Blake Butera wanted Beeter to have the chance to close this one out. It didn’t happen — the Nationals were shut out — but it’s the thought that counts. Beeter and Cole Henry, who worked a scoreless second today, seem like the favorite for saves in D.C. There probably won’t be a bunch to go around, though.

Brady House excepted, it’s been a horrific spring for Nationals hitters. the team as a whole ranks dead last with a .194 average, a .288 OBP and a .304 slugging. Of the 13 position players expected to be on the roster, Nasim Nuñez has the second-highest OPS at .701. Wood has hit .125/.222/.250 with one homer. He has six hits and 19 strikeouts in 54 plate appearances. His exit velocity numbers when he makes contact are just fine, so we’re not especially worried about him. But with his strikeout and groundball rates still up, there’s nothing to suggest he’s about to take a step forward at age 23.

Jiménez is one of the prominent late-camp cuts for the Blue Jays after a respectable showing as a non-roster invitee, hitting .286 with two homers in 18 Grapefruit League contests. Rodríguez is the notable reliever included in this latest batch after being removed from Toronto’s 40-man roster during the offseason.

It seemed to be tracking this way, but now we know for sure. Benge, the 16th-ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, went 15-for-41 (.366) this spring with five runs scored, five RBI, and one steal. Only two of his hits went for extra bases, and he had just a 31 percent hard-hit rate in a small sample, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect a ton of power production from Benge, but he has shown a good understanding of the strike zone and has the speed to steal double-digit bases. It remains to be seen how much he’ll play against left-handed pitching, so it’s not the most fantasy-friendly skillset for 2026 only, but he’ll be a regular starter in a good lineup, and that’s worth a gamble in the later rounds of drafts.