MLB Player News

Pilkington could have stayed with the Nationals after going unclaimed on waivers last week, but he’s instead joining a superior team that has much less room for him. The 28-year-old Pilkington has a 3.97 ERA in 11 starts and 37 relief appearances as a major leaguer, though all of those starts came with the Guardians in 2022. He had a 4.45 ERA in 28 1/3 innings out to the pen for the Nationals last season.

Caminero has been one of the driving forces behind the Dominican Republic’s relentless onslaught during the international tournament, hitting .275 (6-for-16) with two homers and six RBI through five contests. He’ll help anchor a star-studded lineup as the Dominican Republic faces Team USA ace Paul Skenes at loanDepot Park in Miami with a berth in the World Baseball Classic final at stake. Here’s the full lineup: Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF), Ketel Marte (2B), Juan Soto (LF), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B), Manny Machado (3B), Caminero (DH), Julio Rodríguez (CF), Austin Wells (C) and Geraldo Perdomo (SS).

Mullins capped off a three-run uprising off of Jose Urquidy in the third inning with a 387-foot (100.1 mph EV) solo shot. He then delivered a two-run single in the fifth inning and another RBI knock in the seventh to provide insurance. He has performed very well in his first spring with the Rays, hitting .333 (7-for-21) with two homers, six RBI and a stolen base.

The 28-year-old southpaw walked two batters on the afternoon and didn’t allow a hit. McClanahan struck out the side in the first inning, then added one punchout in the second, two more in the third and another before exiting in the fourth inning. He got 10 swings and misses on 55 pitches on the afternoon, posting a strong CSW of 35 percent. His velocity improved a bit to 94.8 mph on his average fastball in this one, which is still two ticks below where he sat prior to his elbow injury. He’s capable of this type of dominance any time out, it’s the consistency that fantasy managers will need to see during the 2026 season for him to justify his draft cost.

The 19-year-old phenom made the Pirates avoid a shutout in this one, clobbering a 403-foot (102.5 mph EV) solo shot off of Luis Guerrero to lead off the ninth inning. He has hit just .212 (7-for-33) overall on the spring, but four of those seven hits have left the yard. It remains to be seen if he’ll be the Pirates’ starting shortstop on Opening Day or if he’ll get at least a few more weeks of seasoning at the Triple-A level first.

On the plus side, Urquidy struck out four batters on the afternoon while issuing just one base on balls. All of the damage done against him came in the third inning, including a solo blast off the bat of Cedric Mullins. The 30-year-old hurler got two whiffs on 61 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of just 23 percent. He has had a rough time on the mound this spring, registering a 9.35 ERA and 1.73 WHIP across 8 2/3 innings. His spot in the Pirates’ rotation is likely safe for now, but if he continues to struggle the leash could be short.

The 27-year-old slugger started the scoring with a bang, crushing a 419-foot (109.4 mph EV) three-run blast off of Miles Mikolas in the opening inning. He also tacked on a run-scoring single in the fifth that increased the Cardinals’ edge to 5-3. He’s doing everything in his power to earn a spot on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster this spring, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with four long balls and nine RBI.

Fitts struck out five opposing hitters in the ballgame but also issued three free passes. He left two men on before reaching his pitch limit in the second inning — and they both rode home on Joey Wiemer’s three-run blast. Fitts generated 11 swings and misses on 78 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of 31 percent. He has struggled in his battle for a rotation spot this spring, posting a 5.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 9/3 K/BB ratio over 9 1/3 innings.

Weimer crushed a 426-foot (106.7 mph EV) three-run shot off of Hunter Hayes in the second inning that briefly tied the score at 3-3. That would wind up being the extent of the Nationals’ offense though. It has been a rough spring offensively for the 27-year-old outfielder, hitting just .111 (3-for-27) with just one homer, three RBI and one stolen base. His chances of cracking the Opening Day roster have certainly diminished during Grapefruit League play.

Mikolas also issued three walks on the afternoon while recording only one strikeout. The Cardinals jumped on him right out of the gate in this one as Nelson Velazquez swatted a three-run homer in the opening inning. The Cardinals then added single runs in the second and fifth innings. He got eight whiffs on 83 pitches on the day, registering an uninspiring CSW of 20 percent. He remains a poor fantasy option heading into the 2026 season.

Mayer is on the fringe of the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster, so missing any time in the final days of spring training could be detrimental to his chances. He’s hitting a solid .273 (6-for-22) with a homer, two RBI and a 6/5 K/BB ratio across 27 plate appearances on the spring.