MLB Player News

Sale gave up five hits, but most of them were weak, with the lone extra-base hit being a 67-mph double. He wound up striking out two and walking one in his second start of the spring.

Cruz was a long shot to win a roster spot, so this isn’t a huge surprise. He hit .279/.411/.456 in 127 minor league games in 2025 with 13 home runs and 17 steals. He can play multiple positions on the diamond and could be an option for the Tigers at some point in the season.

Jung handled himself well this spring, hitting .286/.405/.371 in 42 plate appearances. He also walked six times and struck out five times. He had a solid season at Triple-A in 2025, but he has not shown himself to be an MLB-ready hitter at this stage. Perhaps this year changes that.

It seems that Matt Vierling and Jahmai Jones have made the roster as the backup outfielders. Perez hit .244/.308/.430 in 100 games with the Tigers last year with 13 home runs and eight RBI. His lack of defensive versatility hurt him here, but if the Tigers need a strict outfielder during the season, Perez should get the call.

McGarry was selected by the Nationals in the Rule 5 draft in December and needed to make the Opening Day roster to remain in the Nationals’ organization. However, he struck out six and walked five in 5 2/3 innings this spring and will now return to the Phillies’ minor league system.

Woodford was in camp as a non-roster invitee, so the Rays were able to get something for him after he didn’t make the Opening Day roster. Hunt is a 25-year-old righty who hasn’t advanced beyond Double-A. Last year, he posted a 4.45 ERA in 121 1/3 innings at that level. He has a below-average fastball but a solid complement of breaking balls that the Rays will try to get the most out of.

Woodford was with the Rays as a non-roster invitee to spring training and did not make the Opening Day roster, so the Brewers swooped in before he was released. Woodford has some experience as a starter, but he made 22 appearances out of the bullpen for the Cardinals in 2025. He has a career 5.10 ERA in 256 MLB innings, so he could just be some healthy insurance for a Brewers staff that is dealing with a few injuries.

With Seiya Suzuki (knee) landing on the injured list, there was a spot on the Opening Day roster. Carlson hit .304/.429/.413 in 56 plate appearances this spring with one home run and seven runs scored. He will strictly be a backup until Suzuki returns.

This seemed like a bit of a foregone conclusion over the past couple of weeks, but it’s now official. The 21-year-old is the 2nd-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and will likely be Detroit’s starting shortstop. He slowed down a bit as spring went on, but hit .250 with two home runs, two steals, a 9/11 K/BB ratio, and just a 5.9 percent swinging strike rate in 56 plate appearances. That type of plate discipline, paired with his strong, hard-hit rate, is an impressive combination at his age and gives him a relatively safe floor. He hit .305/.408/.583 in 88 minor league games last season with 19 home runs and 10 steals, and could be a .250 or better hitter right out of the gate with the potential for 15-20 home runs and 10+ steals. He is also the current frontrunner for AL Rookie of the Year.

At first glance, it seems like that arrangement favors Frazier since the veteran hits left-handed while Peraza hits right-handed. However, Peraza went 16-for-51 (.314) this spring with two home runs and six steals with a 47.5 percent hard-hit rate, while Frazier went 9-for-32 (.281) with no home runs, one steal, and a 33.3 percent hard-hit rate. Frazier has also had a negative outs above average at second base in two of the last three seasons. It makes more sense for Peraza to be given a shot at the job, and maybe he’ll win it over the first few weeks of the season.

Volpe is making his way back from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. He began his hitting program about a month ago and has now progressed to facing velocity. From there, he will need to begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A, but it’s not out of the question for him to return to the Yankees at the end of April or early in May. That could move Jose Caballero to the bench.