MLB Player News

ESPN.com’s Tisha Thompson first reported on Friday night that Fletcher bet on sports, but not baseball, with the same California bookmaker — Mathew Bowyer — that took wagers from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. The 29-year-old infielder played for the Angels from 2018-2023 and could wind up facing league discipline. It’s legal for players to bet on sports other than baseball, but not with an illegal bookmaker.

McGonigle hasn’t generated the stratospheric hype from fantasy managers as Pirates phenom Konnor Griffin since the start of spring training. Yet, he possesses one of the most advanced hit tools of any prospect in recent memory with the ability to consistently generate upper-echelon exit velocities. The 21-year-old top prospect recorded a pair of 108-mph exit velocities during Friday’s game against the Phillies and continues to make a strong impression. Simply put, his bat is too potent to remain in the minors for much longer, even if he doesn’t break camp on Detroit’s season-opening roster.

It appears to be a precautionary decision by the Marlins to have Stowers undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue with roughly one month left until Opening Day. The power-hitting 28-year-old put together a breakout campaign in his full-season Miami debut last year, slashing 288/.386/.544 with 25 homers in 117 games. There should be an additional update on his status at some point this weekend.

Simpson went 1-for-2 on Friday in his spring debut against the Blue Jays following a brief absence at the outset of Grapefruit League action due to left hamstring tightness. It’s an ongoing situation that fantasy managers should keep a close eye on, especially since hamstring issues can be recurring issues if not managed properly. The 25-year-old speedster stole 44 bases in 109 games last year as a rookie and will be one of the most coveted steals threats in fantasy drafts this spring.

Thomson’s updated ramp-up timeline puts Wheeler in line to potentially make his season debut on April 9, barring any setbacks. The 35-year-old former fantasy ace completed his first bullpen session since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery earlier this week and is scheduled to throw another one later this weekend. Fantasy managers should anticipate the Phillies approaching his build-up with an abundance of caution. However, it sounds like he’ll be ready to rejoin Philadelphia’s rotation from a pitch count and stamina standpoint at some point in early-to-mid April. The big question is how his stuff responds once he progresses to facing hitters in game situations coming off a major surgical procedure. He’s been going off the board 146th overall, on average, in early NFBC drafts since February 1.

After spending the offseason at the epicenter of trade discussions, Paredes remains with the Astros with Opening Day rapidly approaching. The 27-year-old infielder’s path to everyday at-bats remains challenging with Carlos Correa taking over at the hot corner and Christian Walker locked in at first base. He was on his way to the best season of his career during his Astros debut last season before suffering a hamstring tear that cost him most of the final two-plus months. His pull-centered offensive approach makes him a perfect fit for Daikin Park but he’ll need to expand his defensive versatility to have any shot at playing regularly this season.

It’s an extremely encouraging development after Anthony and Rafaela were involved in a scary on-field collision during Friday’s spring contest against Atlanta. Both players remained in the contest following the incident and appear to have avoided serious injury. The 21-year-old top-of-the-order catalyst is expected to play a prominent role for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Doyle underwent imaging on his wrist after he was scratched from Wednesday’s game due to inflammation. He’s going to be shut down to rest for a few days before being re-evaluated. The Rockies are obviously going to take every possible precaution here and not push him, so it’s possible that Doyle may not be ready for Opening Day.

James McCann and Ildemaro Vargas set the stage with singles off of Castillo to open the second inning. After Ryan Waldschmidt struck out, Vuckovich worked the count full against Castillo and clobbered a sinker (104.2 mph EV) for a three-run blast that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. That would be his only hit in three at-bats on the day. He’s not going to crack the Opening Day roster regardless of what happens in the spring, but with a strong showing he could position himself well for a promotion at some point during the season.

Nelson made it look awfully easy in this one. He got a couple of ground ball outs in the first inning sandwiched around a strikeout of Rob Refsnyder. He then returned for the second inning where he struck out Brennan Davis and Cole Young while getting Miles Mastrobuoni on a comebacker to the mound. Nelson threw 17 of his 25 pitches for strikes, getting five whiffs and posting a CSW of 28 percent. Don’t be surprised if Nelson winds up being the best pitcher in the Diamondbacks’ rotation in 2026.

The 27-year-old infielder singled in the seventh inning and roped a double in the ninth inning, making the most of his two plate appearances in the ballgame. Given his versatility, he could have an outside shot at earning a spot on the M’s bench with a strong showing in Cactus League play, but he’ll most likely begin the year as extra infield depth at the Triple-A level.