MLB Player News

Blewett is back in the fold with the Twins on a new minor league pact after electing free agency last weekend. The 28-year-old righty made one relief appearance earlier this month for Minnesota after posting a solid 3.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 52/17 K/BB in 51 2/3 innings (36 appearances) for Triple-A St. Paul.

Rodriguez laced a one-out single into center off of Zach Eflin in the second inning and scored the game’s first run as Enmanuel Valdez hit a sacrifice fly. He then chipped in an RBI single in the third inning that extended the Bucs’ lead to 3-1. The 24-year-old backstop is finally healthy this spring and has been sizzling at the dish, hitting .417 (5-for-12) with a homer and three RBI in the early going. He’s fighting with Jason Delay to open the season as the team’s primary backup behind Joey Bart.

The 22-year-old phenom walked two and struck out three opposing hitters on the night. The Pirates scratched out a single run against him in the second inning on a run-scoring ground ball off the bat of Luis Vazquez. Skenes then returned to start the fourth inning where he allowed a leadoff single to Ryan Mountcastle before turning the ball over to the bullpen and then runner ultimately came around to score as well. Through two spring starts, Skenes now holds a 4.50 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and a 7/3 K/BB ratio over six innings. The top pitcher off the board in drafts this spring, fantasy managers shouldn’t be dissuaded by a couple of mediocre spring performances.

After grounding out in his first at-bat against Paul Skenes, O’Hearn smacked a one-out single off of the Pirates’ ace in the third inning. He then delivered a game-tying two-run single off of Ryan Harbin in the fourth inning. With the two-hit attack, the 31-year-old slugger is now hitting .200 (3-for-15) with no homers and two RBI so far in Grapefruit League play.

The 30-year-old right-hander also issued a pair of walks in the contest and did not record a strikeout. Eflin retired the Pirates in order in the first inning, but they scratched out a run in the second on a pair of hits and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Enmanuel Valdez. He then returned for the third where the Pirates used a single, two walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to push another run across — with another coming in shortly after Eflin exited. He holds a troublesome 7.71 ERA and 1.93 WHIP with only one strikeout through his first 4 2/3 innings in Grapefruit League action.

Not only did White break a scoreless tie with his blast off of Calvin Faucher, it was also the Braves’ first hit in the ballgame. White also went down on a called third strike in the ninth inning, finishing the evening 1-for-2. The versatile 30-year-old has made the most of his limited chances in Grapefruit League action, hitting .545 (6-for-11) with a pair of runs scored. If he keeps hitting like this he’ll make a strong case for inclusion on the club’s Opening Day roster in a bench role.

The 26-year-old right-hander punched out four batters on the evening, though he also issued four free passes. Anderson came out firing in this one, striking out Xavier Edwards and Jesús Sánchez to start the game before dusting Griffin Conine to finish the frame. In addition to the four walks that he allowed, Anderson also plunked a batter. The lone hit that he surrendered was a one-out single by Liam Hicks in the second inning. As long as he keeps pitching like this, Anderson should open the season with the fifth spot in the club’s starting rotation.

The 27-year-old outfielder is off to a very slow start this spring, hitting just .125 (2-for-16) with only one RBI and a 7/1 K/BB ratio. It’s early though, so fantasy managers shouldn’t panic just yet. Sánchez looks ready to shoulder a full-time load and will hit in the middle of the Marlins’ lineup in 2025, which combined with his dazzling blend of power and speed makes him an attractive target in the later rounds of mixed league drafts.

Weathers did not allow a hit in the contest, though he did issue three free passes. He got himself into quite a jam in the opening inning, walking Jurickson Profar, Austin Riley and Matt Olson in succession to start his day. He retired Marcell Ozuna on a fly ball to right though before giving way to Nigel Belgrave who saved him by getting Ozzie Albies to bounce into an inning-ending double play. Weathers returned for the second inning and retired the next six hitters that he faced in order — half of them via the strikeout. Weathers is locked into a spot in the Marlins’ Opening Day rotation and looks like he could be an intriguing late-round option in deeper mixed leagues.

No real surprises among this batch of early spring cuts, as none of the five players were expected to crack the Opening Day roster. With the Dodgers opening their season in Japan against the Cubs in a couple of weeks though, expect them to cut down their roster quicker than they would have in a traditional spring training.

The 24-year-old superstar was removed from Sunday’s Cactus League contest due to tightness in his lower back. It sounds like it was more of a precautionary measure than anything though, and the fact that he’s already swinging a bat again definitely bodes well for his status moving forward. He should have no trouble getting ready in time for Opening Day.