MLB Player News

This is now the fourth straight game that Kepler has missed with knee soreness. The Twins claim it’s not a major injury, but it’s not a great sign that he hasn’t yet gotten into the starting lineup. Austin Martin will start in center field and bat ninth with Matt Wallner sliding over the right field.

Matthews is reportedly “recovering well” and the right-hander getting back on the mound backs that up. The 24-year-old has a chance to make starts for the Twins during the 2025 campaign, and flashed brilliance in the minors during the 2024 year.

The Tigers then immediately places Urquidy on the 60-day injured list. The right-hander is not expected to pitch much — if at all — in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The deal is incentive-laden, as he receives $150,000 each for starts four and seven, $300,000 reaching 10, 13, 16 and 19 games started as a pitcher; and $500,000 each for reaching 22, 25 and 28 games started. Urquidy should be a backend option for the Tigers in 2026, and offers no fantasy significance for 2025.

Stanton noted that the injuries occurred from “bat adjustments” that he made last season. He isn’t sure when he’ll be able to resume baseball activities, and also noted that he if were to undergo surgery, the procedure would be considered season-ending. Stanton likely will continue to try and rehab, but there’s a very good chance his 2025 season will either be short or non-existent.

Vaz was reassigned after he was diagnosed with two fractured fingers; an injury he picked up while trying to field a grounder. The 24-year-old will be out of action for at least a couple weeks, but wasn’t likely to make the Kansas City roster even before the injury.

The left-hander will be out of action with no estimate on when he’ll be able to return. When healthy, Sabrowski is expected to be a middle-inning relief option.

The terms of the deal aren’t available just yet. Urquidy joins the Tigers after spending his entire career with the Astros, and he’s expected to miss most — if not all — of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old has had success at the highest level, and could be a helper for the Detroit rotation in 2026.

Staumont was signed to a minor league contract in February, and the 31-year-old didn’t show enough to be a candidate for the Cincinnati bullpen this spring. The right-hander will begin the season with Triple-A Louisville.

“We’ll kind of see where he is at the end of camp and if we feel like he’s ready to pitch in the big leagues for us, whether it’s right away or giving him a little bit more time,” Hyde said. “We haven’t determined that yet.” Bautista missed the entirety of 2024 — and the end of 2023 — after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He has looked good in his limited spring action on the backfields and one Grapefruit League appearance, but it is understandable that Baltimore will take precautions.

Strider threw all of his pitches during the session Friday, and the results were impressive. The 26-year-old underwent surgery on his elbow back in May, and Atlanta is naturally taking things slowly with the right-hander to make sure he’s right for the majority of the 2025 season. Still, reports indicated Strider’s stuff was “nasty,” and he could be a late-round steal based on his stuff and previous success.

Lee will hit eighth and be behind the plate for the contest. The 26-year-old backstop was dealing with a right hand contusion since Wednesday, but his quick return to the lineup in meaningless games tells you how precautionary those missed contests were.