MLB Player News

With the minor league season over, Pop is heading to the Spring Training Complex. The 28-year-old right-hander had a 5.59 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays this year.

Not great. Ashby will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the issue following a second-inning exit from Monday’s start against Cincinnati. The 26-year-old lefty has battled injuries the past few years, which have prevented him from claiming a permanent spot in Milwaukee’s starting rotation. The addition of veteran lefty José Quintana likely relegates Ashby to a versatile swingman-type role where he’ll get the occasional spot start, while also soaking up multiple frames in bulk relief outings. There should be an update on his status in the coming days.

Durbin took Reds southpaw Nick Lodolo deep for a leadoff homer – his second spring round-tripper – before swiping second base a couple frames later following a one-out single in the third inning. The 25-year-old speedster, who checked in as the 72nd-ranked prospect (315th overall) in Rotoworld’s latest top 500 dynasty rankings update, set an Arizona Fall League record with 29 thefts and is vying for a spot on Milwaukee’s season-opening roster in a versatile utility role. He offers enough potential as a cheap steals source that he’ll be worth rostering in deeper mixed leagues.

Volpe is batting just .188 (3-for-16) with one round-tripper and two thefts in six Grapefruit League contests. The 23-year-old’s offensive approach has varied over the past year, but deciding to pull the ball more often this season would likely translate into a return to the 20-homer mark.

Bart crushed a no-doubter to left field off Yankees lefty reliever Ryan Anderson in the third inning for his first big fly of the spring. The 28-year-old former top prospect was a revelation late last year after arriving in Pittsburgh, hitting .265 with 13 homers over 80 games. He’s one of the stronger second-catcher options this season in fantasy leagues that still use them

Fried made his first Pinstripes appearance under the lights at George M. Steinbrenner Field and sat in the mid-90’s with his four-seam fastball, topping out at 96.6 mph. His trademark curveball looked to be in midseason form, along with the rest of his arsenal, as he piled up six swinging strikes and finished with a 35 percent CSW on 49 pitches (31 strikes). The 31-year-old southpaw signed an eight-year, $218 million contract during the offseason and figures to take the ball for New York’s second regular season contest against the Brewers on March 29.

Peterson figures to open the season in New York’s starting rotation in the wake of injuries to Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) and this is the type of outing that only bolsters his case. The 29-year-old lefty doesn’t boast stratospheric fantasy potential, but he’s looking like a viable streaming option for fantasy managers in deeper mixed leagues to open the regular season.

Gillispie set down Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso in a flawless opening frame before coming back out to spin another perfect frame against Mark Vientos, Tyrone Taylor and Luis Torrens. That’ll do. The 27-year-old righty was claimed off waivers from the Braves back in late January and looks like a strong bet to secure a spot in Miami’s season-opening bullpen.

Senga threw six different pitch types, including a brand-new sinker, topping out at 96 mph on his fastball, and threw 20 of 31 pitches for strikes. He scattered a pair of hits and didn’t hand out a free pass during an extremely impressive Grapefruit League debut. The 32-year-old hurler is attempting to rebound following last year’s injury-marred campaign where he was limited to just one regular-season start due to an avalanche of physical issues. The durability concerns aren’t going to vanish anytime soon, but Senga looks like a strong value as a top-40 range starting pitcher in fantasy drafts this spring.

Moustakas was cut loose last spring after failing to make the White Sox’ season-opening roster and will officially step away from the game as a member of the Royals, who will hold a retirement ceremony on May 31. The 36-year-old was a key part of Kansas City’s 2015 World Series title and spent eight years with the organization. A three-time All-Star selection, Moose finishes with a lifetime .247 batting average along with 215 home runs over 13 seasons in the big leagues from 2011-2023 that included stops with the Reds, Brewers, Angels and Rockies.

Fellow top prospect Zac Veen generated plenty of buzz early on in camp, but Beck is starting to heat up at the dish as he attempts to lock up Colorado’s starting right field job over the next few weeks. The 23-year-old got into 55 contests last year for the Rockies during his first taste of the majors but scuffled to a microscopic .521 OPS with three homers and seven steals in 184 plate appearances. He capped off a three-hit effort in this one by taking Angels pitching prospect George Klassen deep in the sixth inning for a solo homer. It was his first round-tripper of the spring. There’s some intrigue here for fantasy purposes, especially in deeper mixed leagues, since Beck offers some power-speed combo potential.