MLB Player News

Diaz recorded some eye-popping numbers this past season, batting .348/.419/.610 with 26 round-trippers in 104 games between a stint in Korea and a pair of clubs in the independent Mexican League. The 28-year-old first baseman got into 112 games for the Marlins from 2020-2022, posting a lackluster .567 OPS with 13 homers during that span.

The Royals have taken it slow with Estévez, but manager Matt Quatraro did tell reporters that the right-hander was able to throw off the mound Wednesday. The hope is that he’ll be able to get 6-7 appearances before the end of the Cactus League, and that should be enough for him to be ready for the start of the season.

Neto, 24, is still recovering from shoulder surgery he underwent back in November. The bad news is he won’t be ready for the start of the season, but Angels manager Ron Washington does believe the shortstop should be ready to roll at the start of April. Neto showed real flashes in 2024, and depending on league structure, he might be worth stashing on the injured list to begin 2025. Tim Anderson, Scott Kingery, Luis Rengifo and Kevin Newman are the candidates to play short while Neto is out.

It’ll be the first time McCullers Jr. faces hitters in his surgery recovery. The 31-year-old is expected to miss the start of the regular season, but the hope is he can be a part of the Houston rotation by the end of April.

Effross suffered the injury during Tuesday’s spring game. The 31-year-old will be out of action for a bit, and this could cause him to miss the start of the regular season.

Hoerner is still recovering from flexor tendon surgery, and will remain in Arizona to rehab rather than play in that series. It means he’ll miss at least two games to open the 2025 campaign, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be ready once spring training comes to a close. Hoerner was solid in 2024 with a .273 average and 31 steals, and should hit near the top of the Chicago lineup once he is healthy enough to do so.

Freeman will be making his spring debut after missing the first few weeks of Cactus League action as a precaution after ankle surgery in the offseason. The 35-year-old should get a chance to play in the field in the coming days, and he should be just fine for the regular season.

Kochanowicz will have his Cactus League outing pushed back with Caden Dana getting the start in Kochanowicz’s place.

Bautista’s BP session will be his second of the spring. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that ideally, Bautista will get seven appearances before the start of the regular season; with some of those likely coming in the backfields. The 29-year-old has a chance to be one of the best fantasy closing options in 2025, but there is some risk that comes with the potential reward.

This explains why Westburg hasn’t been in the lineup since Saturday. Orioles managers Brandon Hyde told reporters that Westburg won’t swing the bat for the next couple of days. It’s worth monitoring, but Westburg should be back in plenty of time for the regular season.

Báez underwent hip surgery in August; causing him to miss the end of the 2025 season. The 32-year-old has been atrocious since signing with the Tigers, but since he’s owed $73 million over the next three years, he’s going to get a chance to win a job to begin the 2025 campaign.