MLB Player News

McCoy was non-tendered as the Padres needed to free up a couple of spots on their 40-man roster in late November, but he’ll rejoin the fray on a minor league pact. The 29-year-old hit just .204/.278/.245 with no homers, three RBI and a 19/5 K/BB ratio over 57 plate appearances with the Padres in 2024.

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.

Bradford allowed two hits, both of which turned into solo homers with the wind blowing out to right field at 20 mph. Jackson Merrill’s was definitely going out regardless, but Eguy Rosario’s homer to lead off the game typically would have been caught. The runs were the first allowed by Bradford in nine innings this spring. He’s probably not going to be much of a factor in shallow mixed leagues, but he’s good enough to help out in deeper formats.

Leiter arrived with a velocity boost last month, and he got 11 whiffs on 33 pitches while sitting in the high-90s today. The control might not be there to make him a quality starter even with top-notch velocity, but his stock is definitely up.

Cease gave up a wind-aided homer, but this was a nice outing otherwise. His 59 pitches produced 13 whiffs. Five of those came on the seven changeups he threw, which is remarkable considering he’s barely used the pitch the last three years. An extra weapon might make him a Cy Young contender this year.

Semien’s homer was a routine fly carried by the wind, but he’ll take it. The Rangers are sticking with Semien in the leadoff spot to begin the year, even though his production slid in a 2024 season in which he hit .237/.308/.391. If he bounces back just enough to keep the leadoff spot, he’ll provide a nice return at his current ADP. If, as seems more likely, his decline continues at age 34, he could wind up hitting eighth or ninth and being a total bust.