MLB Player News

No word yet on the length or financial terms, but it’s a major-league deal for Tauchman, who was non-tendered a couple weeks ago by the Cubs after posting a serviceable .723 OPS with seven homers and six steals in 350 plate appearances last year. The 34-year-old journeyman outfielder is more of a bench option as a capable backup than anything at this stage of his career.

Pennington, 26, did a decent job in 16 appearances at the big league level in 2024 — posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and a 17/11 K/BB ratio over 18 innings — so it’s a bit surprising to see him sent out so early when there are still unsettled spots in the Rangers’ bullpen. He’ll get an opportunity to pitch for the Rangers and some point during the upcoming 2025 season.

As is often the case this early in camp, there’s no real surprises among this batch of cuts. Rodriguez, 22, was added to the team’s 40-man roster over the winter to protect him from the Rule-5 draft after he slashed .302/.375/.481 with 10 homers, 47 RBI and nine stolen bases over 333 plate appearances between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2024. He’ll open the 2025 season at the Double-A level.

The 23-year-old hurler was always a longshot to crack the Reds’ Opening Day bullpen, so this move doesn’t come as a major surprise. Mey registered a 3.86 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP with eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in Cactus League competition. There’s a decent chance that he makes his debut with the big league club at some point during the 2025 season.

Grichuk tagged Rangers’ starter Nathan Eovaldi for a 402-foot (103.4 mph EV) two-run blast that extended the Diamondbacks’ lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning. He then added on with a two-run double in the fifth that made it a 6-0 ballgame. With his two-hit attack, the 33-year-old lefty masher is now hitting .316 (6-for-19) with a pair of long balls and five RBI on the spring.

Burnes allowed just two hits and one walk during the impressive outing. Facing the best that the Rangers have to offer didn’t phase Burnes, as his strikeouts came from Marcus Semien, Jake Burger, Jonah Heim, Evan Carter and Josh Jung. The 30-year-old right-hander got eight whiffs on 57 pitches on the day — six of them on his cutter — while posting a CSW of 30 percent. He now sports a minuscule 0.96 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 13/2 K/BB ratio over 9 1/3 innings through his first four spring starts with the D’Backs.

Langford singled off of Diamondbacks’ ace Corbin Burnes in the fourth inning but was ultimately stranded there. The 23-year-old budding superstar was shelved early in spring training due to an oblique issue, but was finally able to return to action on Friday without any issues. As long as he avoids any setbacks, he should be ready to go for Opening Day. Langford is already among the top five-category performers in the league which is why he’s already being drafted among the top 40 players overall in fantasy drafts.

Eovaldi struck out four batters on the day while issuing a pair of walks. The damage done against him came in pairs, with Connor Kaiser delivering a two-run double in the second inning and Randal Grichuk adding a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Eovaldi generated 13 swings and misses on 75 pitches on the day — seven of those on his curveball — while posting a strong CSW of 33 percent. He now holds a 7.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and an 8/3 K/BB ratio over nine innings through his first three spring starts.

García was able to take swings in live batting practice and in the cages on Sunday without any issue. The 32-year-old slugger has been slowed this spring by a nagging oblique issue, but it appears as though he’s finally progressing in the right direction. It sounds like the goal is for him to return to game action by next weekend, giving him nearly a full week’s worth of live at-bats to get ready before the regular season begins.

The 30-year-old shortstop did his damage off of Zach Agnos in the fifth inning, crushing a 1-1 changeup for a 401-foot (107.9 mph EV) solo shot that tied the game at 1-1. Crawford is off to a slow start at the plate this spring, hitting just .238 (5-for-21) with a homer, two RBI and zero stolen bases. He’s expected to hit in the bottom third of the lineup once again in 2025 with Victor Robles handling the leadoff spot, removing any lingering fantasy value that Crawford may have had in deeper formats.

The 29-year-old hurler walked one and struck out one on the afternoon. The only damage done against him came in the fourth inning as Ezequiel Tovar smacked a leadoff double and scored on a one-out single off the bat of Nolan Jones. Castillo got eight whiffs on 56 pitches on the afternoon, four of those on his slider, while registering a CSW of 27 percent. He has done a nice job through his first three starts in Cactus League play, registering a 3.38 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a 4/3 K/BB ratio over his eight innings.