MLB Player News

Kiner-Falefa started at first base and went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's spring game against Minnesota.

Kiner-Falefa is adding first base to his already expansive list of positions. With Willson Contreras away at the World Baseball Classic and Romy Gonzalez (shoulder) possibly in need of surgery, Kiner-Falefa has made four appearances at first, while also seeing time at shortstop (one game), second base (two), third base (two), and designated hitter (one). Through 10 Grapefruit League games, he's batting .409 (9-for-22) with four walks, two doubles, two RBI and one steal. The latest roster projection by Ian Browne of MLB.com includes both Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio as utility infielders.

Outman is hitting .280 (7-for-25) with two home runs and six stolen bases this spring. He remains in the mix to win a spot on the major-league roster, though the outfield competition is still unsettled, The Athletic reports.

Outman is out of minor-league options, which could help his case to win a final roster spot. The Twins have a glut of left-handed hitting outfielders, however, which could hurt his case. Outman is likely competing with Alan Roden for the final spot. Outman looked like a potential star in 2023 when he hit 23 home runs and a .790 OPS as a rookie in 151 games, but he has struggled since. He hit just .147 with a .558 OPS and four home runs in 37 games after he was traded to the Twins last season. If he makes the roster in a reserve role, he could be a source of stolen bases in deeper fantasy leagues.

Dominguez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over Detroit.

Dominguez's long ball was a 431-foot shot off future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander in the first inning. The talented young outfielder is now slashing .333/.343/.667 with three home runs, nine RBI, eight runs and two stolen bases this spring, though he's also struck out 10 times across 33 at-bats. There's not an obvious path for Dominguez to have an everyday role to open the campaign with Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge slated to make up the Yankees' outfield from left to right, but Dominguez's performance during the exhibition slate certainly puts some pressure on manager Aaron Boone to figure out how to give him a chance for regular playing time. Ultimately, it may take an injury to one of the team's outfielders or DH Giancarlo Stanton for Dominguez to be fantasy relevant this year.

Adell went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, two total runs and two total RBI in a Cactus League win over the White Sox on Wednesday.

Adell's homer was anything but cheap, as he mashed a ball 468 feet to left-center field in the fourth inning. He added another RBI on an infield single in the sixth and later came around to score. Adell is having a nice spring, slashing .323/.323/.613 with a pair of home runs, three doubles and five RBI over 31 at-bats. However, his plate discipline hasn't been ideal, as he's posted a 0:12 BB:K so far. Adell is penciled in as the Angels' primary right fielder for the upcoming campaign after posting numerous offensive career-best marks last season, including a .778 OPS, 37 homers and 98 RBI.

Thomas (elbow) is starting in left field and batting fifth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.

The 25-year-old has been dealing with elbow inflammation, so he's been limited to serving as a designated hitter in spring games the past couple weeks. Thomas is now fully healthy and cleared to play the outfield. He's yet to get on track at the plate this spring and has a .431 OPS through 11 Cactus League games.

Butler (knee) has yet to appear in Cactus League action but has seen extensive reps in live batting practice, simulated games and minor-league spring training games. The Athletics are targeting a debut for next week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Butler has been eased into action this spring after undergoing surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his right knee last October and receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address tendinitis in his left knee. Gallegos reports that the outfielder isn't far behind in his preparation for the regular season, as Athletics manager Mark Kotsay estimates Butler has had more at-bats than anyone in the organization through extensive behind-the-scenes reps. The 25-year-old played in a minor-league spring training game Tuesday, allowing him to see live pitching in a game setting without needing to run at full speed, which appears to be the final hurdle before he appears in Cactus League play. "I want to play really bad," Butler said. "It's a process. I have to trust the process. Trust the training staff, all the strength coaches helping me get back to where I want to be. I've been taking a lot of live at-bats... I'm still working every day just trying to get better and get back to myself."

Jones is not included on the latest roster projection compiled by Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

There are several reasons why Jones is not a lock to make the Opening Day roster, and those were established before he went 3-for-26 (.115) through nine Cactus League games. Jones' left-handed bat is redundant, and the Guardians' decision to test Steven Kwan in center field and the need to give at-bats to prospects ready for MLB are also signs that Jones is on the bubble. It was mildly surprising Cleveland committed $2 million to the outfielder instead of non-tendering him last November, considering Jones was coming off a two-year backslide following what looked like a breakout season in 2023.

Ward went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

It was the first homer of the spring for the 32-year-old, who's slashing a strong .250/.400/.500 with three doubles, six walks and one stolen base across 30 plate appearances covering 10 Grapefruit League contests. After coming over from the Angels in an offseason trade for Grayson Rodriguez, Ward is preparing to be Baltimore's everyday left fielder in 2026. Ward slashed .228/.317/.475 and set career highs in homers (36), RBI (103) and runs scored (86) over 663 plate appearances for the Angels last season.

The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Robertson logged 75 plate appearances in the big leagues last season between stops with the Blue Jays and White Sox, but after being claimed off waivers by the Orioles over the winter and later outrighted off the 40-man roster, he never appeared to be a strong candidate to break camp with Baltimore. He's slated to serve as organizational outfield depth at Triple-A Norfolk in 2026.

Lowe (oblique) stepped in for approximately eight plate appearances Wednesday during an intrasquad game and also ran the bases, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Lowe last played in a Cactus League game Feb. 25, but he took a monumental step forward in his recovery from a sore left oblique by facing live pitching for the first time since suffering the injury. The Angels plan on having Lowe play in minor-league games on the back fields of camp before reinserting him into the Cactus League lineup, but barring any further setbacks with his oblique over the next two weeks, he'll be on track to play Opening Day.