MLB Player News

The Twins optioned Mendez to Double-A Wichita on Monday.

Mendez is already in his third organization after previously being traded away by the Brewers and Phillies and is entering his first season as a member of a 40-man roster, after the Twins opted to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft over the winter. The 22-year-old outfielder will head back to Wichita to begin the 2026 campaign but could be in line for a quick promotion to Triple-A St. Paul after he slashed a blistering .324/.461/.450 in 33 games for the Double-A club upon coming over in a July 31 deal that sent Harrison Bader to Philadelphia.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker indicated Monday that Carter will be given some chances to start against left-handed pitching early on in the season, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The left-handed-hitting Carter is just 5-for-60 (.083) against left-handed pitching in his major-league career, but Schumaker likes how Carter has looked versus southpaws this spring. While it sounds like Carter will not be in a strict platoon, he will likely have to get off to a good start against lefties in order to avoid sitting versus them most days. Carter has a 1.159 OPS with two home runs and one stolen base in his first eight Cactus League contests.

The Athletics optioned Perez to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday.

Perez won't break camp with the Athletics but he should have a good chance at making his MLB debut at some point in 2026 after he was added to the 40-man roster in November following a breakout 2025 campaign. Between stops at Las Vegas and Double-A Midland last season, Perez smacked 26 home runs and stole 27 bases while slashing a collective .231/.348/.473 across 587 plate appearances.

Noel (thumb) will start in right field and bat fifth in Monday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Noel was lifted late in Friday's 10-2 loss to the Cardinals after being struck on the right thumb by a pitch, but he was back in action two days later in the Orioles' 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday, when he went 1-for-1 while playing two innings at first base. His ability to play the outfield Monday seemingly confirms that the thumb is no longer a concern. Noel is taking part in big-league camp as a non-roster invitee and is on the outside looking in for a spot on the Orioles' Opening Day roster.

The Rangers optioned Blanco to Triple-A Round Rock after claiming him off waivers from the Royals on Sunday.

The right-handed-hitting Blanco looked like a potential candidate to fill out a short-side platoon role in the Texas outfield, but he won't end up reporting to big-league camp and will instead head to Triple-A to begin the upcoming season. Though Blanco has been a near-league-average hitter over his first four MLB seasons with a 99 wRC+, he fell out of favor with the Royals in 2025, logging just eight plate appearances in the majors while mustering a middling .253/.332/.405 slash line over 77 games at Triple-A Omaha. The Rangers may want to see Blanco show some improvement as a hitter at the Triple-A level before giving him another look in the big leagues.

Pereira (oblique) will start in right field and bat second in Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies.

Pereira will be making his spring debut after he was initially scheduled to play Feb. 20 before being scratched due to right oblique soreness. The outfielder had been able to take part in running and core-strengthening workouts throughout the duration of his absence, but after recently resuming hitting and experiencing no discomfort, he's been given the green light to play in games. Pereira still has a chance to stake his claim to a spot on the White Sox's Opening Day roster, and the fact that he has no minor-league options remaining is a factor that may work in his favor.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Mullins (back) will return to the Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mullins hasn't played since last Tuesday while managing a sore back, but the Rays never viewed the injury as a long-term concern. He should have plenty of time to pick up at-bats during spring training in advance of Opening Day. The 31-year-old appears likely to open the season in the strong side of a platoon in center field.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Simpson (hamstring) will return to the Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Simpson hasn't played since last Tuesday after experiencing renewed soreness in his left hamstring, which had previously been bothering earlier in camp. After a week-long layoff, Simpson is feeling better and ready to return to game action. Despite being limited to just four spring appearances thus far, Simpson should still have plenty of time to stockpile plate appearances in preparation for the start of the regular season.

Butler has yet to appear in Cactus League action as he works his way back from offseason knee surgery.

Butler has been slow-played 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. Updates on his progress have been limited, though Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reported Feb. 23 that the 25-year-old has been regularly taking batting practice, shagging balls in the outfield and participating in light drills, though he had yet to begin running the bases. Manager Mark Kotsay previously suggested that Butler could make his Cactus League debut in "mid-spring," though a definitive timeline remains unclear. The outfielder is coming off a 2025 season in which he slashed .234/.306/.404 across 152 games and will look to bounce back closer to his 2024 production, when he posted an .807 OPS in 125 contests, with improved health in both knees heading into 2026.

Fraley went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Fraley is off to a nice start this spring, having gone 4-for-13 (.308) with four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base covering seven Grapefruit League outings. The 30-year-old is lined up for a strong-side platoon role in right field to start his first season with the Rays, but he'll likely lose at-bats to Jonny DeLuca versus left-handed pitching. Last regular season, Fraley hit .241 with just six home runs, 23 RBI and four stolen bases across 191 at-bats for Cincinnati and Atlanta.