MLB Player News

The Rangers claimed Blanco off waivers from the Royals on Sunday.

Kansas City cut him loose after signing free-agent outfielder Starling Marte, but Blanco could be in decent position to secure a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster. A right-handed hitter with exceptional speed, Blanco could profile as an ideal short-side platoon mate for Evan Carter, a career .083 hitter versus left-handed pitching.

Robles will serve as the Mariners' designated hitter and leadoff batter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Brewers.

Robles will start for the first time since last Sunday, after the Mariners held him out of action for the past six days due to a sore shoulder, per Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com. Assuming Robles' shoulder checks out fine following Sunday's contest, he could resume playing the outfield at some point during the upcoming week.

The Orioles optioned Trimble to minor-league camp Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Baltimore added Trimble to its 40-man roster during the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. The 25-year-old could make his big-league debut at some point in 2026, but he may need multiple outfielders to go down with injuries before he gets a look. Trimble is expected to open the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Norfolk after slashing .259/.319/.435 with five home runs and eight steals in 30 games at the level last season.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Mullins is "doing better" in his recovery from back tightness and will take part in an on-field workout Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mullins last played Tuesday before succumbing to the back injury, but the veteran outfielder looks to be making good progress and is being viewed as day-to-day. Assuming he's able to move past the back issue and play in at least a few more games before the end of the Grapefruit League slate, Mullins should be in good position to begin the season in the strong side of a platoon in center field.

The Angels reassigned Rada to minor-league camp Saturday.

Rada was a longshot to make the Angels' Opening Day roster, and the 20-year-old will start the 2026 season in the minors. He ended the 2025 campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake, where he slashed .323/.433/.416 with 20 steals (on 26 attempts), one home run and 17 RBI in 201 plate appearances. Rada lacks power, but his ability to make contact and his prowess on as a baserunner could net him some major-league opportunities in 2026.

Simpson has been held out of Grapefruit League games since Wednesday due to renewed tightness in his left hamstring, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Left hamstring tightness pushed Simpson's spring debut into late February, and it appears he still hasn't fully recovered from the injury. However, manager Kevin Cash said Saturday that the Rays are being "overly cautious," and he expects Simpson to return to the lineup relatively soon. The 25-year-old outfielder is 5-for-10 with a stolen base through four games this spring.

Benintendi (side) will serve as the White Sox's designated hitter during Saturday's Cactus League game against Seattle.

After sitting down for a few days with side soreness, Benintendi made his return to the Cactus League on Thursday. He has gone 3-for-9 over four games so far this spring, and he remains on track to open the season as Chicago's primary left fielder.

Carter started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's spring game against Seattle.

Carter was scratched from the lineup Wednesday due to illness but was playing on the back fields Thursday before joining the Rangers' main squad Friday. The homer, which came off a right-hander, was the first of the spring for Carter, who is 3-for-15 with two extra-base hits and three walks over seven Cactus League games. He's expected to be a lineup regular whenever Texas faces a right-hander, but Carter needs to be better against lefties to be an everyday starter. Thus far, he's 0-for-4 against southpaws this spring.

Through six Grapefruit League games, Vierling has gone 8-for-15 with two walks, a double, a triple and a home run.

Vierling was particularly effective Friday, when he went 3-for-3 with a home run, three total runs scored and four RBI against the Red Sox. The utility player had an injury-marred 2025 campaign, but he's been healthy so far in his camp, and his early production is a promising sign. Vierling likely won't have a regular starting role when the regular season gets underway, though he should still see plenty of playing time at multiple positions for the Tigers.

Abreu went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Team Venezuela in Friday's 6-2 win over the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic.

Prior to the WBC, Abreu appeared in six Grapefruit League games for Boston, going 2-for-14 with three walks. The Red Sox would like to see the lefty-hitting Abreu become an everyday right fielder, against both righties and lefties, but he had just three plate appearances against left-handers (0-for-3) during his time in Boston's camp. Abreu did have one at-bat against a lefty Friday and singled in a run during Venezuela's four-run fifth inning.