MLB Player News

The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Austin underwent a patellar tendon debridement procedure on his right knee in February. He remains without a return timeline, but his move to the 60-day IL ensures he'll remain out until at least late May. His spot on the 40-man roster will be handed to Dylan Carlson, whose contract was selected in a corresponding move.

The Cubs selected Carlson's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.

Carlson joined the Cubs as a non-roster invitee to spring camp and played his way into a roster spot by slashing .298/.421/.404 across 57 plate appearances. He'll provide Chicago with extra depth in the outfield while Seiya Suzuki works his way back from a knee injury, but Carlson likely won't have a path to regular playing time unless another one of the Cubs' outfielders gets hurt. Tyler Austin (knee) was placed on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move.

Carlson was informed Tuesday that he will make Chicago's Opening Day roster, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

With Seiya Suzuki (knee) set to begin the year on the injured list, the Cubs are bolstering their outfield depth with Carlson and fellow veteran Michael Conforto. Carlson was in camp as a non-roster invitee after stumbling to a .203/.278/.336 line across 83 games with the Orioles last season. He'll likely serve in a depth role with limited fantasy utility, though he does have a path to increased playing time if any other Chicago outfielders go down with injuries. Carlson will ultimately make the team over Kevin Alcantara, who has options available and will begin the season with Triple-A Iowa.

The Giants optioned Gilbert to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gilbert's battle for an Opening Day roster spot lasted until the final day of spring training, but he'll officially head back to Triple-A to begin 2026 after turning in a .648 OPS through 37 Cactus League plate appearances.

The Giants optioned Brennan to Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Brennan's .325/.386/.500 slash line through 44 plate appearances in the Cactus League made a strong case for him to break camp with the big club, but he'll ultimately head back to the minors to begin the year. The 28-year-old outfielder has routinely batted above .300 at the Triple-A level and could earn a spot on the Giants' bench if he continues to swing a hot bat.

Bader (hamstring) will start in center field and bat second during Tuesday's exhibition game against the Sultanes de Monterrey, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bader has been dealing with left hamstring tightness since Friday, but he's now been given the green light to return to a game setting. Assuming his hamstring holds up, the 31-year-old outfielder figures to be good to go for San Francisco's season opener against the Yankees on Wednesday.

Slater agreed to a one-year, major-league contract with the Marlins on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Slater parted ways with the Tigers over the weekend after posting an .856 OPS in 15 spring training games. The 33-year-old will provide the Marlins with some veteran outfield depth in the wake of Kyle Stowers' (hamstring) and Esteury Ruiz's (oblique) injuries. Slater has excelled against left-handed pitching throughout his nine-year MLB career, so he'll likely step into a short-side platoon role.

The Brewers placed Baddoo (quadriceps) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Baddoo suffered a quadriceps strain in mid-March that was more significant than initially expected, and it's now expected to keep him sidelined until June, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Even once healthy, the 27-year-old isn't guaranteed to be added to the big-league roster.

Johnston made the Rockies' Opening Day roster, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.

Johnston was claimed off waivers by the Rockies in November, and he earned a place on the Opening Day roster with a .973 OPS across 22 spring training games. The 28-year-old is expected to begin the season in a reserve role, but he could get an opportunity for regular playing time at some point given Colorado's lack of established pieces.

Lile appears to be the likely Opening Day starter in right field for the Nationals, Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie of MLB.com report.

With Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell both beginning the year at Triple-A, Lile is effectively the last man standing in right, with James Wood in left field and Jacob Young in center. Lile is coming off a surprising rookie season in 2025 in which he slashed .299/.347/.498 over 91 games with nine homers and eight steals, a performance which carries a little more weight than his .213/.240/.447 slash line over 16 games this spring.