MLB Player News

The Giants optioned Fitzgerald to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

Fitzgerald's performance dropped dramatically last season, as he finished the year with a .217/.278/.327 slash line after having posted an .831 OPS the year prior. His offensive woes have followed him into spring training, so the Giants will send him to Triple-A to get back on track.

The Giants optioned McCray to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.

McCray appeared in just 22 games for the Giants last season, during which he went 2-for-22 (.091) with two RBI and three runs scored. He improved his performance at the plate in the Cactus League, logging a .792 OPS over 40 plate appearances, but he projects to spend most of his time in the minors this year working as organizational depth.

The Brewers optioned Perkins to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Perkins has spent the past few seasons working as Milwaukee's fourth outfielder, but after posting a .665 OPS through 35 plate appearances in the Cactus League, he will seemingly cede that title to Brandon Lockridge to begin the regular season. A return to the majors could come if Perkins' offensive production begins to tick up in the minors, though his ceiling would likely remain as a bench piece.

Church has an .825 OPS through 13 Grapefruit League games and has made a strong case to make St. Louis' Opening Day roster, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old entered camp with a fairly clear path to a roster spot, with Lars Nootbaar (heel) set to begin the season on the injured list, and Church has responded with a .290 batting average, one homer and one steal in 37 plate appearances. With the Cardinals committing to a rebuild this offseason, a strong start to the campaign could allow Church to retain a sizable role even after Nootbaar gets healthy.

Scott has a .161/.317/.226 slash line with one double and five stolen bases through 42 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.

The 25-year-old reworked his swing during the offseason and entered spring training looking to bunt for base hits more often, but he's racked up just five total bases through 13 Grapefruit League games. Scott will provide strong defense in center field, but his bat will likely need to come to life at some point in 2026 to retain the starting job. He played in 138 games last year and posted a .216/.305/.296 slash line with five homers and 34 steals.

Smith (forearm) will start at first base and bat third in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Smith was originally expected to return from his forearm injury Wednesday, but he'll now make his return after an extra day of rest. He's posted a .966 OPS through 29 plate appearances this spring and will have one more week of Cactus League games to prepare for the regular season.

Ramos went 1-for-3 with a double in Wednesday's 5-1 Cactus League loss to the Dodgers.

Ramos returned to Cactus League play after joining Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic, where he slashed .063/.273/.125 with four walks, three runs scored, a double and an RBI in 22 plate appearances across five games. The 26-year-old outfielder hit San Francisco's lone double Wednesday and was one of two Giants players to record an extra-base hit. He appeared in a career-high 157 regular-season games in 2025, slashing .256/.328/.400 with 85 runs scored, 69 RBI, 21 long balls and six stolen bases over 695 plate appearances. He has hit 20-plus homers in back-to-back seasons and is expected to spend most of his time in left field in 2026.

Profar will miss the full 2026 season after the appeal of his 162-game PED suspension was denied Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 33-year-old outfielder was handed the suspension in early March, and the ban is now official with the appeal process completed. It's the second straight season with a PED suspension for Profar, who will also be ineligible to play in the postseason.

The Nationals optioned Hassell to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday.

The 24-year-old struggled to a .223/.257/.315 slash line in 70 games as a rookie last season and was expected to open 2025 as Washington's No. 4 outfielder, but the organization is instead sending him to the minors to presumably ensure that he gets everyday playing time to start 2026. Hassell should get another look in the big leagues at some point this season, especially if he replicates the .839 OPS he posted with Rochester last year.

Carroll started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a stolen base and two additional runs scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Cubs.

Carroll is still getting his timing down after missing the first two-and-a-half weeks of Cactus League games. The home run was a positive sign in that regard. He's gone 2-for-13 over four contests, all while serving as the DH, but a report earlier this week indicated a plan to have him return to the outfield later this week.