MLB Player News

The Marlins reassigned Johnson to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Johnson inked a minor-league pact that included an invitation to spring training over the winter. The 30-year-old appeared in 31 regular-season games for the Orioles and Giants last season and hit .189 with a .548 OPS across 57 plate appearances.

Hassell went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Hassell showed off his defensive versatility, playing all three outfield spots over the course of the game. The 24-year-old will likely open the season as the Nationals' fourth outfielder behind James Wood, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young, and if Young's weak bat costs him playing time, Hassell would be the most likely beneficiary. He's far from a finished product, however, batting .286 (8-for-28) this spring with one double, two steals in four attempts and a sketchy 1:9 BB:K.

Caissie went 0-for-1 with two walks, a run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Fresh off an impressive WBC stint with Team Canada in which he batted .412 (7-for-17) with three doubles and a homer, Caissie didn't get much of a chance to show off his power, but he did swipe his first bag of the spring. The 23-year-old went 11-for-13 on steal attempts at Triple-A Iowa in 2024, but that's not likely to be a big element of his game in the majors. Acquired from the Cubs this offseason in the Edward Cabrera trade, Caissie remains the favorite to open the season as the Marlins' starting right fielder after slashing .285/.384/.546 with 22 homers in 99 contests for Iowa last season.

Burleson went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during Monday's spring game against the Nationals, but he has a .286/.459/.393 slash line with one homer and eight walks through 38 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

The 27-year-old has a 6.6 percent walk rate since making his MLB debut in 2022, but he apparently entered camp looking to take a more patient approach. Burleson clubbed 18 homers with an .802 OPS in 139 games last season and is poised to operate as St. Louis' primary first baseman in 2026.

The Diamondbacks plan to have Waldschmidt begin the 2026 season as the starting center fielder at Triple-A Reno, Sam Dykstra of MLB.com reports.

Waldschmidt came up through the system as a corner outfielder -- the result of a knee injury during his junior at the University of Kentucky that pushed him to left field. After his promotion to Double-A Amarillo last year, the organization re-introduced Waldschmidt to center field and were impressed by the results. If the experiment of using former top prospect Jordan Lawlar in center field at the MLB level doesn't pan out, Waldschmidt will be another option to play the position.

Suzuki was diagnosed with a sprained PCL in his right knee Tuesday, which manager Craig Counsell described as "good news," and the Cubs will wait to make a decision on the outfielder's Opening Day availability this weekend, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old suffered the injury Saturday during the World Baseball Classic while attempting to steal second base. According to Bruce, Counsell said that Suzuki will do some light baseball activities while the swelling in his knee subsides, so it's encouraging that he's not being fully shut down. Still, his availability for the start of the season is now seriously in question.

Lee went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in Monday's 3-1 Cactus League loss to the Padres.

Lee returned to Cactus League action after joining Team Korea for the World Baseball Classic, during which he went 5-for-21 with four runs scored, two doubles, two RBI and one walk in five outings. The 27-year-old outfielder started in right field Monday, where he's expected to spend most of his time in the 2026 campaign. Lee primarily played center field in 2025, appearing in 150 regular-season games while slashing .266/.327/.407 with 73 runs scored, 55 RBI, 10 stolen bases, eight long balls and an 11.5 percent strikeout rate across 617 plate appearances.

Lockridge went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and three runs in Monday's spring game against the Dodgers.

The Brewers scored a whopping 24 runs Monday, and Lockridge was a big reason why. It has been a big spring for the 29-year-old, who has registered four home runs, three steals and a 1.204 OPS over 11 appearances. With the Brewers possessing quality outfield depth and Lockridge still having minor-league options available, he is not a lock to break camp with the big club; however, he is certainly doing all he can to make the decision a tough one.

White went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run and a second run scored in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

Getting the start in right field and batting eighth, White lofted a Nick Martinez slider over the left-field fence in the fourth inning for his first long ball of the spring. The veteran outfielder is batting .414 (12-for-29) with three doubles and two steals in addition to Monday's homer, and White is on track to serve as the primary platoon partner for Mike Yastrzemski this season after he hit 10 home runs with 10 stolen bases in only 271 plate appearances for Atlanta in 2025.

The Mets optioned Melendez to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old joined the Mets on a one-year, $1.5 million contract in February after being non-tendered by the Royals at the start of the offseason. Melendez went 4-for-11 with two homers in his four spring games with the Mets but struggled for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, going 0-for-4 with two walks and two strikeouts. He could be up with the Mets at some point this season.