MLB Player News
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Cedric Mullins CF | TB
Rays' Cedric Mullins: On track to play Tuesday
Rays manager Kevin Cash said he expects Mullins (back) to 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. Assuming he's able to check back into the lineup Tuesday, Mullins 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.
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Chandler Simpson CF | TB
Rays' Chandler Simpson: Expected to play Tuesday
Rays manager Kevin Cash said that he expects Simpson (hamstring) to 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.
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Lawrence Butler CF | ATH
Athletics' Lawrence Butler: Yet to make spring debut
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.
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Will Benson RF | CIN
Reds' Will Benson: Legs out homer
Benson went 1-for-4 with a two-run, inside-the-park home run in Sunday's spring game against the Diamondbacks.
Benson legged out what looked like a garden-variety double down the line in right field, but he was able to touch all the bases when the ball got behind the outfielder. It was the third home run of the spring for Benson, who is locked in a battle with Rece Hinds and JJ Bleday for a depth spot in the outfield. Reds manager Terry Francona may want an extra left-handed bat, which would eliminate Hinds. All three outfielders have minor-league options remaining.
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Alex Call CF | LAD
Dodgers' Alex Call: In midst of strong spring
Call went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two additional RBI in a Cactus League loss to the Athletics on Sunday.
Call's first hit was a solo shot to left field in the third inning, and he added a two-run single in the fourth. The 31-year-old has been on fire offensively this spring, slashing .500/.588/.786 with five RBI through six contests. Call is likely to open the campaign on the big-league roster as a reserve outfielder.
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Andy Pages CF | LAD
Dodgers' Andy Pages: Thriving in spring play
Pages went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Sunday in a Cactus League loss to the Athletics.
Pages opened the scoring in the contest with a 407-foot solo blast to left field in the first inning. It was officially his first long ball this spring, though Pages also went deep in an exhibition against Team Mexico earlier in the week. He's off to a great start in Cactus League play, slashing .391/.400/.739 with five RBI through nine games.
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Jake Fraley RF | TB
Rays' Jake Fraley: Strong start in Grapefruit League
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.
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Josue De Paula CF | LAD
Dodgers' Josue De Paula: Sent to minor-league camp
De Paula was reassigned to the Dodgers' minor-league camp Sunday.
De Paula was able to participate in his first major-league spring training with Los Angeles, batting an impressive .375 with a double, three RBI and four runs scored over 24 at-bats in 14 contests. The 20-year-old will now likely begin the 2026 campaign with Double-A Tulsa, which is where he finished the 2025 season.
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Ryan Ward LF | LAD
Dodgers' Ryan Ward: Headed to Triple-A
Ward was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Ward will head to Oklahoma City after batting .156 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored over 32 at-bats in 12 games during spring training with the Dodgers. The 28-year-old will open the 2026 season at the Triple-A level, and he'll look to into a groove in an attempt to get a shot with the major-league roster in the coming months.
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Sterlin Thompson OF | COL
Rockies' Sterlin Thompson: Sent to minor leagues
The Rockies optioned Thompson to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.
Thompson was added to Colorado's 40-man roster in November but won't make the Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old outfielder will return to Albuquerque, where he posted a .296/.392/.519 slash line with 18 homers and 12 steals in 120 games last year.