Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll emerged from his live batting practice session unscathed on Friday as he works his way back from a broken hamate bone. The two-time All-Star told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that he’s nearing a return to Spring Training action. Carroll added that he wants to get into 10 spring games.
Carroll is still less than a month removed from his February 11 surgery. He’d certainly be on the early end of the typical timeline to return from the procedure if he returns to the field soon. Manager Torey Lovullo pushed back a bit on Carroll’s outlook. “I respect Corbin’s drive and determination, that’s what makes him great. But in this case, the medical team is still in control of what’s going on,” Lovullo told reporters, including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports.
If Carroll does get into Spring Training games, his power stroke will be something to watch. Hamate bone injuries tend to impact slugging, particularly early on. Carroll popped a career-high 31 home runs this past season. He boosted his hard-hit rate to 49.9%, exactly 9% higher than his previous best. Carroll more than doubled his barrel rate year-over-year, jumping from 7.2% in 2024 to 14.5% last year.
Merrill Kelly continues to make progress after a back issue threatened to place him on the IL to begin the 2026 campaign. The right-hander was scratched from a live batting practice session in late February and told reporters he was unlikely to be ready for the opener. His tone changed last weekend following a cortisone and lidocaine injection. He was able to play catch without issue, and recently came out of a bullpen session free of setbacks. Kelly is set for a live batting practice session on Sunday, Lovullo told reporters (h/t to Weiner again).
The injury set Kelly back a couple of weeks, but he’s now on track to break camp with the team and avoid the injured list. If Arizona slots him at the back of the rotation, his turn wouldn’t come up until March 31 against the Tigers. An off-day on March 29 could allow the Diamondbacks to push Kelly back even further, if they desired. Michael Soroka could step in as the fifth starter to give Kelly extra time to get ready.
Elsewhere in the division, Ty France is making a push to break camp with the Padres, notes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran infielder hit three balls at least 105 mph in Saturday’s Spring Training matchup against the Guardians. One went for a double, pushing France’s OPS to .944 this spring. “He needs to keep swinging like he did today,” manager Craig Stammen said. “If you can hit, we’ll find a place for you.”
Stammen added that the veteran would get more opportunities at second and third base. France has made a total of three appearances at second base over the past four big-league seasons. He hasn’t played the hot corner since 2022. The added defensive versatility would give him a leg up for a roster spot on a squad with several first base/DH options.
San Diego’s outfield is set with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano, which pushes Gavin Sheets to first base. That leaves France to battle with Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, and Jose Miranda for DH and potentially platoon work with the lefty-swinging Sheets. For his part, Miranda has matched France for the team lead in hits this spring at nine.
There could be another bench spot up for grabs depending on Sung-Mun Song’s recovery from an oblique injury. The former KBO standout dealt with a right oblique issue in the offseason, but came to camp healthy. He then felt renewed tightness in the oblique during a spring game on Thursday and had to be removed. Acee relayed that the team has been encouraged by Song’s progress since then. “They’re going to try to get him moving around here today,” Stammen said. “We’ll see when (he starts) swinging a bat.”
The club is hopeful Song will get back into Spring Training games at some point. A Cactus League appearance would put him on track to be ready for Opening Day. Stammen added that the outfield experiment is paused for now.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
“ Stammen added that the veteran would get more opportunities at second and third base.”
LOL called it
mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/padres-to-sign-ty-franc…
You must be so proud.
I am.
mlbtraderumors.com/2026/02/padres-to-sign-ty-franc…
Very happy to have SDSUs own Ty France back in 1904
Dropped Ball
Good for you, you must be a connoisseur of France.
Ty France will always hold a special place in my heart
Was my grandpas favorite SDSU player and his last season was my grandpas last season doing games and score cards with me and my dad
Luckily he lived long enough to see his favorite player be drafted by his padres
That’s awesome. These fellas were trying to clown you and you came back with the most heartfelt story. Well done.
Would France take a job from Andujar or Castellanos? In 10 games he hasn’t played any at 2B this spring so that is obviously out. He has only 7 IP including the 6 innings today and just 1 start at 3B. Only reason he has that much is Machado is off playing for the DR in the WBC.
A hot streak this early in spring training says nothing in a normal season and this spring training is not normal because of the WBC. Yaz and Matt McClain are both hitting over .500 and leading MLB with 4 HR so far this spring. Brady Singer has a 40 ERA and Mike Burrows a 0.00 ERA. Even looking at stats at this point, especially with so many players gone for the WBC, is an exercise in futility.
Do Padres have an opening on the 40-man? I count 41, but I assume that’s because of Brito. I could see them DFAing Hurt to make room for someone, doubt he gets claimed. France definitely BABIP-driven right now. I wish him the best whether he makes team or not, I could see them preferring to option McCoy/Wagner and add some org IF depth. Not my preferred route, but hey.
I don’t think Yu is on 60 yet?
I knew I was forgetting someone.
You will find my posts 100% saying you can’t lose these invite guys over McCoy / Wagner and maybe even Johnson.
Johnson, Wagner and McCoy are more likely to clear (if they have to) than a very hot Miranda or France or even Bowen right now.
The one catch that we don’t know is what the terms of their minor league deals might be. Opt outs are common but is it on opening day or 5/15?
We will know more if they keep hitting because decisions will have to be made.
TBH, didn’t even put much thought into the 40-man openings. They can definitely add someone but also none of the roster bubble guys have options AFAIK, so I think it’s kind of a moot point unless I’m missing some finer detail. There might only be room in the BP for one arm (Buehler? Marinaccio?) the way Adam is trending and I see two “open” bench spots with Campusano a given and Castellanos/Andujar on guaranteed deals (plus Song if he’s only out for a short while), but realistically I see BJ and McCoy/Wagner (who have options) or France. I’d go the opposite route on Bowen and figure it’d be easier to sneak him through waivers given his lack of MLB experience than BJ.
I’m pretty sure all OoO guys get the Sunday before OD, May 1st, and June 1st to opt-out.
Isn’t McCoy the only true SS on the Padres 40 man other than Bogaerts and Johnson the only CF other than Merrill. It would seem to me that they are the ones the Padres can’t afford to lose, especially with the injury history of the two imcumbents.
In another post I was told by several people that the opt outs are 5 days before the end of camp, early May, and early June.
At this point in camp stats are useless measures. Too many pitchers from AA and even lower and many others that are just building up strength and not worrying about results. In the Red Sox game the one guy that has a spot locked up threw 9 straight pitches in the same location. Luckily he was facing guys that will not make the roster for the Rays and he only gave up one hit.
I still think your GM has something up his sleeve. He always makes trades and none has happened so far this offseason. If the NRI guys he signed keep it up while they have a chance to play everyday while the WBC is still going on, he might be able to put together a package that includes a couple of them plus other pieces like a lefty reliever for a top notch player.
100% guarantee France makes the squad. Take it to your bank.
But what’s the math? France instead of Castellanos, or in addition to? Are you assuming Song is on IL opening day and that France is our backup at 2b? Or that they don’t keep Bryce Johnson and use the corner IFs as poor-fielding backups in the OF? Andujar as backup at 3b?
There’s no way, given the team’s lack of RH power last year, that they go France instead of Castellanos and they’re not throwing $4M away on Andujar. Campusano is a lock. They could add France as the 2B backup and have Cronenworth cover SS; both McCoy and Wagner have options. All that is a moot point if Song is healthy. I think it’d be roster malpractice to not have a 4th OF and I think it’s much more likely you could sneak the 25 year old with no MLB experience through waivers than the 30 year old switch hitter who has shown a modicum of success in the big leagues. I really don’t think the bench is as interesting as people are making it out to be.
For me, the last arm or 2 in the BP is a much more interesting battle especially if both Matsui and Adam are ready OD. Marinaccio is definitely good enough to get picked up by someone looking for cheap middle innings with some upside. And while Buehler hasn’t blown me away, I would love to keep him around as a depth option.
The answer is no, he wont, Castellanos and Andujar make the openijg day roster and likely remain with the team barring injury.
Burrows has looked sharp for Houston.
Oviedo has looked real good for Boston too. It is going to be depressing in Pittsburgh if B. Lowe is on the rack and Jhostnyxon Garcia is hitting .215 in June with both Burrows and Oviedo pitching like they belong in the front of a rotation.
If Ty France can play a capable 2b and he something left in the tank, spot is his.
Now what will AJ do to get a capable back up SS on the 40. Or does he reallt love McCoy?
Bogey is going to need more innings off this year. Maybe 140 starts w some half ish days in blowouts.
Wrong, Cronenworth is very consistent and has a guaranteed contract at 12M per AAV.
As backup for 2nd n 1st
Two-time AS and 2B is all his and yet he’s also an excellent backup at SS. Well worth his AAV
Rather have Nate Lowe than Sheets at first.
Sheets is still a player on the rise. Id extend Sheets through ’31 season. 4yr./30M with kickers on ABs over 400 annually and committ to him as my first baseman for the next five seasons.
Thats a good deal for Sheets, job security, and he has an opportunity to hit FA at age 34 for a big paycheck if he crushes it over the next five seasons. A good value for the Padres too at 7.5M AAV, he is the perfect fit for the Padres payroll and a good guy to have in the clubhouse too.
Arraez(1.2WAR) and France(1WAR) had almost equal value last year. France even won the ALGG at their shared position. Yet one signs for $12mil and the other for a minors deal? I think WAR undervalues hits and overvalues defense
I think 1B defense is not that valuable or France was just the best of a meh field. Hits (singles) are overrated by some; Arraez and France had nearly the same OBP.
The contracts are telling me the hits are worth something. Worse defense, same OBP but massive pay increase for Arraez? Wonder why? Maybe he leads the league in hits almost every year. At least the giants think it’s worth something. Nobody thought the GG winner was worth a roster spot
Arraez has a much better track record and Giants think he can at least cover 2B adequately (I don’t see it). Of course he’ll get paid more than a glove-first RH 1B. Now, whether he deserves $12M is another question entirely. I’m not huge on WAR, btw, but I think the salient point here is that Arraez, for all his hits, is barely a league-average hitter by wRC+. I’d rather have Arraez than France in a vacuum, but their value was not far off last year.
I will let you all in on a little secret. Most of the position players that start on the road are not the ones that will make the team. At the very most they will be bench players.
Everytime they try to tell him the words dont come out right. So SD will have to say they love Sung-Mun in a Song.