Kyle Stowers, Esteury Ruiz Undergoing Testing For Injuries
Both Kyle Stowers and Esteury Ruiz left the Marlins’ Grapefruit League games on Friday due to injury concerns, with Stowers departing due to right hamstring tightness and Ruiz with a left oblique strain. Manager Clayton McCullough updated the media (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola) on the situation postgame, and today didn’t have any new information on the results of imaging tests on either player.
Stowers has been dealing with what McCullough described three weeks ago as a “very minor” strain in that same right hamstring, and the Marlins have mostly relegated the outfielder to live batting practice sessions rather than game action. Friday marked Stowers’ sixth Spring Training game, and he didn’t play at all over a two-week span from the end of February until his return to the field on March 14. On Friday, Stowers collected hits in his first two plate appearances before leaving the game in the bottom of the third.
While Stowers was playing in a split squad game against the Astros, Ruiz was playing on the other portion of Miami’s roster in a game against the Nationals, and Ruiz also left during the third inning after an awkward swing on a foul ball. Given that Ruiz’s injury has already been diagnosed as a strain, it would have to be a very minor strain for the outfielder to avoid a pretty lengthy stint on the IL, as even lighter oblique issues usually lead to at least a couple of weeks on the sidelines.
Ruiz was acquired from the Dodgers in a December trade, and the lightning-fast outfielder is looking to win a spot on the Marlins’ bench. After leading the AL with 67 stolen bases for the A’s in 2023, Ruiz has appeared in only 48 Major League games with the Athletics and Dodgers, due to both a lack of hitting and some knee problems. A huge Triple-A performance in 2025 perhaps indicates that Ruiz has unlocked something at the plate, though he hadn’t hit much in the small sample of 41 plate appearances during Miami’s camp.
If Ruiz’s injury simply impacts the back end of the Marlins’ bench, losing Stowers would have a much more negative impact on Miami’s season. Stowers is coming off an All-Star season that saw him hit .288/.368/.544 with 25 home runs over 457 PA, but (ironically, given Ruiz’s situation) Stowers’ breakout year was ended by an oblique strain in mid-August. Considering how the 78-83 Marlins finished only four games back of the Reds for the final NL wild card berth, it isn’t a reach to suggest that losing Stowers might’ve cost the Fish a playoff trip.
Should Stowers need to start 2026 on the 10-day IL, Javier Sanoja, Heriberto Hernandez, or perhaps Christopher Morel (slated for now as a first baseman) or Connor Norby (who has been getting some time as an outfielder) could all fill in for Stowers in left field. The Marlins are thin on other outfield options on their 40-man roster, so if a prospect isn’t added to the 40-man, Miami might also explore the trade or free agent market for outfield help as teams continue to make their late-camp cuts.
Pirates Assign Konnor Griffin To Minor League Camp
The Pirates announced that star prospect Konnor Griffin has been reassigned to the team’s minor league spring camp. Barring something surprising like a last-minute contract extension, the transaction seems to confirm that Griffin won’t be part of Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster.
This was probably always the likeliest scenario, as Griffin is still just over a month away from his 20th birthday and has yet to even make his Triple-A debut. Though Griffin crushed Double-A pitching to the tune of a .337/.418/.542 slash line in 2025, those big numbers came in the relatively small sample size of 98 plate appearances over 21 games. In Spring Training action, Griffin showed some big power but not much else, hitting .184/.279/.526 over 43 PA and striking out 11 times.
If Griffin had dominated the Grapefruit League, the Pirates might’ve felt more compelled to immediately see what the shortstop could do at the Major League level. An Opening Day assignment would’ve also put the Pirates in line for a potential future bonus draft pick under the Prospect Promotion Incentive plan, though the temptation of an extra pick isn’t as important to the Bucs as Griffin’s continued development. For context, the Pirates also didn’t bring Paul Skenes up for his MLB debut until May of the 2024 season, even though Skenes’ immediate dominance indicated that he might well have been ready for the Show on Opening Day.
A pre-career extension might’ve also done the trick in getting Griffin to the Opening Day lineup, and last month, both Griffin and the Pirates had some interest in such a deal. Such an extension surely would’ve topped Jackson Chourio‘s eight-year, $82MM pact with the Brewers as the largest deal ever given to a player before his MLB debut, and the New York Post’s’ Jon Heyman writes “and some believe” the Pirates (never known for their big spending) are comfortable going to such record lengths in a nine-figure contract.
Griffin looks like the kind of special talent that merits this kind of investment. The ninth overall pick of the 2024 draft hit a combined .333/.415/.527 over 563 PA split between the A-ball, high-A, and Double-A levels in 2025, with 21 home runs and 65 steals (in 78 attempts). All of the major scouting outlets have Griffin atop their preseason top-100 prospect rankings, with scouting reports raving about his five-tool skills. Primarily a shortstop, Griffin has dabbled a bit in center field since his athleticism translates so well to either position, and whatever the spot, he looks like a future fixture in Pittsburgh’s lineup.
As dire as the last seven seasons have been for Pirates fans, Griffin’s impending arrival, Skenes’ presence, a bunch of other quality arms in the pipeline, and the fact that the Bucs spent some money on bats this winter are all signs that things could be turning around in the Steel City. Exciting as it would’ve been to have seen Griffin’s debut this week, the Pirates are okay in playing the slightly longer game, even if Griffin might still be in the Show before the All-Star break.
Blue Jays Release Connor Seabold, Option Lazaro Estrada
The Blue Jays announced that they have granted right-hander Connor Seabold his release, making him a free agent (link via Mitch Bannon of the Athletic). Per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, Seabold exercised a release clause in his contract. Right-hander Lazaro Estrada has also been optioned to Triple-A.
Seabold was in camp on a minor-league deal which he signed two months ago. He covered 6 2/3 innings in six spring appearances for Toronto, albeit with a 6.75 ERA and three hit batters. He did strike out 13 hitters in that small sample, but he also walked four and generally did not show much improvement over his limited major-league numbers from 2025. He was strictly a reliever in that sample and a swingman in prior MLB seasons, though he didn’t show enough for the Blue Jays to keep him in the organization as a depth option.
His biggest MLB exposure came in 2023 with the Rockies. Pitching 87 1/3 innings across 27 appearances (13 starts) that year, Seabold had an unsightly 7.52 ERA and expected stats in the low to mid-5.00s. His 6.9% walk rate was impressive, though that was about the only thing that went right for him in Colorado. His 16.4% strikeout rate was below average. He also allowed nearly two home runs per nine innings, which was worse than average even taking into account the hitter-friendly environment of Coors Field.
Seabold fared much better upon moving to the Korea Baseball Organization in 2024. He posted a 3.43 ERA in 160 innings with the Samsung Lions that year, striking out nearly a batter per inning and cutting back dramatically on his walks. He returned to MLB in 2025, but he only made seven relief appearances between the Rays and Braves organizations. For now, it seems he is more likely to catch on as a reliever if he focuses on MLB opportunities.
Estrada, 26, was signed out of Cuba in 2018 and spent the early part of 2025 in Triple-A. He saw his contract selected in early July and made his big-league debut with a four-inning relief appearance against the Angels on July 5. He only made it into two games overall, allowing seven earned runs in 7 1/3 innings but also displaying a penchant for strikeouts. Estrada has a four-pitch mix featuring a 93 MPH four-seamer, which he complements with a slider, sinker, and occasional curveball. He has less than a year of service time and has two minor-league option years remaining.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Merrill Kelly To Begin Season On Diamondbacks’ 15-Day IL
Back problems have limited Merrill Kelly to just two Spring Training outings, and thus it isn’t any surprise that Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced today that Kelly would start the season on the 15-day injured list. Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that the club’s starting five will consist of Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka, and Brandon Pfaadt while Kelly recovers.
Kelly’s injury issues surfaced about a month ago, and it was enough to immediately scuttle plans for Kelly to get the Opening Day start. The right-hander received some injections that helped ease the discomfort enough that there was hope that the IL could be avoided altogether, though Kelly didn’t get into any game action until March 13. Over two Cactus League starts, Kelly has been rocked for an 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 innings, so it’s clear he isn’t quite ready for prime time.
The results themselves aren’t really a red flag, since Kelly is still in the relatively early stages of his ramp-up given how his normal routine was interrupted by his bad back. Assuming he is able to get through extended Spring Training as expected, Kelly may just miss the minimum amount of time on the injured list.
A right shoulder strain 2024 and a nerve impingement in 2020 were both notable injuries for the right-hander, but Kelly has by and large been pretty durable over his seven MLB seasons, including a 184-inning campaign with the D’Backs and Rangers in 2025. After being traded to Texas at the deadline, Kelly returned to Arizona on a two-year, $40MM deal with a vesting option for the 2028 campaign (which would be Kelly’s age-39 season).
Between Kelly’s return and Gallen also somewhat surprising re-signing with Arizona on a one-year deal after his free agent market failed to develop, Soroka is the only new face within a familiar Diamondbacks rotation mix. Corbin Burnes will be back at some point in the second half once he recovers from his Tommy John surgery, so if all goes well, the D’Backs might be dealing with a surplus of arms later in the season if everyone is pitching well. Soroka is the likeliest candidate to move to the bullpen once Kelly is activated from the IL.
Reese McGuire Opts Out Of Brewers Contract
The Brewers announced that catcher Reese McGuire has become a free agent after exercising an out clause in his minor league contract. Rather than an Article XX(B) free agent situation, this was a specific clause in McGuire’s deal, and Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that McGuire can return to the Brewers if he doesn’t sign elsewhere within the next 72 hours.
William Contreras has Milwaukee’s starting catching job on lock, and Gary Sanchez was signed to a guaranteed big league deal in February. The Sanchez signing was a major roadblock to McGuire’s chances of winning the backup job, plus highly-touted catching prospect Jeferson Quero is at Triple-A and is likely to make his MLB debut before 2026 is over.
This crowded depth chart made it unlikely McGuire would be breaking camp with the team, which is probably why this interesting release clause was negotiated into his contract in the first place. McGuire has over five years of big league service time and can’t be optioned to the minors without his permission, so this 72-hour window gives him some time to access his options before deciding whether or not to accept a trip to the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.
Catching depth is enough of a need around baseball that McGuire could find another job on a team with a clearer path to MLB playing time. McGuire has a good reputation as a defensive catcher, and he has carved out an eight-year career with four different teams at the Major League level, including a 44-game stint with the Cubs last year that saw the backstop hit .226/.245/.444 with nine homers over 140 plate appearances. That little power surge in Wrigleyville was an outlier, as McGuire has hit only .242/.286/.352 over his last 1040 PA.
Brewers Option Logan Henderson, Blake Perkins
TODAY: Lockridge and Sproat have been told they’re making the Opening Day roster, as per Adam McCalvy.
MARCH 19: The Brewers made a few camp cuts on Thursday. Starter Logan Henderson, outfielder Blake Perkins, and corner bat Tyler Black were all sent out and will open the season with Triple-A Nashville.
Two weeks ago, Henderson had seemingly been well positioned for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. There are at least two jobs up for grabs after the Freddy Peralta trade and with Quinn Priester beginning the season on the injured list. The Brewers have rotation roles committed to Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick and (assuming he’s fully built up) Brandon Woodruff.
The 24-year-old Henderson was firmly in the mix after impressing over his first five MLB starts a year ago. His odds of breaking camp were set back when he reported minor elbow soreness last week. Henderson had finished the 2025 season on the injured list with elbow inflammation. The team didn’t consider this recent flareup especially alarming — he’s already throwing again — but he hasn’t appeared in a Spring Training game in two weeks.
Skipper Pat Murphy indicated the demotion is largely about giving Henderson a chance to build his workload in the minors. “Part of this move is to make sure he can go post regularly,” Murphy told reporters (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “We’re not going to immediately build him up to five innings. We’re going to let him go two innings and see how he responds, two innings and see how he responds. Just make sure he’s responding each time because he’s had (an injury) history.”
This probably paves the way for Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison to round out the rotation. Harrison left yesterday’s appearance with a blister, but it’s not expected to be an issue moving forward. Robert Gasser and Shane Drohan are also still in the mix, with Drohan having the far more impressive camp of those two.
Acquired from the Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin trade, Harrison has allowed 12 runs (eight earned) across 9 2/3 spring innings. That’s obviously not ideal, but he has struck out 15 opponents while averaging 95 mph on his fastball. Sproat came over from the Mets as part of the Peralta return. He has allowed five runs with a 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over nine innings.
In any case, the Brewers will lean heavily on their bullpen while frequently shuttling starters up and down from Nashville. There’s more clarity on the position player side, which is down to 14 a week before Opening Day. The final camp cut will almost certainly be third catcher Reese McGuire, a non-roster invitee.
McCalvy notes that the Perkins option means Brandon Lockridge is heading north with the club. The speedster won the fourth outfield role by hitting .314 with four homers and three steals in 12 games this spring. He’ll join Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers and utility infielder David Hamilton on the season-opening bench.
Rangers Release Ryan Brasier
The Rangers announced that right-hander Ryan Brasier has been released from his minor league contract. As an Article XX(B) free agent, Brasier could use the first of three opt-out dates if Texas didn’t add him to its 40-man roster this weekend, and the Rangers have apparently chosen to let Brasier explore his options elsewhere.
The 38-year-old was having a tough time of it in camp, with a 7.36 ERA over 7 1/3 spring innings. It wasn’t specified if Brasier exercised his opt-out clause or if the Rangers just released him, yet it didn’t seem like there was much chance he would be part of the Opening Day bullpen.
Brasier has had plenty of ups and downs over a nine-season MLB career, with the highs including World Series rings with the 2018 Red Sox and 2024 Dodgers. His move to Los Angeles partway through the 2023 season seemed to get Brasier back on track, as he had a 1.89 ERA over 66 2/3 innings in a Dodgers uniform. L.A. still chose to designate Brasier for assignment and then trade him to the Cubs last winter, and Brasier posted a 4.50 ERA, 4.8% walk rate, and 19% strikeout rate over 26 innings for Chicago.
Groin problems limited Brasier’s playing time in 2025, and a calf strain also kept him on the injured list for a good chunk of the 2024 campaign. Between these health concerns, his so-so numbers with the Cubs, and his age, Brasier was limited to just the non-guaranteed deal with Texas this winter. He’ll probably have to settle for another minors contract in his next destination as well, as Brasier didn’t do much to boost his stock in Cactus League play.
Nationals Release Drew Smith
The Nationals announced that right-hander Drew Smith has been released. Smith signed a minor league deal last month, and the Nats had to make a decision by this weekend about including the righty on the 40-man roster, or else Smith could trigger the first of three built-in opt-out dates within his contract.
Smith hasn’t pitched in the majors or minors since June 2024, as a UCL surgery kept the veteran reliever in rehab and recovery mode for the entirety of the 2025 season. Back in November, the Mets declined their $2MM club option on Smith’s services for next year, sending him to free agency for the second straight winter. The minor league deal with Washington seemed to provide a good opportunity for Smith given the unsettled state of the Nats’ bullpen, and 5 1/3 scoreless innings this spring seemed to be boost for Smith’s bid for a roster spot.
Instead, the Nationals have decided to move on from the 32-year-old. It could be that the Nationals wanted to focus more on younger arms, or the timing of the opt-out clause forced the Nats into a decision they didn’t yet want to make about Smith’s status. As is sometimes the case with the Article XX(B) deadline, Smith could possibly re-sign with Washington on a fresh minors deal in a few days, with today’s release just a means to sidestep the first opt-out deadline and give the team a little more time to evaluate their options.
If Smith does test the market, he might well find some interest given his past track record with the Mets. Smith posted a 3.48 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, and 9.3% walk rate for New York over 196 1/3 innings from 2018-24. That walk rate spiked upward in 2023-24 but his 29.1K% in 2024 was also a career best, and Smith has pretty evenly solid numbers against both right-handed and left-handed batters over his career.
Phillies Acquire Carter Kieboom From Guardians
The Phillies have acquired infielder Carter Kieboom from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, as reported by MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins shortly before the Guards officially announced the trade.
Kieboom signed a minor league deal with Cleveland during the offseason and had only a .512 OPS over 26 Spring Training plate appearances. Since Kieboom didn’t appear to be in the Guardians’ plans, the Phillies stepped in to trade for the 28-year-old, likely just as a depth option for Philadelphia at the Triple-A level.
At one point it seemed like Kieboom was going to be a prominent division foe for the Phillies, as the former first-rounder was a top-100 prospect during his time in the Nationals’ farm system. However, Kieboom just hasn’t produced against big league pitching, with just a .200/.297/.300 slash line to show for 516 career plate appearances in the Show. He didn’t play in the majors at all in 2024, and a minor league deal with the Angels last winter resulted in only three MLB games for Kieboom in 2025.
It is anyone’s guess if a late-career breakout of some kind may still be possible, but for now, Kieboom would be happy with sticking on a Major League roster in any capacity. Kieboom has primary been a corner infielder for the last few years with a handful of games at second base, so he could provide some utility infield depth should the Phillies ever have a need to select him to the 26-man roster.
Padres To Select Ty France’s Contract
The Padres have told first baseman Ty France that he has made the Opening Day roster, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee reports. France will need to have his contract officially selected before the Padres take the field on March 26, but the team has an open space on its 40-man roster.
As per the terms of the minor league contract France signed last month, he’ll earn a $1.35MM salary for making San Diego’s roster. It also officially completes the full-circle nature of France’s signing, as he was drafted by the Padres (as a 34th-round pick) in 2015 and he broke into the majors with the club in 2019.
Now 31 years old, France returns to the Padres as the AL’s reigning Gold Glove winner at first base, and with a track record as a pretty solid regular during his time with the Mariners. Over the last two seasons, however, France’s offense has dipped to a subpar .245/.312/.363 over 1025 plate appearances with the Mariners, Twins, Mariners, and Blue Jays.
Some big numbers in camp helped France earn his spot on the 26-man, and his selection also just about ensures that Sung-Mun Song will begin the season on the 10-day injured list. Song has been battling oblique tightness and only resumed swinging a bat this past week, so he’ll need more time to get fully prepared for his debut in North American baseball.
Song’s injury created room for France, even if he’ll join a crowded first base picture. Gavin Sheets is ostensibly the starting first baseman but he probably won’t face much left-handed pitching, allowing room for France, Miguel Andujar, or newly-converted first baseman Nick Castellanos (all righty bats) to get playing time. The DH spot is also a revolving door in San Diego, giving the team more leeway in finding at-bats for all of these players.
As an Article XX(B) free agent, France has the ability to exercise the first of three opt-out dates in his minor league contract this weekend if the Padres didn’t add him to the 40-man roster. It isn’t known if France actually triggered his opt-out or if the Padres added him to the roster in advance of any decision, but the end result is that France is now sticking around in San Diego.