MLB Player News

Vaughn (back) is starting at first base and batting second Monday versus the Cubs.

Vaughn will be back in the lineup after dealing with back tightness for over a week. The 24-year-old is now all set for Thursday's Opening Day contest versus the Astros, barring any sort of setback.

Raley has made the Rays' Opening Day roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Raley has popped five home runs this spring and is out of options, so his spot on the Opening Day roster had seemed pretty secure. The 28-year-old might wind up playing a decent amount against righties as the Rays do their usual mixing and matching and his pop warrants attention in single-league formats and some deep mixed leagues.

The Rays optioned Aranda to Triple-A Durham on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

With Opening Day right around the corner Thursday, Aranda is one of the final major-league roster cut-downs for the Rays this spring. The 24-year-old batted .192 with one homer, five RBI and two runs scored over 26 at-bats during spring training, failing to impress enough to crack the big-league roster. Considering his positional flexibility and his prior experience in the MLB from last season, Aranda seems like a top candidate to earn a call-up early this year.

The Red Sox optioned Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester on Monday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Dalbec's demotion likely confirms that Yu Chang has secured the final bench spot on the Red Sox's Opening Day roster as a utility infielder. Though he's long intrigued with his power potential, Dalbec's high strikeout rates and career-long struggles against right-handed pitching make it difficult to envision the 27-year-old serving as anything more than a short-side platoon man over the long haul.

Raley is likely to earn a roster spot out of spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Raley reworked his swing by lessening his leg kick, and he appears to have parlayed that into strong results this spring. Across 45 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League, he's delivered a .326/.396/.721 line. While that won't be replicable during the regular season, it is likely to be enough to earn him a bench spot on the roster -- and the fact that he's out of minor-league options also helps. Raley could back up Yandy Diaz at first base in addition to seeing action in the outfield.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora met with Casas on Sunday and informed the first baseman that he's made the Opening Day roster, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Heading into spring training, Casas was always viewed as a likely candidate to break camp with the big club, and a strong Grapefruit League solidified his standing with the big club. The 23-year-old enters Sunday's game against the Twins with a .360/.400/.640 slash line and three homers over 50 plate appearances in 17 games. Casas will have some growing pains in his first full season with the Red Sox, but the left-handed hitting first baseman offers significant offensive upside for 2023 and beyond.

Vaughn (back) appeared in another minor-league game Saturday and hopes to return to the big-league lineup Monday against the Cubs, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vaughn has been dealing with lower-back soreness for over a week, but he's trending in the right direction. He served as the designated hitter in Friday's minor-league contest and will play the field Saturday. If he does indeed play Monday and gets through the game without issues, he should be good to go for Opening Day.

Guardians manager Terry Francona announced that Arias left Friday's game against the Cubs with a contusion on his right hand, Mandy Bell of MLB.comreports.

Arias was hit in the same hand that he broke in 2022, but he underwent a scan and everything has come back OK according to Francona. The utility player is not scheduled to undergo X-rays just yet, but the team might be waiting for any swelling to go down. For now, Arias should be considered day-to-day.

Arias left Friday's Cactus League game after being hit near his hand by a pitch, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Arias had a broken right hand that sidelined him in 2022, and he is expected to serve as a utility player for the Guardians in 2023. He immediately dropped to the ground after being hit, and looked to be in significant pain. If he ends up landing on the IL to begin the season, Tyler Freeman might be recalled to take Arias' spot on Cleveland's bench.

Casas hit a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Red Sox a 9-8 win over Atlanta in Friday's Grapefruit League game.

Casas smoked a two-run homer off Joe Harvey to give the Red Sox the victory. The 23-year-old has blasted three homers so far in the Grapefruit League, and he's also hitting .360 to show he's more than just a power threat at the plate. Casas is expected to have an everyday role for Boston, and while there may be some ups and downs in his first full season, he offers significant offensive upside.