MLB Player News

Raley was acquired by the Rays from the Dodgers on Friday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Tanner Dodson, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Raley made his big-league debut for the Dodgers last season and had a .538 OPS in 72 plate appearances, and he'll now joined the Rays after being traded for third time in his career. He'll compete for a depth role in the outfield behind Tampa Bay's established group of Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot and Austin Meadows, with top prospect Josh Lowe also waiting in the wings.

Dalbec hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat of spring training Thursday. He went 1-for-2, striking out in another plate appearance, with while batting second in the lineup.

Dalbec and Jarren Duran were the most noticeable 40-man roster names in the Grapefruit League opener, which featured many minor-leaguers and non-roster invitees. Dalbec served as the designated hitter Thursday and seeks to lock down first base full time following a mostly down season with a few good moments in 2021. He made note of the work he put in this winter when talking with Ian Browne of MLB.com following the game. "I'm more happy with how my timing was today than the result, because I worked on that all offseason, on my timing and vision," Dalbec said. "It's nice to see it come to fruition, first at-bat." The MLB sophomore will be looking over his shoulder at prospect Triston Casas, who is expected to arrive in Boston at some point this season. As a result Dalbec will see some action at third base and in the outfield during spring training. Third base was his spot coming up through the minors, but Rafael Devers is locked in at the position, while designated hitter isn't an option if J.D. Martinez is healthy. Long-term, Casas and Dalbec can get ample at-bats, as Martinez is in the final year of a contract, meaning either player could be the primary DH beginning 2023.

Dalbec will get work in the outfield as well as second base in addition to both infield corners this spring, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Dalbec should open the year as the Red Sox's primary first baseman, but highly-touted prospect Triston Casas is set to challenge him for the position at some point this season, as he's already reached Triple-A for a brief nine-game stint at the end of last year. With J.D. Martinez blocking off the designated hitter spot, Dalbec may need to show some versatility to remain in the lineup if he can't hold off Casas. Spending some time in the outfield corners would be a fairly standard move, but a move to second base would be much more unusual.

Rizzo agreed to a contract with the Yankees on Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

It's a two-year deal worth $32 million that includes an opt out after the first year, per Rogers, as Rizzo will return to the Yankees after being acquired from the Cubs ahead of the 2021 trade deadline. New York was also in the mix to sign Freddie Freeman but will instead bring back a familiar face. Rizzo hit .248/.344/.440 with 22 home runs and 61 RBI in 141 total games last year, and he'll be back with the Yankees for at least one full season.

White (hip) has been operating at full strength since reporting to optional workouts ahead of spring training on Friday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

White saw his 2021 season cut short after only 30 games, logging his last action of the campaign on May 13. The 25-year-old eventually underwent hip surgery in July, which did give him a head start on his recovery. White was taking part in baseball activities by early November, so the news that he's apparently headed for a restriction-free camp isn't necessarily surprising.

Naylor said Monday that he's "close to 100 percent, if not 100 percent" in his recovery from the surgery he underwent July 3 to address multiple fractures and ligament tearing in his lower right leg, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Naylor has been taking batting practice in the early days of the Guardians' big-league camp and looks like he'll soon add all other activities to his training regimen in the coming days. The Guardians will likely wait and see how he progresses over the next few weeks before determining whether Naylor will be ready to go for Opening Day, but he looks to be trending in the right direction. Before sustaining the season-ending injury, Naylor logged 249 plate appearances for Cleveland and hit .253 with seven home runs, 28 runs and 21 RBI.

Voit's status with the Yankees is in question after the team acquired Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Twins on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Yankees were able to bolster their infield without giving up any prospects in Sunday's trade, so the team is in position to acquire a left-handed hitting first baseman via trade or free agency. If that occurs, Voit could be the odd man out in the team's infield since DJ LeMahieu should also see time at first base. The 31-year-old Voit appeared in 68 games for the Yankees while battling injuries last year, and he hit .239 with 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 26 runs.

Naylor (ankle) took batting practice Saturday and appeared to perform well, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Naylor's 2021 season was cut short after a broken ankle in late June required season-ending surgery. The Guardians have yet to officially announce if he'll be ready for Opening Day -- he has a lot of progress to make in his recovery, but his first steps in the spring are encouraging. He'll be competing for a reserve role as an outfielder and could also occasionally draw starts at first and as the designated hitter if he can make the team out of spring training.

Torkelson was the only infielder taking groundballs at first base for the Tigers on Sunday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

When asked how often he could play first base this season, Miguel Cabrera said, "I don't know, because we want Torkelson in the lineup. ... I'll take the DH." It's still uncertain whether Torkelson will be on the Opening Day roster, but it doesn't seem to be up for debate who the Tigers plan on getting the bulk of the work at first base this season. Jonathan Schoop would slide over to second base while also getting some starts at designated hitter.

Torkelson was invited to major-league camp by the Tigers on Saturday.

The invitation is an expected one, as the 2020 first overall pick is thought to have a chance to push for an Opening Day roster spot. He doesn't have much left to prove in the minors after hitting .267/.383/.552 with 30 homers in 121 games across the three highest levels of the minors last year, including 40 games with Triple-A Toledo. Even if he's held down to start the year in an effort to manipulate his service time, he's likely to join the big-league squad fairly early in the season.