MLB Player News

Gurriel (hand) resumed light hitting Tuesday, in addition to taking more groundballs and running the bases, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Gurriel continues to ramp up his activity after undergoing surgery to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his left hand in late-February. The 33-year-old will likely begin the season on the disabled list before returning in mid-April.

The White Sox believe the hamstring injury Abreu sustained Tuesday is minor, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

It's not an official diagnosis, but is still a good sign after Abreu exited Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers with hamstring tightness. The 29-year-old will be re-evaluated Wednesday and the expectation is that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day.

Abreu left Tuesday's game against the Rangers with hamstring tightness, James Fegan of The Athletic Chicago reports.

Abreu was hobbling after a double-play groundout and looked frustrated in the dugout. He's considered day-to-day. With just nine days left until Opening Day, there's a chance that he misses time to start the season. A more precise timeline should become apparent soon.

Joseph isn't expected to make the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

In order to give Joseph regular at-bats, it's expected that he'll be assigned to Double-A Frisco or Triple-A Round Rock. Joey Gallo is in line to be the club's starter at first base, but Joseph could be a serviceable reserve option if needed. Over 142 games with the Phillies last season, Joseph slashed .240/.289/.432 with 22 home runs and 69 RBI.

Olson went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in Sunday's 14-0 Cactus League win over the White Sox.

Olson has a somewhat less prolific home run pace going this spring when compared to the jaw-dropping long-ball display he put on during his rookie season, but he's enjoyed a solid exhibition slate overall. The 23-year-old has slugged a pair of round trippers and has posted a solid .293 average over 47 plate appearances across 15 spring games. Set for an everyday first base job, Olson will look to put a significant dent in the 27.8 percent strikeout rate he generated in 2017, while also trying to keep his power numbers robust.

Joseph was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Monday.

Clayton Blackburn (elbow) was shifted to the 60-day disabled list to clear a spot on the Rangers' 40-man roster for Joseph, who will join Texas after being designated for assignment by the Phillies last week. With Joey Gallo settled in at first base for the Rangers, the 26-year-old Joseph will likely work as his backup while offering a right-handed bench bat, assuming he cracks the Opening Day roster. He hit .240/.289/.432 with 22 homers across 142 games last season.

Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Monday, T.J. Zuppe of The Athletic Cleveland reports.

Diaz was expected to serve a utility role for the Indians this season, and while he may still do so, that won't happen right away. Diaz has little left to prove at the Triple-A level; he's hit .331/.419/.455 in 184 games at Triple-A over his career. In 49 games with Cleveland last year, he hit .263/.352/.327 with no home runs. He hits the ball hard but far too often on the ground (59 percent groundball rate last year), limiting his power potential. Still, it's a profile that's good enough to work in a utility role, so Diaz should be back with the team at some point this season.

Wade was assigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic Minnesota reports.

Wade played well for Minnesota this spring, going 7-for-23 (.304) with two doubles and eight walks over 17 games. After hitting .292/.397/.408 across 117 games at Double-A Chattanooga last season, Wade could make his way up to Triple-A Rochester during the upcoming season.

The White Sox optioned Gillaspie to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

The move isn't surprising as Gillaspie struggled this spring with a .189 batting average and .514 OPS. The 2014 first-round pick will likely need to improve upon his 2017 slash line of .223/.297/.373 at Triple-A if he is to earn a major-league opportunity this season.

Abreu is batting .188 with two home runs in 32 spring at-bats.

Abreu's spring track record is better than what he's shown in 2018. Over his first four camps with the White Sox, he's batted .296, .383, .508 and .296 with an average of three homers. Abreu, who's been a consistent presence in the middle of the White Sox's order since he joined them in 2014, still has some time to find a groove at the plate. It would only take a two- or three-game hitting streak to get him back on track.