MLB Player News

Ibanez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Ibanez now has two home runs and an even 1.000 OPS across six games this spring. The 30-year-old is competing for a bench spot in camp, and his strong performance so far should help his cause. Ibanez posted a .264/.312/.433 line in 114 games for the Tigers last year and gave the team plenty of defensive versatility as well. A similar role could be in store for him this season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Valdez is next in line at second base due to Vaughn Grissom (groin) being sidelined, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The team is not yet ruling Grissom out for Opening Day, but it looks like a longshot that he'll be ready. A replacement from outside the organization doesn't appear to be in the cards, which leaves Valdez at the top of the pecking order and Pablo Reyes also in the mix. Valdez, 25, struggles with the glove but has some offensive promise, having slashed .266/.311/.453 with six homers and five steals over 149 plate appearances with Boston in 2023.

Massey has gone 3-for-10 over four Cactus League games.

After hitting .229 with a middling .655 OPS across 129 contests in 2023, this is a good start to the spring for Massey. The Royals had an active offseason, and the signing of Adam Frazier -- who is 0-for-6 over three spring games -- could have a negative impact on Massey's playing time, though Frazier can also be an option in the corner outfield. Utility man Nick Loftin could also poach some at-bats at the keystone, especially against left-handed pitchers, so Massey will need to continue his solid spring to avoid losing his spot.

Schneider went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

Getting the start at second base and batting third in a Blue Jays lineup that featured only one other projected Opening day starter in Daulton Varsho, Schneider took Luke Weaver deep in the fifth inning for his first long ball of the spring. The 25-year-old made a spectacular MLB debut last August before cooling down, and with Cavan Biggio (shoulder) yet to see any Grapefruit League action, Schneider is getting an opportunity to prove he's ready to be the starter at the keystone, rather than a utility player.

Julien worked in the offseason to limit his front shoulder from flying open during swings against lefties, the Bobby Nightingale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "I changed a couple of things in my swing to adjust to the slider and be able to hit the fastball against lefties," he said earlier this week. He's 6-for-10 with a walk in four games this spring and 2-for-5 against left-handed pitching. He went 2-for-3 with a home run in Friday's Grapefruit League win over Boston.

Julien had an outstanding rookie season with a .381 OBP and drew walks at a near league-leading 15.7 percent clip. However, he hit just .195 with a .447 OPS against left-handed pitching. Julien will become the primary starter at second base after the trade of Jorge Polanco but will likely be platooned with Kyle Farmer. If Julien can show improvement against left-handed pitching, he could take over everyday duties.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Friday that Norby (side) is 3-to-4 days away from his Grapefruit League debut, Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Norby had previously expressed optimism that he would be ready for game action this weekend, but he's not quite ready for that yet. The 23-year-old could still have time to get ramped up for Opening Day, but he's expected to begin the season back at Triple-A Norfolk.

Urias (shoulder) will do some throwing in infield drills Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

He will still be somewhat limited, but it's a step forward as he works his way back from right shoulder inflammation. Urias is still serving as a designated hitter in Cactus League games -- he went 1-for-2 with a triple and a run against the White Sox in that capacity Thursday -- but he will probably require an injured list stint if he's not able to play the field by Opening Day.

The Yankees claimed Jones off waivers from the Brewers on Wednesday.

The Yanks deem Jones a better fit for their roster than Jordan Groshans, who was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Jones has a career .460 OPS in 90 plate appearances across parts of three major-league seasons.

Wong agreed to a minor-league contract with the Orioles on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Danielle Allentuck of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

The Orioles are already flush with infield depth, but Wong will do his best to convince them he's worthy of a spot on their Opening Day roster. Wong posted an ugly .183/.256/.263 batting line in 87 games between the Mariners and Dodgers last season but did have an .853 OPS at the latter stop.

Rengifo (hamstring) will do some hitting and defensive drills Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rengifo is ready to ease back into workouts after dealing with some left hamstring tightness. He will need to go through some other baseball activities -- most notably running -- before being cleared for game action, but the super utility player looks to be trending in a positive direction.