MLB Player News

Rays manager Kevin Cash said recently that hitting coach Chad Mottola has been working with Caballero on pulling the ball in the air, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old had a recent batting practice that featured a handful of wind-aided homers, with Cash saying afterward of the approach that Caballero is "letting it loose" and "seems to be taking to that." Caballero hit just four home runs in 104 games last season with the Mariners and has never gone deep more than nine times in any professional season. However, the Rays have been able to squeeze the most out of players with limited power before with a pull-heavy approach, most recently with Isaac Paredes. Caballero -- who is expected to be Tampa Bay's Opening Day shortstop -- could boost his draft stock if he shows a power uptick this spring.

Stefanic (quadricep) was cleared to resume baseball activities Wednesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stefanic had been resting for the previous three days after he suffered a left quad strain in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers. Given the brevity of his shutdown period, Stefanic likely won't require too much time to get ramped back up, so he could rejoin the spring lineup within the next few days.

Biggio (shoulder) has been hitting off a pitching machine regularly, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

It's not clear when Biggio might be cleared for Grapefruit League action, but the Blue Jays don't seem overly worried about his status at the moment. He's working his way back from tendinitis in his left shoulder.

Urias (shoulder) could require a stint on the injured list to begin the season, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

Urias is currently limited to light tossing from about 70 feet as he works his way back from right shoulder inflammation, suggesting that he's probably not close to being cleared to play third base in a game. Divish also writes that Urias showed up to camp "in less-than-stellar shape" following a poor showing in the Mexican Pacific Winter League. The plan has been to platoon Urias and Josh Rojas at third base, but if Urias isn't ready, Dylan Moore and/or Sam Haggerty could be used some at the hot corner. Seattle also recently signed Brian Anderson as a non-roster invitee, a move that may or may not have been directly related to Urias' situation.

Norby (side) expects to begin playing in games this weekend, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

After taking some cuts recently, Norby is now on the verge of making his Grapefruit League debut. The 23-year-old is a well-regarded prospect, though he's not seen as a realistic candidate to break camp with the big-league team. He hit .290/.359/.483 with 21 homers and 10 steals in 138 games with Triple-A Norfolk last season.

Semien went 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's spring game against Arizona.

Semien launched Eduardo Rodriguez's first pitch of the game over the wall in left center. It was the first Cactus League homer in four at-bats for Semien, who belted 29 for the Rangers in 2023. He's expected to bat leadoff once again in 2024 and has missed just one game over the last three seasons.

Norby (side) is feeling betting and will hit Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The 23-year-old has been shut down for a few days due to some soreness in his left side, but his confirms it isn't a major concern. Norby should continue to ramp up his workouts if he can avoid any setbacks.

Lopez has worked exclusively at second base early in spring training, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Lopez has worked evenly at second base and shortstop throughout his big-league career, but the White Sox are having him focus on the latter position for the time being. Van Schouwen reports that the club envisions him and Paul DeJong as the pairing in the middle infield this season, though Lopez could still lose playing time against lefties. Since a solid 2021 campaign, his performance has slipped considerably, and he posted just a .231/.236/.307 line across 262 plate appearances in 2023.

Stefanic left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers early due to a left quad strain, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The severity of Stefanic's injury is unknown, but the Angels will likely have more information following Saturday's contest. Stefanic slashed .290/.380/.355 across 71 plate appearances last season with Los Angeles and found consistent success in Triple-A as well, but his chances at making the big-league roster out of camp may take a significant hit if he's forced to miss a large portion of spring training.

Rengifo is expected to miss time due to left hamstring tightness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that Rengifo will be off his feet for the next few days, but manager Ron Washington believes the infielder will be ready for Opening Day. Rengifo's 2023 season was cut short after he sustained a torn biceps in early September. Across 126 games last year, he slashed .264/.339/.444 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI.