MLB Player News

Mendick was optioned to the White Sox's alternate training site Tuesday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Mendick seemed to have a shot to break camp as a bench infielder, but the signing of Jake Lamb may have bumped him off the roster. He'll likely be one of the first names called up when the team needs an extra infielder, but the White Sox would have to suffer a few key injuries for him to see regular playing time.

Arroyo secured a spot Tuesday on Boston's Opening Day roster, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Arroyo won the battle for the remaining reserve infield job over Michael Chavis, who was optioned to the Red Sox's alternate site Tuesday. Marwin Gonzalez will likely be first in line to enter the starting nine should a regular infielder go down with an injury, so Arroyo doesn't appear set to earn much playing time early on during the season.

The Red Sox optioned Chavis to their alternate site Tuesday.

Chavis impressed at the plate this spring with an .892 OPS, but the fact that he had two minor-league options remaining likely worked against him in his bid for the Opening Day roster. With the likes of Enrique Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez and Christian Arroyo all offering the ability to play multiple positions, Chavis' defensive versatility was also less valuable to Boston than it might have been to another club.

Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.

Lopez appeared to be the favorite to start at second base to begin camp, but he struggled during spring training and will begin the season at Triple-A Omaha as a result. The 26-year-old hit just .118 with one double, four RBI and 13 strikeouts in 16 Cactus League games. Whit Merrifield could now shift to second base to begin the year with Jarrod Dyson potentially starting in center field.

Manager Alex Cora confirmed Sunday that Hernandez would begin the season as the Red Sox's leadoff hitter, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Mainly a short-side platoon player for the Dodgers over the past six seasons, Hernandez will not only be on tap for an everyday role in his debut campaign in Boston, but he'll also be setting the table against both left- and right-handed pitching. The Boston lineup doesn't look like the top-to-bottom juggernaut it was earlier this season, but batting in front of Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers should still be fertile ground for Hernandez. The 29-year-old looks like a worthy target late in drafts for fantasy managers looking for a boost in the runs category.

Lopez could lose playing time at second base due to a poor spring as Whit Merrifield has seen the most time at second base recently, MLB.com reports. Lopez is hitting just .118 (4-for-34) this spring.

Lopez hit just .201 with a .552 OPS last season, so he'll need as strong start to the season to remain a starter. It's possible he could move to a platoon or reserve role if the Royals decide to give a prospect like Kyle Isbel playing time in right field or call up top prospect Bobby Witt early in the season.

Andrus is 5-for-14 with a double, a triple, three RBI, a walk and four runs over his last four spring starts.

Andrus' 2-for-4 day against the Dodgers on Friday pushed his spring average over the Mendoza Line to .205 and was only his second multi-hit effort in 14 Cactus League contests. The recent flashes with the bat are particularly welcome in Andrus' case, as he's being counted on as the everyday shortstop and is coming off a 2020 season in which he slashed an unsightly .194/.252/.330 with the Rangers (111 plate appearances).

Kemp is 4-for-8 with two doubles, a walk and two runs in his last three spring starts.

The versatile veteran's ability to fill in at both second base and the outfield helps his cause from a defensive standpoint, but it certainly doesn't hurt Kemp that he's picked it up at the plate in recent games after seeing his spring average dip as low as .190 at one point. Looking ahead to the regular season, the 29-year-old still projects to see time at the keystone in tandem with Jed Lowrie, who Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports has made the Opening Day roster.

Ibanez was sent to minor-league camp Saturday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Ibanez was potentially in the mix to break camp as a designated hitter following injuries to Willie Calhoun (groin) and Khris Davis (quadriceps), but he was always a long shot. He could make his big-league debut at some point this year but isn't on the 40-man roster, so he won't necessarily be one of the first names to get the call.

Espinal was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

Espinal's ability to fill in at shortstop and second base should make him one of the top candidates for a call-up should injuries strike the Blue Jays' infield, but there's no room for him on the Opening Day roster. His .267/.308/.333 slash line in his 27-game debut last year doesn't suggest he'll be all that interesting to fantasy teams should he find himself with unexpected playing time.