MLB Player News

Andrus started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against the Rangers.

With Geraldo Perdomo (knee) still day-to-day, Andrus was given the starting nod Saturday. Perdomo's been out since Tuesday, but manager Torey Lovullo does not feel the injury will impact his availability for Opening Day. Given that, the Diamondbacks are trying to settle on a backup at shortstop, and the non-rostered Andrus has the most experience at the position. Arizona is also giving the currently rostered Jace Peterson and Emmanuel Rivera innings there, and the club may want prospects Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawlar to get regular at-bats in the minors. This was Andrus' third Cactus League appearance and second at short -- he's also played third base.

Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City by the Dodgers on Saturday, J.P. Hoornstra of DodgersNation.com reports.

Vargas traveled with the Dodgers to South Korea for their upcoming series versus the Padres, but he will not be on the active roster. The 24-year-old has been working out in left field this spring and figures to continue playing the outfield while at OKC.

McNeil (biceps) will make his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday against the Cardinals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McNeil has yet to make his spring training debut while dealing with discomfort in his left biceps. The Mets will have the second baseman play five innings in a minor-league game Sunday, and he will be in the lineup Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, McNeill should be good to go for Opening Day. He slashed .270/.333/.378 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI over 648 plate appearances in 2023.

Garcia went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The second baseman slapped an Adrian Houser offering the other way in the first inning and watched it carry over the fence in the left-field corner. Garcia has picked up the pace at the plate after a slow start to his spring, and over the last eight games he's batting .370 (10-for-27) with three doubles and two homers. Still only 23 years old, the Nationals are hoping he can take a step forward as a hitter in 2024 despite an unimpressive .265/.295/.395 slash line through his first four MLB seasons.

McNeil (bicep) is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut either in one of the Mets' split-squad games Sunday or in Tuesday's game versus the Cardinals, Anthony Rieber of Newsday reports.

Per Tim Britton of The Athletic, McNeil is slated to play defense only Thursday in a minor-league contest on the backfields of camp, then he'll advance to facing high-velocity pitching in a batting-practice session Friday. McNeil will take off Saturday, but if his left bicep is feeling fine after his workouts Thursday and Friday, he could get the green light to play Sunday versus the Nationals or Marlins. Despite his delayed start to spring training, McNeil is still expected to be ready to handle an everyday role at second base by the time Opening Day arrives.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Thursday that Edman will open the season on the 10-day injured list after being shut down again due to lingering pain in his surgically repaired right wrist, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Edman will still be able to do some defensive drills and throwing, but he'll be shut down from swinging a bat for a least one week while the Cardinals wait for him to knock out all of the discomfort in the wrist. Though Marmol confirmed the 28-year-old will be headed to the IL, a clear timeline for Edman to make his season debut hasn't been made available. Dylan Carlson still seems to be the favorite to open the season as the primary center fielder for St. Louis, but prospect Victor Scott is breathing down his neck.

Bote went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Guardians, giving him four long balls this spring.

Bote has exploded for four home runs in 16 games this spring, which is as many as he hit back in 2022 across 41 games for the Cubs. The veteran utility player spent all of last season in the minors, and despite the strong spring, he'll likely serve as organizational depth again in 2024 with Chicago adding more infield depth in recent years.

The Reds reassigned Mathias on Wednesday.

Mathias had been vying for a utility gig on the Reds' Opening Day roster but didn't make a hard charge for a spot, as he went 0-for-5 in Cactus League play before being sent to minor-league camp in the latest round of cuts. If Mathias sticks around in the organization through the start of the minor-league season, he'll report to Triple-A Louisville.

Lux (illness) will start at second base and bat eighth in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Lux was away from camp Tuesday while he battled an illness, but he presumably made a full recovery from the ailment overnight. He'll return to the lineup at the keystone, the position he's expected to occupy this season after defensive concerns prompted the Dodgers to move him off of shortstop earlier in spring training.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Bae (hip) is currently limited to playing catch and taking part in advanced workouts in the weight room, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Bae -- who is working his way back from a left hip flexor injury -- will be re-evaluated later this week to see if he can up his activities. At this stage of spring training, Bae's availability for Opening Day is very much in question, but more on his status should be known by the end of the week.