MLB Player News

Mendick (knee) will start at second base and bat third Wednesday in the Mets' exhibition game against the Nicaraguan team, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Mendick will be making his spring debut in what marks his first competitive action since he tore the ACL in his right knee and fractured the fibula in his right leg while playing for the White Sox in a June 22, 2022 game. Before suffering the season-ending injury, Mendick was productive in a utility infield role for Chicago, slashing .289/.343/.443 across 106 plate appearances. After joining the Mets on a one-year, $1 million deal over the winter, Mendick should have a good chance of securing a spot on the Opening Day roster and potentially earning a short-side platoon role at second or third base.

Wisely is gaining attention for his work in Giants camp, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Wisely was already set to get a look as a left-handed utility bat, and it appears he's been even better than initially expected. He's gone 3-for-10 with two home runs across four Cactus League games so far. He'll need to keep it up during spring games, but Wisely appears to have an edge over Isan Diaz for a bench role.

Peguero was reassigned Tuesday to the minor-league side of Pirates camp.

Peguero was called up for his MLB debut last June but appeared in only one game with Pittsburgh. The 22-year-old infielder slashed .259/.305/.387 with 10 home runs and 28 stolen bases in 121 games last summer at Double-A.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Vargas (finger) is expected to resume swinging the bat in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Though Vargas hasn't been cleared to hit in games since Feb. 20 due to a right pinkie finger fracture, the injury hasn't hindered him in the field. He's still been making regular starts at second base during the Cactus League slate, and despite doing little more than standing in at the dish during his plate appearances, Vargas has managed to draw four walks. He'll start at the keystone again Monday against the Padres and won't take swings, but look for Vargas to become more aggressive at the plate beginning with Wednesday's contest.

Jones (elbow) has appeared in five of the Dodgers' Cactus League games to date, going 0-for-8 with a walk and a run scored.

Jones has seen reps at second base in all five of his appearances, so he looks to have made a full recovery from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in late May of last season. The 25-year-old was once a prospect of some repute when he was coming up through the Angels' system, but injuries and poor performance during his time in the majors in 2021 and at the Triple-A level prompted the Orioles to release him last June. Jones joined the Dodgers on a minor-league pact last August and will likely open the upcoming campaign at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Fermin is dealing with a quadriceps strain and is expected to miss some extended time, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Big-league manager Oli Marmol said Monday that Fermin is likely out multiple weeks as he nurses his injured quad. The 23-year-old was dealt from the Guardians to the Cardinals in November and had gone 1-for-8 with a double and a run scored this spring prior to getting injured. Overall, Fermin is not expected to be a large part of the team's game plan in 2023 and will likely start the year with Triple-A Memphis , though he could earn a call-up at some point this summer.

Bae is in a competition with Tucupita Marcano and Rodolfo Castro to begin the 2023 season as Pittsburgh's starting second baseman, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Bae is among the Pirates' better prospects, and he made his big-league debut across the last two weeks of the 2022 season. He was impressive in that span by posting a .333/.405/.424 line with three stolen bases across 37 plate appearances, though Castro had a strong second half of the campaign as well. Bae hasn't hit particularly well at the start of spring training, as he has only one hit in nine at-bats while striking out four times.

Vargas (finger) will not take swings in Saturday's exhibition game, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Vargas has already started several games and not taken a swing while in the batter's box, and that will be the case again Saturday. There was hope that he would be cleared to hit in a game at some point this weekend, but manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that he will not do so until Wednesday at the earliest.

Garcia went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

His first homer of the spring wasn't a cheap one -- Garcia turned on a Max Scherzer fastball up in the zone in the third inning and drove it over the right-field wall. Garcia is coming off a mediocre season in the majors, but he's still only 22 years old and slashed .308/.366/.519 in 45 games for Triple-A Rochester in 2022. He could be poised for a big step forward this year.

Albies (shoulder) will start at second base and bat fifth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Albies spent the first week or so of camp serving as the designated hitter following a clean-up procedure on his right shoulder in October. He's now ready to test the shoulder in the field and should be in the clear for Opening Day, barring a setback. Between a fractured foot and a broken pinky finger, Albies was limited to just 64 games and three stolen bases last season. He said he plans to do more running with the new rules in place for 2023.