MLB Player News

Ortiz (concussion) was optioned into minor-league camp Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Ortiz reached Triple-A for the first time last season and slashed an impressive .320/.383/.534 over 115 plate appearances. He will almost certainly return to Triple-A Norfolk to begin the year, and he could be in line for a major-league debut if he continues to post similar numbers to last season.

Diaz (hamstring) was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento by the Giants on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Diaz came down with a bit of hamstring tightness earlier this week, but he was already on the outside looking in for an Opening Day roster spot in San Francisco. The 26-year-old will serve as organizational infield depth for the Giants in 2023.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Tuesday that Mathias is in consideration for starts at second base, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Mathias was just acquired from the Rangers last Wednesday for a player to be named later and has already made a strong impression during his short time in Pirates camp. Shelton noted that the second base competition is wide open at the moment and also suggested that Mathias could be an option in the corner outfield. The 28-year-old put up an .825 OPS in 91 major-league plate appearances last season between Milwaukee and Texas.

Clement signed a minor-league contract Tuesday with the Blue Jays which includes an invitation to major-league spring training.

Clement struggled to attract interest all winter after batting just .184/.243/.209 over 179 major-league plate appearances last season between the Guardians and Athletics. The soon-to-be 27-year-old will function as organizational infield depth for Toronto heading into the 2023 campaign. He has also played some corner outfield.

Ibanez (hand) has returned to Tigers camp rather than travel with Team Cuba to Tokyo for the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Ibanez had been hoping to play for Team Cuba again but instead will receive further evaluation and treatment from the Tigers' training staff. He's working his way back from a sprained left ring finger.

The Marlins optioned Edwards to Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Edwards is coming off a disappointing season in his first taste of Triple-A ball but does maintain some fantasy upside because of his wheels. The 23-year-old was acquired from the Rays via trade back in November.

Jones was reassigned Monday to minor-league camp by the Dodgers.

Jones was trying to win a spot on the Dodgers' bench this spring, but a .067/.125/.067 slash in 16 Cactus League plate appearances doomed him to the minors. The former Angels and Orioles prospect will all but assuredly open the 2023 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Vivas was optioned Monday to minor-league camp by the Dodgers.

Vivas needed to be optioned rather than reassigned since he was added to the 40-man roster in November. The 22-year-old infielder spend the 2022 season with High-A Great Lakes while registering a .775 OPS with 10 homers and two stolen bases. He'll likely report to Double-A Tulsa to begin 2023.

Diaz was lifted from Monday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to slight hamstring tightness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's not clear exactly how Diaz sustained the injury, but it appears to be a relatively minor issue. Still, anything involving the hamstring could take multiple days to get over, so expect the Giants to proceed cautiously. Diaz is competing for a reserve infielder job, and any prolonged absence will hinder his chances of making the Opening Day roster.

Villar was diagnosed Monday with a mild left hip flexor strain, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Villar had to be scratched from the Giants' lineup over the weekend with the injury and an MRI has provided a more specific diagnosis. He will be re-evaluated daily and, thus, can be considered day-to-day.