MLB Player News

Urshela signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Tigers on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Urshela slashed .299/.329/.374 with 24 RBI in 228 plate appearances with the Angels last year before a fractured pelvis put an early end to his season in June. Now fully recovered from his injury, the 32-year-old infielder will join his fourth team in as many years. Though he primarily serves as a third baseman, Urshela has experience at all four infield positions, and he gives Detroit a bat capable of finding success versus left-handed pitchers (.790 OPS since 2021).

Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that Rendon (lower leg) will be the team's cleanup hitter this season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

That's for days he's not on the injured list, of course. Rendon has played just 200 of a possible 546 games in four seasons with the Angels due to a variety of injuries but doesn't appear to be under any restrictions this spring. It's possible the Angels elect to use him often at designated hitter in 2024 in hopes that it will help keep him on the field.

Henderson (oblique) said Thursday that he is progressing well in his recovery from an oblique injury, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Henderson has been able to increase his hitting and fielding workload in recent days as he builds up slowly after suffering what the Orioles are calling an "aggravation" of his left oblique. The 22-year-old expects to only miss a week or so of Grapefruit League games. A unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year last season, Henderson will remain highly sought after in drafts despite the injury.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has talked to Ramirez about being used at both the second and third spots in the lineup at times this season, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Ramirez has typically been the three-hole hitter for Cleveland, although he did bat second down the stretch last season. Andres Gimenez would seem to be the most likely candidate to hit second on days when Ramirez is batting third, while Josh Naylor should regularly follow Ramirez in the batting order.

Kreidler is one of several players who figure to compete for Detroit's final bench spot this spring along with Keston Hiura, Eddys Leonard and others, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Hiura joined the team on Friday via a non-roster invite to camp, while Leonard has yet to appear in the majors, so Kreidler may have the inside track after appearing in 37 games for the Tigers over the past two seasons. However, he's a career .165 hitter, so if the team can get more offense from someone else, Kreidler may be squeezed off the roster. He's not on the fantasy radar at this point given his lack of production and likely small role.

Jung was diagnosed with a strained left calf Saturday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung reported discomfort in his calf while fielding grounders Friday, and he is now set to miss at least two or three weeks before the team re-evaluates him. At that point, a better picture regarding Jung's status for Opening Day should be available.

Mayo will get most of his reps in big-league camp at third base, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Mayo will also see time at first base and could work out in right field as well. The Orioles believe third base gives Mayo the quickest path to the majors, especially with Gunnar Henderson (oblique) limited to start the spring. That said, Mayo could require a little more time at Triple-A Norfolk before contending for a major-league spot. He slashed .267/.393/.512 with Norfolk over 62 contests after a midseason promotion in 2023.

Jung felt discomfort in his left calf while fielding groundballs Friday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Jung will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. Corey Seager is already a question mark for Opening Day following sports hernia surgery, so the left side of the Rangers' infield could be further depleted. Jung finished fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 after slashing .266/.315/.467 with 23 home runs over 122 games.

Escobar signed a contract with the Blue Jays on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Escobar suffered through a miserable 2023 season, during which he posted a .267 wOBA and 66 wRC+ across 309 plate appearances split between the Mets and Angels. At 35 years old, he's not likely to see a major rebound in his results, but he could earn consistent at-bats at third base to begin the campaign.

Henderson's Grapefruit League debut will be delayed after he was diagnosed with a strained oblique, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

As things stand right now, the Orioles do not believe Henderson's availability for Opening Day is in jeopardy. That assumes he progresses from here on out without issue, of course. The reigning American League Rookie of the Year posted an .814 OPS with 28 home runs and 10 stolen bases over 150 contests for Baltimore last season.