MLB Player News

Miranda (shoulder) withdrew Wednesday from competing for the Puerto Rican team in the World Baseball Classic, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Miranda recently experienced right shoulder soreness in Twins camp, so he'll cancel his plans to play in the upcoming WBC and focus on his rehab. The issue doesn't seem to be a huge concern -- he's taken three Grapefruit League at-bats out of the designated-hitter spot -- but now the 24-year-old can simply focus on being ready to handle third base for Minnesota once he's cleared to throw again. He posted an encouraging .751 OPS with 15 home runs and 66 RBI over his first 125 big-league games in 2022.

LeMahieu is Yankees manager Aaron Boone's preference to bat leadoff, the skipper intimated to Marly Rivera of ESPN.com on Wednesday.

LeMahieu might not even technically have a set starting spot, but he'll essentially be an everyday player if healthy and all indications are that he's past last year's toe issue. The veteran infielder has some bounce-back potential in fantasy if he is indeed placed at the top of the batting order, as he'll have tremendous runs and batting average upside.

Cabbage (forearm) has appeared in each of the Angels' first four Cactus League games, going 2-for-7 with a double and two walks.

Cabbage didn't appear in any minor-league games after mid-May of last season due to a left forearm fracture, but he was cleared for the start of spring training and appears to be making up for the lost time by getting plenty of at-bats early on during Cactus League play. Though he's seen most of his time in the minors in the corner outfield, Cabbage has been deployed exclusively as a designated hitter or first baseman so far this spring, so it's possible his left throwing shoulder isn't yet back to 100 percent. Regardless, Cabbage looks like he'll be ready to go for the start of the upcoming minor-league season, with Triple-A Salt Lake or Double-A Rocket City being his most likely destination.

Miranda has been limited to designated hitter duty early on in camp because of a sore right shoulder, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told Nick Nelson of TwinsDaily.com Tuesday.

The shoulder evidently doesn't bother Miranda at the plate but is causing some issues when throwing. It does not sound like a major concern at this point, but it's unclear when Miranda might be cleared to play the field. He's slated for third base duties in 2023 after spending most of 2022 at first base.

Urshela is expected to play a good amount of shortstop this spring, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The position is not totally foreign to Urshela, who has 43 appearances at shortstop over seven major-league seasons. Angels manager Phil Nevin noted that Urshela lost some weight over the offseason in anticipation of maybe getting more of an opportunity at short. Urshela will also serve as insurance at both corner infield spots with Jared Walsh and Anthony Rendon each coming back from major injuries.

Bregman (finger) will make his Grapefruit League debut Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Bregman fractured his left index finger during Game 6 of the World Series and has been easing into things this spring. The injury will keep him from participating in the World Baseball Classic but is not expected to affect his availability for Opening Day. Bregman posted an .820 OPS with 23 home runs in 2022.

Henderson is making his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday after overcoming some wrist soreness, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of Henderson that "he would have been able to play, no problem," as the team was just being extra cautious. Henderson is at third base and batting third Tuesday versus the Pirates in his first game of the spring.

Devers is expected to remain the No. 2 hitter in Boston's lineup, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora is adamant about separating Devers and Masataka Yoshida, a pair of lefty hitters. Since Devers, deemed as Boston's most dangerous hitter, prefers hitting second, Cora will likely leave him in that spot while slotting Yoshida in the middle of the order. Yoshida has appeared in two games this spring and slotted in at cleanup. In Devers' lone appearance, he's batted out of the two-hole.

Lewis (knee) was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday.

The 23-year-old underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in June of last year, so the move to the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise. Lewis' rehab program has reportedly gone well to this point, and he could be ready for game action by late June or early July if he continues to progress with no issues.

Garcia will get some reps at third base during spring games, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Manager Matt Quatraro said giving Garcia a look at the hot corner "doesn't hurt because you don't know what's going to happen during the year. Hopefully he forces us to bring him to the big leagues or make the team, and you can't be picky about where you play." Garcia was a solid contact hitter in limited time in the majors last season, batting .318 with two RBI, a double and a run scored over 23 plate appearances. He also slashed a combined .285/.359/.427 line over 118 games between Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas while adding 11 home runs, 39 stolen bases, 61 RBI and 104 runs scored. He may not break camp with the Royals, but Garcia profiles well to eventually take a run at the utility infield job that Nicky Lopez will likely occupy to begin the year.