MLB Player News

Walls has been sidelined at the start of spring camp with an oblique injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The infielder has not been able to participate in Grapefruit League activities while dealing with the injury. Walls is expected to serve as a backup infielder with Tampa Bay after hitting just .172.268/.285 with eight homers and 10 steals over 466 plate appearances across 142 games with the Rays in 2022. There should be further updates on Walls' status as the spring progresses.

Noel will get some time at first base, left field and right field during 2023, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Noel is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Columbus, where he received a late promotion and played four games last season. Across three levels of the minors in 2022, he hit 32 home runs. He still strikes out at a high rate -- that mark was at 27.4 percent last season, but the power remains enticing if he can improve his plate discipline. The 21-year-old is a natural first baseman, but getting more time in the corner outfield at the highest levels of the minors could open more pathways for his eventual major-league debut.

Peraza is the favorite to begin the 2023 season as the Yankees' starting shortstop, MLB Pipeline reports.

This has been the general assumption, as Peraza brings a strong glove to rival Isiah Kiner-Falefa but with more offensive potential and has been a step ahead of Anthony Volpe on the climb through the minors. Peraza hit .311/.378/.555 with 14 home runs and a 21.4 percent strikeout rate over his final 53 games at Triple-A last season, and he got on base at a .404 clip during a brief cup of coffee in the majors. However, what makes him particularly intriguing in fantasy is the fact he went 35-for-40 on stolen-base attempts and has a 90th percentile sprint speed.

Kreidler may make the Tigers' Opening Day roster in a reserve role, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The Tigers have some roster uncertainty, particularly with Nick Maton and Matt Vierling coming over in the trade for reliever Gregory Soto. Kreidler played in 26 games for Detroit last year and batted just .178, though his defensive versatility could help him carve out a utility role off the bench. The righty Kreidler could also settle into a platoon role at second or third, possibly with the left-handed-hitting Maton.

Rafaela will see most of his playing time in center field this spring, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Rafaela has experience all over the diamond and will also see some action at shortstop this spring. However, Red Sox manager Alex Cora views the top prospect's defense in center field as "plus plus" and that's where he'll be stationed more often than not. The 22-year-old was added to Boston's 40-man roster over the offseason following a breakout 2022 campaign which saw him post an .880 OPS with 21 homers and 28 steals between High-A and Double-A.

Freeman will play some outfield during spring training to gain positional versatility, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

When the Guardians are fully healthy, there doesn't appear to be an everyday spot available for Freeman. The 23-year-old will look to add more positions to his ledger, making him an option when injuries occur, though he still needs to hit well enough to grab a bench spot out of camp.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said in December that Miranda is on track to open the season as the team's primary third baseman following the offseason trade of Gio Urshela to the Angels, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Miranda saw most of his opportunities during his rookie season at first base or as a designated hitter, but he'll get the chance to return to the position where he spent most of his minor-league career now that Urshela is out West. Though Miranda didn't grade out well defensively in the corner infield in 2022, the Twins are optimistic that the decline in the field from Urshela to the 24-year-old won't be a substantial one. At the very least, Miranda should provide an overall upgrade from Urshela at the plate after overcoming a slow start to his rookie campaign to finish with an impressive .268/.325/.426 slash line over 483 plate appearances.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that he envisions Donaldson serving as the team's starting third baseman this season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Though the skipper noted that Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres will likely join Donaldson as the preferred starters at three of the infield spots, DJ LeMahieu is expected to rove between first base, second base, third base and designated hitter to maintain a near-everyday role. As a result, Donaldson could be at risk of sitting the most of the trio, given that he endured a rough 2022 campaign in which he finished with a .682 OPS and a 27.1 percent strikeout rate, his worst marks since 2012 and 2011, respectively. Donaldson still graded out well defensively at the hot corner, but his declining bat, advancing age and injury history still might make it difficult for him to match or surpass the 546 plate appearances he logged in his first season in New York.

LeMahieu (toe) confirmed Sunday that he's 100 percent for spring training and will face no limitations during camp, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

LeMahieu's comments about his own health come just a few days after Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that he expects the 34-year-old to be ready to go for the start of the regular season. Due to his veteran status, LeMahieu may not be worked into Grapefruit League games as soon as some of the other Yankees position players who are attending big-league camp, but the infielder should be able to get in the reps he needs to prepare himself for the season. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Boone said Wednesday that he envisions Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Josh Donaldson serving as the team's primary starters at first base, second base and third base, respectively, but LeMahieu is expected to retain a near-everyday role while roving between all three positions and designated hitter.

Urshela lost his arbitration case against the Angels on Saturday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Urshela will make $8.4 million this season. He may not see everyday at-bats during his first season with the Angels, but he could be the top backup at multiple infield positions.