MLB Player News

Ramirez feels great following offseason thumb surgery, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Ramirez recorded a respectable .766 OPS after injuring his thumb in mid-June, but his 1.039 OPS prior to the injury demonstrates what he's capable of. It will be good to see the four-time All-Star back up his words with some strong spring performances, but it looks as though there's every reason to believe he'll be fully healthy heading into the year.

Moncada said Thursday that he probably came back too soon from an early-season oblique injury last year, Vinnie Duber of AllCHGO.com reports.

Perhaps a lingering oblique injury can at least partly explain a disastrous showing from Moncada in 2022 which saw him post just a .626 OPS with 12 home runs over 104 games. The 27-year-old said he's done "everything" differently this offseason as far as his training goes, including getting more massages. Moncada added that he hasn't been dealing with the shoulder soreness he usually experiences at the beginning of spring training. Obviously, a bounceback season from Moncada would be huge for the White Sox' 2023 outlook.

Urias is expected to play more at second base during spring training, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Urias won a Gold Glove at third base last season, but the Orioles seem to be planning to use Gunnar Henderson there in 2023, with Jorge Mateo at shortstop and Adam Frazier at second. It would appear to leave Urias without a set starting spot, although he should still play plenty. Urias ended last season with a knee injury but reported to camp fully healthy.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone expects LeMahieu (toe) to be ready for the start of the 2023 season, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

LeMahieu has been spotted early in the spring taking grounders at third base, and he reportedly looks to be back at full health after missing the end of the 2022 season because of a broken right toe. The infielder notably struggled while trying to play through the injury, leading to him finishing the campaign with a .261/.337/.337 slash line over 541 plate appearances. A healthy campaign could see the 34-year-old ascend back to previous levels, but there's a good chance LeMahieu is only a one-category player at this stage of his career.

Urias (knee) announced Friday in a video posted on his personal Instagram account that he has fully healed from the sprained right knee that sidelined him for the final week of the 2022 season.

Urias acknowledged in early October that he would avoid surgery on the knee and would need about 8-to-12 weeks to make a full recovery from the injury, so it doesn't come as a major surprise that he's good to go for spring training. However, due to what he attributed to "medical insurance" purposes, Urias didn't receive clearance to play for the Mexican team in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Urias shouldn't face any limitations in Orioles camp or during the Grapefruit League slate as he looks to stake a claim to a full-time starting role in the infield heading into Opening Day.

LeMahieu (toe) was spotted taking grounders at third base during the Yankees' team workout Monday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Though only pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to the Yankees' facility in Florida at this stage of spring training, LeMahieu is already in camp and looks to be back to full health after he was sidelined with a broken right toe for New York's postseason run last fall. LeMahieu was able to avoid offseason surgery and treated the injury through rest and rehab. Before being shut down with the fractured toe, LeMahieu struggled mightily down the stretch while playing through the injury, ultimately finishing the 2022 regular season with a .261/.337/.377 slash line, 12 home runs and four stolen bases across 541 plate appearances. The 34-year-old should reclaim an everyday role in the infield to begin 2023 now that he's healed up, but he could be at risk of moving further down in the lineup after making 89 of his 116 starts in 2022 out of the leadoff spot.

Henderson told Jake Rill of MLB.com on Friday that he plans to take reps at both third base and shortstop during spring training.

Henderson played more shortstop than third base in the minors before being used more at the hot corner during his late-season stint with the Orioles. The consensus among scouts seems to be that he could handle shortstop but would be better at third base. He might play both positions during the season and also perhaps some second base, but where Henderson sees the most action could ultimately be determined by the performance of the team's alternatives, Jorge Mateo at shortstop and Ramon Urias at third base.

Rendon (wrist) is feeling "fantastic" physically, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports.

The Angels are hoping to get a little more out of their $245 million investment in Rendon next season following back-to-back injury-plagued years. It was wrist surgery that limited him to just 47 games in 2022, although he did make it back for a couple games in October. He'll turn 33 in June and hasn't had a full, healthy season since 2019 (not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign). Fantasy managers in early drafts have been taking an understandably cautious approach, as Rendon has been going outside the top-200 picks.

Duffy signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Friday.

The veteran infielder will be given an invitation to major-league spring training. It's a good landing spot for Duffy, as the Royals recently freed up some playing time in the infield when they traded Adalberto Mondesi. Duffy was solid for the Cubs in 2021 but struggled last season with the Angels, putting up a .619 OPS across 247 plate appearances.

Vosler signed a minor-league deal with the Mariners on Jan. 18.

Vosler was designated for assignment by the Giants in November, and he elected free agency after refusing an outright assignment to Triple-A Sacramento. The infielder forged a slash line of .242/.311/.433 with 18 homers in 360 at-bats with the River Cats in 2022.