MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Mayo is expected to be fine after being lifted from Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Red Sox after being hit on the right hand by a pitch, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The team will re-evaluate Mayo's hand Tuesday just to be safe, but it doesn't sound like he will miss much, if any, time. Mayo is likely to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Norfolk.

Mayo was removed from Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Red Sox in the sixth inning after being hit on the right hand/wrist by a pitch, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mayo was struck by a 96 mile-per-hour sinker. The Orioles will likely send him in for testing and should offer an update on Mayo's condition once the results are in.

The White Sox reassigned Lipcius to minor-league camp Monday.

Lipcius was one of 11 players cut Monday as the White Sox reduced their group at big-league camp to 42 players. The 26-year-old infielder previously played in 13 games in the majors with the Tigers in 2023 and posted an .809 OPS over 636 plate appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City in the Dodgers organization in 2024, but he went just 3-for-22 in Cactus League play this spring to take him out of contention for an Opening Day roster spot with Chicago.

The Twins announced Monday that Lewis has been ruled out for Opening Day after an MRI confirmed that he sustained a moderate left hamstring strain during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Minnesota has yet to establish a firm timeline for Lewis' return, but since moderate hamstring strains typically entail a multi-week recovery, the 25-year-old third baseman is a safe bet to begin the season on the injured list. On a positive note, Lewis told Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune that the soft-tissue injury is "not even close" to being as severe as the quadricep injury he sustained Opening Day of last season, which resulted in him being sidelined for just over two months. Brooks Lee drew the start at third base in Monday's spring game against the Pirates and appears to be leading candidate to serve as the primary option at the hot corner until Lewis is ready to make his 2025 debut.

Moncada (thumb) fielded grounders Monday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Moncada did not hit or throw, as he's not ready for that yet since it's his right thumb that's bothering him. It's not yet clear when he'll be ready for full baseball activities and games, but Moncada still hopes to be ready to go on Opening Day. If Moncada needs time on the injured list, the Angels would likely use Luis Rengifo at third base, with Tim Anderson entering the lineup at second base.

Baty may begin the season platooning at second base with Luisangel Acuna, Tim Britton of the Athletic reports.

With Jeff McNeil (oblique) sidelined to begin the year, the decision to keep youngsters Baty and Acuna on the Opening Day roster gets easier, as regular playing time could be available for both. Baty would handle the strong side of any platoon at the keystone, and he could be taking a lot of momentum into the regular season -- through 14 Grapefruit League appearances, he's batting .343 (12-for-35) with three doubles, two homers and a 4:5 BB:K.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that LeMahieu has resumed hitting and is "moving the needle" in his progress from a left calf strain, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

LeMahieu is a little more than two weeks removed from suffering the injury and has begun the process of easing back into baseball activities. He doesn't appear to be particularly close to being ready for game action, however, so LeMahieu remains without a clear timeline for making his 2025 debut. Oswaldo Cabrera is expected to open the season as the Yankees' primary third baseman.

Bride went 2-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and two additional runs scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 29-year-old took Sonny Gray deep in the third inning for his first long ball of the spring. Bride hasn't made much of a splash in camp, batting .182 (6-for-33) through 12 appearances, but his seven walks against only four strikeouts indicate he's been seeing the ball well. He should see regular at-bats this season while splitting time between first base and DH as he looks to build on last year's big second half.

Smith has a "good" chance of making the Astros' Opening Day roster, Will Kunkel of FOX26 Houston reports.

Smith has just 32 games' worth of experience in the minors, but he seems to be forcing the team's hand after coming over from the Cubs this winter in the Kyle Tucker trade. The 22-year-old hit his third home run of the spring Sunday, an opposite-field shot against established big leaguer Tylor Megill, and Smith also made an impressive diving catch in right field, which looks like his most likely position in the majors. The expectation is that if Smith does indeed make the roster, he will play close to every day for Houston.

McKinstry is expected to open the season in the long side of a platoon at third base with Andy Ibanez, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The Tigers optioned Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo on Monday, a transaction which cinches a McKinstry/Ibanez platoon at the hot corner while Matt Vierling (shoulder) is out. McKinstry slashed only .215/.277/.337 with four homers across 118 regular-season contests for the Tigers last season. He did steal 16 bases without being caught, and that, along with his multi-position eligibility, gives McKinstry some utility in very deep leagues.