MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that LeMahieu (foot) is a "longshot" to be ready for Opening Day, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

LeMahieu has been taking part in some casual baseball activities, but it appears he may be opening the season on the injured list, If that's the case, Oswaldo Cabrera is the likely starter at the hot corner Opening Day in Houston.

Duffy opted out of his minor-league contract with the Rangers on Sunday and is set to become a free agent, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Duffy's decision to opt out of his deal with the Rangers is likely an indication that the team informed him he wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. The 33-year-old posted a .696 OPS over 17 Cactus League games this spring after slashing .251/.306/.325 across 206 plate appearances at the big-league level with the Royals in 2023. Duffy saw action at all four infield spots last season, so he could have some appeal to a club looking for an experienced utility player to its roster ahead of Opening Day.

The Diamondbacks reassigned Newman to minor-league camp Sunday.

After joining Arizona in January on a minor-league deal that included an invitation to big-league spring training, Newman posted an underwhelming .599 OPS over 20 games in Cactus League play to take himself out of consideration for a utility role. Unless he opts out of his minor-league deal and pursues opportunities with another organization, Newman is set to begin the season at Triple-A Reno.

Baty was informed Sunday he has made the Mets' Opening Day roster, and he could begin the season as the club's everyday third baseman since Mark Vientos was optioned, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

A platoon at third base with Baty and Vientos seemed plausible after New York signed veteran slugger J.D. Martinez on Thursday, but Vientos will instead begin the campaign at Triple-A Syracuse. Baty posted a .212/.275/.323 slash line and 28.2 percent strikeout rate in 108 games last season, so he likely won't have a ton of job security if he continues to struggle in 2024.

Jung started at third base and went 1-for-2 in Saturday's spring game against Colorado.

Jung made his spring debut after straining his calf during infield drills in February. He participated in baseball activities recently, including a stint as a DH in a minor-league game, and the Rangers were optimistic about Jung being able to compete in a Cactus League game. He played three innings in the field before being replaced by Matt Duffy. Following an off day Sunday, Jung is expected to play both exhibition games against the Red Sox on Monday and Tuesday, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.

Candelario started at third base and went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's spring game against the Rockies.

Candelario, who launched his first spring home run, took awhile to get the bat going, but he now appears locked in. After going 2-for-25 (.080) over his first 10 Cactus League games, Candelario is 6-for-15 with three extra-base hits in his last four appearances. At the time he signed as a free agent, the 30-year-old corner infielder was expected to bounce between first and third base (with occasional starts at DH), but the 80-game suspension handed out to Noelvi Marte means Candelario will primarily handle the hot corner for the first three months of the season.

De Los Santos cleared waivers Saturday and was returned to the Diamondbacks, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

De Los Santos was selected by the Guardians during the Rule 5 Draft in December, but he wasn't able to make the team's 26-man Opening Day roster. He'll now return to the Diamondbacks organization, losing his 40-man roster spot in the process. The 20-year-old infielder spent all of last season at Double-A Amarillo, slashing .254/.297/.431 across 481 plate appearances, but he could receive a bump to Triple-A Reno to begin 2024. The Guardians also experimented with giving De Los Santos reps in the corner outfield positions, but it's unclear whether that experiment will continue as he returns to Arizona.

De Los Santos is not listed on the Guardians' Opening Day roster, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The Guardians attempted to add left and right field to De Los Santos' defensive skill set this spring in an effort to make him easier to carry on the 26-man roster, but he will fail to make the cut after posting a .545 OPS across 44 spring plate appearances. The Guardians acquired De Los Santos via the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, so the 20-year-old prospect will now be offered back to the Diamondbacks and likely head to Double-A or Triple-A to begin the year.

Jung (calf) is starting at third base in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Royals.

Jung hasn't played in a Cactus League game this spring after straining his left calf during fielding drills in February. He was able to serve as the designated hitter in a minor-league game Monday, and the Rangers seem to be comfortable testing his calf in the field Saturday. Assuming Jung avoids any setbacks and doesn't aggravate his calf during the game, he should be set to start at the hot corner on Opening Day.

Triolo is expected to be Pittsburgh's regular second baseman after Liover Peguero was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Triolo was initially projected for a utility role this season, but he's maintained a .436 wOBA across 39 plate appearances this spring. His underlying 30.8 percent strikeout rate and .500 BABIP make it clear that Triolo won't enjoy the same success over a larger sample, but he did enough to beat out Peguero for the second base job to begin the regular season.