MLB Player News

According to Angels' manager Ron Washington, Neto (shoulder) isn't ready for game action and has "no date" for his return, per MLB.com.

Neto hasn't necessarily had a setback -- it's long been expected that he'd open the season on the injured list -- but fantasy managers who are stashing the talented young shortstop will need to wait a bit longer to learn of a clear timeline for his return. It remains in play for Neto to return to big-league action at some point in April, especially since he was recently described as being "ahead of schedule" in his rehab from last November's right shoulder surgery, though Washington added that the 24-year-old will see some work in minor-league rehab games before making his season debut for the Angels. While Neto remains out, Kevin Newman, Tim Anderson, Nicky Lopez and Kyren Paris could all log time at shortstop for the Halos.

The Twins placed Lee (back) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a lumbar strain.

Lee's back began to tighten up on him toward the very end of spring training, and he won't be able to make it back for Opening Day. Reps at third base will likely be handed down to Jose Miranda and Willi Castro while Lee and Royce Lewis (hamstring) are out, but Lee should be able to take over at the hot corner once he returns.

The Yankees reassigned Velazquez to minor-league camp Saturday.

Velazquez didn't see MLB action in 2024, but he stuck around in big-league camp longer than anticipated and logged 44 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League as he competed for a reserve gig. Ultimately, the Yankees elected to carry fellow non-roster invitee Pablo Reyes on the Opening Day roster as a utility player. Velazquez is expected to report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and will likely spend the bulk of the season in the International League.

Seager (calf) took live batting practice Wednesday and is expected to be ready for Thursday's opener versus the Red Sox, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Seager was held out of the Rangers' final three exhibition contests because of a sore calf, but he doesn't seem to be in any danger of missing Opening Day. The shortstop has reached the 30-homer mark in all three regular seasons with Texas.

Mateo (elbow) will not be on the Orioles' Opening Day roster, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles had left open the possibility that Mateo could be ready even though he wasn't cleared for Grapefruit League games until mid-March, but the 29-year-old needs a little more time. Livan Soto is expected to fill a utility role while Mateo is out.

The White Sox claimed Jones off waivers from the Rockies on Wednesday and optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte.

Jones will join the third organization of his career after he was initially drafted by the Rays in 2019 before being dealt to the Rockies last March. He appeared in six games in the majors with Colorado in 2024 but otherwise spent the entire season at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he produced a .269/.346/.460 batting line to go with 16 home runs and 46 stolen bases over 406 plate appearances. Though he'll report to the minors to begin the upcoming season, Jones should be in the mix for playing time in Chicago at some point in 2025, given the lack of established talent on the big-league roster.

Williams will begin the season at Triple-A Durham, MLB.com reports.

Williams, 21, slashed .256/.353/.469 with 20 home runs and 33 stolen bases at Double-A Montgomery in 2024 and will move up to Durham to start this season. The shortstop has a chance to debut in 2025 if things go well in the International League.

Bliss has won Seattle's starting job at second base, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Dylan Moore (illness) and Leo Rivas, the latter of whom was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, were also competing for the gig this spring, but Bliss put together the most impressive camp. The 25-year-old will be part of the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career after hitting .308 with two RBI, two stolen bases and a .787 OPS in 40 Cactus League plate appearances. Although Bliss has earned a starting position to open the season, his fantasy upside will likely remain limited he is hitting in the lower part of the lineup and also playing at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park for home games.

Paris will be on the Angels' Opening Day roster, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Paris is a career .110 hitter through 91 MLB at-bats, but he looked like a completely different player in the Cactus League, finishing spring training with a .400/.449/.667 slash line with 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and four stolen bases in 23 games. His phenomenal spring may have bought him another shot with the big-league club, but he doesn't project to start the season as anything more than bench depth.

The Angels selected Anderson's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

Though he only slashed .263/.311/.333 with three RBI and four runs scored across 61 Cactus League plate appearances, Anderson will end up with a spot on the Angels' Opening Day roster. He narrowly outperformed Kevin Newman (.216/.326/.243) this spring, though it's still unclear which player will get the starting nod at shortstop while Zach Neto recovers from a shoulder injury. The signing of Nicky Lopez on Tuesday further complicates the situation. Anderson also saw exposure to second base and the outfield in spring training, so he could be a candidate to fill a utility role.