MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday that Henderson (intercostal) is "running out of time" to be ready for Opening Day, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The skipper added that he remains "hopeful" Henderson can be available March 27 in Toronto, but the shortstop will have to play in some games before being cleared for Opening Day and he's running out of chances to do that. It truly seems like a coin flip at this point as to whether Henderson avoided the injured list. If Henderson does need time on the IL, the Orioles would shift Jackson Holliday to shortstop temporarily and install Ramon Urias or Jordan Westburg at second base, with the other occupying third base.

Lee was scratched from the lineup ahead of Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Boston due to lower-back tightness, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Lee has been given the day-to-day label by the team, so there's no reason to believe his injury is anything serious. He'll take a day to recover Thursday; meanwhile, Jose Miranda will pick up some extra reps at the hot corner before the start of the season.

Mayer started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a triple and a run scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

Mayer, Boston's shortstop of the future, made his first Grapefruit League start at second base. Until Wednesday, he'd started at shortstop and third base this spring. This move is notable, because Red Sox manager Alex Cora hasn't named a starter at second base yet. One candidate, Vaughn Grissom, was removed from the calculus after he was assigned to minor-league camp Wednesday. It may be unlikely that Mayer, who has yet to take an at-bat at the Triple-A level, wins the job, but the manager insisted to Ian Browne of MLB.com that "everybody has a shot."

Dezenzo (jaw) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

After being struck in the face by a groundball Tuesday, Dezenzo was diagnosed with a TMJ sprain. However, he was cleared of a concussion and will be able to make a quick turnaround, continuing his bid for a roster spot. The 24-year-old is having a great spring, batting .378 with three doubles, two homers and six RBI across 15 exhibition games.

Seager went 5-for-13 (.385) with six runs, two doubles, a home run, seven RBI and a 5:1 BB:K over his last six spring games.

Seager owned a .520 spring OPS at the end of play March 12, but thanks to his hot streak he raised that mark more than 300 points over the last week. Injuries remain a long-term concern for Seager, but he appears healthy and ready to go with the regular season just over a week away.

Atlanta returned Cairo to the Guardians on Wednesday.

Atlanta selected Cairo in the Rule 5 Draft in December, but the 23-year-old infielder failed to make the big-league roster after slashing .179/.294/.250 during spring training. He'll be stripped of a 40-man roster spot upon returning to his original organization and will likely report to Triple-A Columbus for the start of the new season.

The Red Sox optioned Grissom to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Grissom had seemingly fallen to third in line behind Kristian Campbell and David Hamilton in the second base competition, so it's not a surprise he's being cut from big-league camp. The 24-year-old has batted just .176 with a .535 OPS in 13 contests this spring.

The Rays reassigned Simpson to minor-league camp Wednesday.

The most prolific base stealer in the minors in 2024 with 104 thefts in 121 attempts over 110 games between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery, Simpson made waves early in Grapefruit League play by going 4-for-6 with a pair of steals and runs through his first three games. He's faded badly since then, however, going 2-for-19 over his subsequent eight contests to effectively end his longshot odds of breaking camp with the Rays. Simpson's elite wheels will make him worth keeping an eye on in dynasty leagues, but his subpar defense and dearth of power could make it difficult for him to emerge as an everyday player in the majors.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday that Dezenzo (jaw) is expected to return to Grapefruit League action Thursday versus the Marlins, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Dezenzo suffered a TMJ sprain on the left side of his jaw after getting hit in the head by a groundball Tuesday. He will undergo concussion testing just to be safe, but the expectation is that he will be fine. Dezenzo is competing for a reserve role with Houston.

Brito started at second base and went 2-for-4 with with a solo home run in Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers.

Four of Brito's six Cactus League hits have left the park, giving him a lopsided spring line of .176/.222/.529 through 13 games. He's one of a host of players competing for the open job at second base. Brito's defense and speed are mediocre, which means his power will need to carry him past those shortcomings.