MLB Player News

Muncy will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

Muncy didn't make any appearances after Aug. 22 last season due to an unspecified injury, but he looks to be back to full health for spring training. The 22-year-old shortstop prospect has gone hitless with one walk over five plate appearances through his first three Cactus League games. Muncy is expected to open the upcoming season at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Manager A.J. Hinch said that Baez (hip) will make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Blue Jays as the Tigers' designated hitter, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The hope is that he'll be ready to play the field next week. Baez underwent a right hip labral repair last September and has been a bit behind schedule early on in camp, but he is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day. The veteran infielder is likely in store for a reduced role this season with Trey Sweeney expected to serve as the Tigers' primary shortstop.

Holliday has been working on his footwork at second base with Orioles guest coach Brian Roberts, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Roberts and Holliday are both former shortstops who have made the move to second base, and the 21-year-old is still getting a handle on some of the intricacies of his footwork on the other side of the second-base bag. Holliday has referred to Roberts' tutelage as "very helpful," with his new setup helping the accuracy and quickness of his throws. Roberts has also helped Holliday with his baserunning as the young infielder looks to steal more bases in 2025. Holliday is the heavy favorite to open the season as the Orioles' primary second baseman.

Barger (hand) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

A hit-by-pitch Sunday prompted X-rays, which were negative. Barger is now ready to return to action and continue his bid for a spot on the Opening Day roster as a utility man. He split his time on the major-league roster last season between third base (36 games), right field (27 games) and left field (10 appearances).

Witt said early in spring training that it was an offseason focus to get more efficient with his base stealing, and he remarked that he "shouldn't be getting thrown out the way [he was]" since he's one of the fastest players in MLB, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old finished second in AL MVP voting last year after he posted a .332/.389/.588 slash line with 32 homers, 31 steals, 109 RBI and 125 runs in 161 regular-season games, with the only real knock against him being that he was caught stealing 12 times. Witt also led the majors by being caught stealing 15 times in 2023, but that was accompanied by 49 successful thefts. The shortstop is already one of the top fantasy producers in the sport, and improving efficiency on the basepaths would only further boost his value.

Young (arm) will be available off the bench for Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Athletics, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

According to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Young had been limited in some workouts in the first couple weeks of spring training due to a sore right arm, but he's already appeared in three Cactus League contests, going 2-for-6 with a run scored. He's yet to serve as anything more than a designated hitter in those games, but his ability to play suggests that he's not in any real danger of missing the start of the minor-league season.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that Walcott will be held out of workouts Wednesday and Thursday due to "a little soreness in the arm," Shawn McDonald of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Bochy indicated that the injury isn't serious and the team is just being cautious with its top prospect. Walcott, who doesn't turn 19 in March, is in camp as a non-roster invitee and is projected to begin the 2025 campaign at Double-A Frisco.

Rivas turned his left ankle during infield drills Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Rivas injured his ankle while stepping on second base and had to limp off the practice field. The Mariners are optimistic that he'll need only a few days of rest before returning to workouts. Rivas is competing this spring for a reserve infielder job.

Jaworsky (undisclosed) is listed as an available bench option Wednesday for the Astros' Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 20-year-old Jaworsky made his spring debut last Friday against the Mets, recording a sacrifice fly in his lone plate appearance in addition to seeing some time at second base. He isn't a serious threat to make the Astros' Opening Day roster, but his involvement in big-league camp is an indication that he's healthy again after he finished the 2024 season on Single-A Fayetteville's 60-day injured list due to an unspecified issue.

Smith started at first base and went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's spring game against Kansas City.

This was Smith's third Cactus League game, and he made starts at third base and center field prior to Tuesday's deployment. For the last two seasons, he's been needed as the primary fill-in for injured starters at shortstop and third base, but the Rangers are preparing him for a more diversified role in 2025. He's always carried multiple gloves with him, so moving around the diamond is nothing new. In more of a utility role, Smith may not receive the nearly 600 plate appearances he had last season.