Barger will see most of his playing time in right field this season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old might have bounced between right field and third base once again if the Blue Jays had headed into 2026 fully healthy, but with Anthony Santander (shoulder) set for another long absence, Barger will be needed more in the outfield. He could still wind up on the strong side of a platoon after slashing just .217/.270/.337 against left-handed pitching in 2025, but Toronto doesn't have an obvious candidate to pair him with in right field aside from the light-hitting Myles Straw. Maintaining his stamina in a full-time role will be Barger's biggest task, however -- he held a .264/.318/.512 slash line at the end of July last year, but managed just a .205/.270/.360 line the rest of the way in the regular season.

Rainer, who had his 2025 campaign come to a premature end in June after dislocating his right shoulder, is in line to be ready for the start of the 2026 minor-league season, MLB.com reports.

Rainer dislocated his shoulder diving back to first base in a June 3 game for Single-A Lakeland, and he underwent surgery shortly after that. The 20-year-old shortstop seems to be almost fully recovered, and if he stays healthy all season long, he will look to build on the positive momentum he was establishing before getting hurt. Rainer, the 11th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, posted an .835 OPS across 35 games for Lakeland in his first professional campaign, and he's one of the top prospects in Detroit's system. The youngster could make the jump to High-A West Michigan at some point this year and perhaps climb even higher.

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Wednesday that Alexander is a candidate to start at second base while Jackson Holliday (hand) is out, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles acquired Alexander via trade Feb. 5, and the next day Holliday suffered a hamate bone fracture that will result in a stint on the injured list to begin the season. Alexander slashed .230/.323/.383 with seven homers and four steals over 74 games for the Diamondbacks in 2025. Jordan Westburg (oblique) will also be in the mix for reps at second base while Holliday is shelved.

Holliday will undergo surgery Thursday for a fractured right hamate bone and will begin the season on the injured list, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

A clearer timetable should become available after the operation, but Holliday will shelved for several weeks in any case. Additionally, it's a procedure that can often result in an initial loss of power for a player upon their return. Blaze Alexander and Jordan Westburg (oblique) are candidates to handle second base while Holliday is out.

Mayer's starting position has yet to be determined, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. He played both second base and third base during his rookie season in 2025.

Mayer had been ticketed for a starting role at third base, replacing the departed Alex Bregman, but Monday's acquisition of Caleb Durbin from Milwaukee creates uncertainty. Both Mayer and Durbin have experience at the hot corner and second base in the majors, and manager Alex Cora was hesitant to make any decisions Monday. An early indicator of the infielders' eventual landing spot should come Feb. 15, when Boston's position players report to Fort Myers and where the two are stationed during spring training drills.

Lee is the favorite to start at shortstop for the Twins but must show improved range and more consistent offense, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Lee took over as the everyday shortstop last season after Carlos Correa was traded, but he struggled at the position defensively. The Twins have very little depth behind Lee at shortstop, so they have little choice but to throw him out there and hope for improvement with the glove. If Lee falters, Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia would be next in line at shortstop for Minnesota.

Shewmake was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Shewmake was booted from the 40-man roster Thursday after the Yankees claimed Osvaldo Bido off waivers. Shewmake appears destined to begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A, where he hit .243 with four home runs, 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 85 games a year ago.

Volpe (shoulder) will begin the 2026 season on the injured list and is unlikely to be ready to play "at least until May," Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Volpe underwent left labrum surgery last October and is still in the recovery phase. This isn't a new timeline for him -- Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported in early December that Volpe isn't likely to play in April -- but rather serves as a reminder for fantasy managers that the young shortstop is going to miss a substantial chunk of time early in the campaign. Jose Caballero seems to be the leading candidate to get the most starts at shortstop until Volpe is back in action.

The Red Sox claimed Cheng off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It's the fifth organization Cheng has been in this offseason, as he has been bouncing around all winter via waivers. The 24-year-old went hitless in seven plate appearances during a cup of coffee in the majors and slashed only .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization last season, but he's known for a reliable infield glove.

Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig.