MLB Player News

Soto was claimed off waivers by the Angels on Sunday.

The 23-year-old was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Friday and will now return to the Angels, who also designated him for assignment in early February. Soto is now back on the Halos' 40-man roster and will provide middle-infield depth.

Leonard is one of several players who figure to compete for Detroit's final bench spot this spring along with new acquisition Keston Hiura, Ryan Kreidler and others, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Leonard has yet to make his MLB debut, while Kreidler played with the Tigers some last season and Hiura has appeared in 284 games at the MLB level, so Leonard may be third in the pecking order to begin the regular season. However, he has some defensive versatility and posted a .904 OPS in 40 contests with Triple-A Toledo last season, so the youngster could be on the verge of cracking the big-league roster soon. Leonard's cause would be boosted if Kreidler and Hiura struggle at the plate in camp or early in the regular season.

Smith is expected to be the primary fill-in at shortstop this spring while Corey Seager (groin) is sidelined, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Smith and Ezequiel Duran were expected to get a ton of reps at shortstop, but third baseman Josh Jung's calf injury means Duran will cover the hot corner the next two-to-three weeks at least. Both Seager and Jung are expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Duran will fill in at third base for Josh Jung (calf) who is expected to miss multiple weeks, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers said Jung will miss a minimum of two-to-three weeks, and they will evaluate him during that time period, although the team expects him to be ready by Opening Day. In the meantime, Duran, who was already expected to get reps at shortstop due to Corey Seager's groin injury, will slide to the hot corner for the start of the Cactus League. That means there will be a lot of Duran and Josh Smith on the left side of the infield this spring, but both Jung and Seager are expected to be ready to go for the regular season.

Soto was designated for assignment by Baltimore on Friday.

Soto was claimed off waivers from the Angels last week but didn't stick on the Orioles' 40-man roster for long. The 23-year-old appeared in four big-league games last season and had a .700 OPS over 477 plate appearances at Triple-A.

The Orioles claimed Castillo off waivers from the Phillies on Friday.

It marks the fifth organization Castillo has been in just this offseason, as he continues to bounce around via waivers. The 26-year-old utility player does have an option year remaining and seems likely to begin the year at Triple-A Norfolk, assuming he's still in the organization by Opening Day.

Baez revealed Friday that he's dealt with nagging back and core issues over the last two seasons, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Baez altered his offseason training routine in order to strengthen those areas and said he's now feeling much better. Perhaps the injury problems can partly explain Baez's dreadful .230/.273/.361 slash line during his two years in Detroit, but fantasy managers will likely need to see tangible improvement from the 31-year-old before investing.

Lopez was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Friday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

A spot on the 40-man roster was needed for Yariel Rodriguez, whose signing finally became official. Lopez saw spot action with the Blue Jays in 2021 and 2022 but spent all of 2023 at Triple-A Buffalo, posting a .656 OPS in 84 contests. The 25-year-old's bat is a little light, but he's young and can play all over the field, so there might be interest on waivers.

The Orioles claimed Soto off waivers from the Angels on Thursday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Soto was DFA'd by Los Angeles on Saturday, and he'll now head across the country to fill the opening on Baltimore's 40-man roster. The 23-year-old infielder slashed .237/.342/.358 across 477 plate appearances in the minors last season, and his ability to play multiple infield positions could increase his chances at seeing MLB action this year.

Kessinger has a chance to win the final bench spot on Houston's big-league roster out of spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Kessinger made his major-league debut in 2023, though he drew only 45 plate appearances. He's played every infield position as a pro except for catcher, a skill set that will be valuable for the Astros. Kessinger's fantasy appeal is far more limited, as he's unlikely to see regular at-bats without several significant injuries in Houston's lineup, and he offers little in the way of power or stolen base production.