MLB Player News

Hamilton started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a double in Monday's spring game against Detroit.

Hamilton, who can play both middle infield positions, made a second consecutive start at second base since Boston announced Vaughn Grissom (groin) could miss Opening Day. The frontrunner to replace Grissom is Enmanuel Valdez, whose glove is not as sound as Hamilton's but projects a better bat. Hamilton is 3-for-16 over six Grapefruit League games.

Witt has gone 4-for-15 with two home runs, a stolen base and four runs scored over five Cactus League games.

As if the 11-year contract extension he signed in February wasn't enough proof, Witt is locked in as the Royals' starting shortstop. The 23-year-old offers both power and speed and should be a fixture at or near the top of the batting order this season. He hit .276 with an .814 OPS, 30 home runs, 49 stolen bases, 96 RBI and 97 runs scored in a similar role in 2023.

Correa went 2-for-3 in Sunday's spring training tie with Tampa Bay. He's hitting .429 (3-for-7) through three spring games.

Correa played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot for most of last season but said he was pain-free as spring training began, and he's looked sharp in the field. Correa slashed just .230/.312/.399 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI in 580 plate appearances last season while battling through a nagging foot issue starting in mid-May, so he could bounce back simply by avoiding re-injury.

Story went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Saturday's spring game against the Nationals.

Story, making his fourth appearance of the Grapefruit League, has struck out six times in 12 plate appearances. He's missed a lot of time the last two seasons due to injury, and he enters 2024 with questions about what he can give fantasy managers. He'll be Boston's starting shortstop and will have a chance to answer those questions. The Red Sox lack thump from the right side of the plate and will look for Story to produce similar results as he did as a member of the Rockies between 2016 and 2021.

Hernaiz has been seeing action at third base this spring and could get a shot to start there for the Athletics, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Hernaiz has predominantly been a shortstop in the minors, and the A's aren't exactly set at that position with Nick Allen as the incumbent. However, it sounds like Hernaiz's better shot at a starting gig might come at third, particularly with Aledmys Diaz (groin) likely to require a stint on the injured list. Jordan Diaz, Brett Harris and Abraham Toro are also in the mix at the hot corner. For what it's worth, Gallegos projected Hernaiz on Thursday to win the third base job.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Friday that it would be "optimistic" to think Diaz (groin) could return before the end of the Cactus League schedule, MLB.com reports.

Diaz is dealing with a strained left groin and is expected to miss at least the next 2-to-3 weeks of action. Barring a rapid recovery, it sounds like an injured list stint should be expected. Diaz is competing for Oakland's third base job, but his injury opens up more chances for Darell Hernaiz, Jordan Diaz and Brett Harris.

Hampson is projected to be the Royals' main utility player this season, Anne Rogers of the Royals' official site reports.

Hampson can cover a number of positions -- he's played everywhere but first base and catcher in his major-league career. Rogers notes it's likely Hampson won't have a single position, but he could still come close to everyday playing time by providing cover around the diamond. He hit a career-high .276 with his second-base OPS (.729) last season with the Marlins, which is impressive given he spent his first five seasons with the Rockies, so his move to the Royals alone shouldn't end up having a negative impact on his play.

Manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Machado has a Grade 2 quadriceps strain and could miss the remainder of camp, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Machado sustained the quadriceps injury in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. He received a non-roster invitation to spring training and this setback likely derails any slim chances he had of making the Opening Day roster. Machado played 74 games with Triple-A Sugar Land in 2023 and slashed .230/.369/.356 with seven home runs and 33 RBI over 293 plate appearances.

Grissom was diagnosed with a groin strain Saturday and could be out for Opening Day, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The Red Sox had been hopeful to get Grissom into Grapefruit League action within the next few days after he worked his way back from a hamstring injury. However, it appears he could miss the entirety of the spring training schedule as a result of his new groin issue. It's unclear whether or not Grissom will begin the regular season on the injured list, but the Red Sox will likely plan on Enmanuel Valdez being their Opening Day second baseman either way.

Rocchio is competing with Gabriel Arias for the Guardians' starting shortstop job, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Both Rocchio and Arias are inexperienced options, and while Arias struggled at the plate in 2023, Rocchio wasn't much better. The 23-year-old batted .247 with a .600 OPS, eight RBI, nine runs scored and six doubles over 86 plate appearances. This is one of the more even battles for Cleveland, though Rocchio has a full season of Triple-A ball under his belt and will need to be tested in the majors in the near future.