MLB Player News

Fletcher (abdomen) remains out of the Angels' starting lineup for Tuesday night's Freeway Series game against the Dodgers.

Fletcher came down with some abdominal tightness over the weekend and hasn't played in a live game since last Friday, but he did say he should be available off the bench in Tuesday's exhibition finale at Angel Stadium. That would put him on track to be ready for Opening Day. The 28-year-old projects to operate as an active utility infielder this year in Anaheim.

The Blue Jays optioned Lopez to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Nathan Lukes beat Lopez out for the final position player spot on Toronto's roster. The versatile 24-year-old should get another shot with the big club soon enough.

Manager Mark Kotsay announced Monday that Smith didn't make the Athletics' Opening Day roster and will begin the season with Triple-A Las Vegas, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 26-year-old was in the running to claim Oakland's last bench spot, but Brent Rooker instead won the job. Smith began last season as the club's primary third baseman but played in just 47 big-league games and had a .518 OPS and 27.9 percent strikeout rate. He had a .268/.31/.446 slash line across 86 contests for Las Vegas last year, and he'll likely receive another look in the majors at some point in 2023.

Fletcher (abdomen) is listed as an available bench option for Monday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The Angels haven't confirmed whether Fletcher will make an appearance in the first game of their two-game Freeway Series with the Dodgers to close out spring training, but the 28-year-old's inclusion on the lineup card is an indication that he should be good to go for Thursday's season opener in Oakland. Fletcher, who was scratched ahead of Saturday's game against the Cubs with abdominal tightness, is batting .227 over 22 at-bats this spring.

Smith (thumb) will start in left field and bat ninth in Monday's Cactus League game against the Royals.

A jammed left thumb kept Smith from playing Saturday versus the Padres, but the 25-year-old will get the green light to return to the lineup for the Rangers' penultimate game of the Cactus League slate. Smith owns an .897 OPS through 16 spring games and looks on track to break camp with the big club, though he may have to settle for a part-time role.

Chang clinched a spot on Boston's Opening Day roster Monday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

While Boston could look outside the organization to fill out its bench ranks prior to Thursday's season opener versus Orioles, at least for the time being, Chang's spot is secure after the Red Sox optioned Bobby Dalbec -- his primary competition for a utility-infield role -- to Triple-A Worcester on Monday. The righty-hitting Chang could be a candidate to make frequent starts against left-handed pitching; on those occasions, he and Justin Turner would likely fill out the first base and designated hitter spots while the lefty-hitting Triston Casas sits out.

Franco (quadriceps) posted a video on his personal Instagram account featuring him swinging off a tee in the batting cage Monday, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.

Franco's ability to take swings while he manages what he's described as right quad tightness is another sign that the 22-year-old is trending toward being available for Thursday's season opener versus the Tigers. Before locking Franco into weekly fantasy lineups, however, managers will want to confirm that he is in fact in the starting nine when Tampa Bay releases its lineup a few hours before Thursday's 3:10 p.m. ET first pitch.

The Mariners reassigned McCoy to minor-league camp Monday.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old McCoy has yet to make his MLB debut and doesn't possess a spot on the Mariners' 40-man roster, but he came close to winning a reserve role on Seattle's Opening Day squad on the back of his strong defense at three infield spots. McCoy produced a meager .571 OPS, however, in his 44 at-bats in Cactus League play, and his deficiencies with the bat may prevent him from getting an extended look as a regular if he surfaces in the majors at some point later in 2023.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Volpe will "probably" bat ninth in Thursday's season opener versus the Giants, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Even though Volpe pushed his way on to the Opening Day roster following a huge spring, it's no surprise that he'll begin his MLB career at the bottom of the batting order. He will have the potential to work his way up, of course, possibly even seeing time in the leadoff spot on days DJ LeMahieu is sitting. While the No. 9 assignment hurts Volpe's outlook from a run-scoring and run-producing perspective, he still has upside to be a fantasy difference-maker from the bottom of the lineup.

Franco said Monday that his sore right quadricep has responded well to treatment, and he expects to be ready for to go for the Rays' season opener Thursday versus the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "I feel good, thank God, and I'm ready to start on Thursday," Franco said.

Elaborating further on the nature of his injury, Franco added that he believes his quad issue is more along the lines of tightness than a strain, and after a few more days of treatment, he should be ready to handle an everyday role at shortstop. The 22-year-old won't be available for Monday's Grapefruit League finale versus the Yankees and will finish the spring season with a .300/.417/.700 slash line to go with two home runs and a stolen base in nine games.