MLB Player News

Volpe was informed by the Yankees on Sunday that he made the Opening Day roster, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The 21-year-old top prospect entered spring training as a likely longshot to break camp with the big-league club given he has yet to make his MLB debut, but his .314/.417/.647 slash line in 17 spring games was apparently enough to sway the organization. With a roster spot now secure, Volpe is poised to open the season as New York's primary shortstop.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Sunday that Diaz will likely start at shortstop against right-handed pitching to begin the season, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Meanwhile, Nick Allen is expected to enter the lineup at shortstop versus southpaws, though Diaz's right-handedness and defensive versatility should be enough for him to see his fair share of playing time against lefties as well. Signed to a two-year, $14.5 million contract this winter, Diaz looks as though he'll be in line for a near-everyday role, given that he's one of the few Oakland hitters who has had a modicum of success at the highest level. Allen is the better defensive option at shortstop, but Diaz's clearer path to regular playing time and stronger track record at the dish makes him the superior fantasy option.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay announced that Allen will form the short side of a platoon at shortstop with Aledmys Diaz to begin the season, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Allen will be in the lineup against left-handed pitching, while Diaz will see the bulk of the playing time against righties. Though he's enjoyed a solid spring training with a .310/.432/.448 slash line over 13 games, Allen posted a meager .547 OPS in his 326 plate appearances with Oakland in 2022. Allen's plus defense gives him a chance to be a strong option up the middle, but he may not present enough upside at the plate to emerge as a major fantasy contributor.

Duran has slashed .352/.375/.704 with three home runs and 15 RBI over 24 spring games.

Duran, who belted his third Cactus League home run Saturday after swatting two Thursday, is doing everything he can to make the Opening Day roster. His 10 extra-base hits lead the team. In addition to the work at the plate, the 23-year-old has appeared at second base, shortstop, third base and the outfield. A utility spot is up for grabs, and it appears Duran and Josh Smith (thumb) are the primary contenders. Smith's injury is recent -- he was scratched from Saturday's game -- but he offers better defense in the outfield, while Duran may need more reps there. The Rangers will decide whether Duran's bat is more valuable than Smith's defense.

Manager Scott Servais said Saturday that Crawford (foot) will "be ready to go" for Seattle's Opening Day matchup with Cleveland on Thursday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The veteran shortstop fouled a pitch off his right foot Friday but was diagnosed with just a bruise after X-rays and a CT scan come back negative. Crawford isn't in the lineup for Sunday's spring game but has gone through a full workout since he suffered the injury, and there's no concern about his availability for Opening Day.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that Chang is expected to play Monday against Atlanta, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Cora notes that Chang is moving well, and that he looks the same physically after spending time away from the Red Sox for the World Baseball Classic and then dealing a visa issue, adding that they have no questions with him defensively. "It's just a matter of where we're at (roster-wise) in the upcoming days," Cora said. Chang is on the roster bubble for Boston, and the Red Sox likely won't make a decision until right before Opening Day.

Franco (quadriceps) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Franco was scratched from the lineup before Saturday's Grapefruit League contest against Boston with right quadriceps tightness. The infielder's absence was deemed precautionary, but Tampa Bay will have the 22-year-old undergo further imaging to ascertain whether he's dealing with any structural damage. If Franco is forced to miss time to begin the season, Taylor Walls would likely see the majority of reps at shortstop in his absence.

X-rays returned negative Saturday on Crawford's foot, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

Crawford fouled a ball off his foot before Friday's Cactus League game against the Athletics, and was scratched from the lineup. The Mariners believed his absence to be precautionary, however, and the results seem to prove it. At this point, it appears very likely Crawford is ready to be the starting shortstop for Opening Day against the Guardians on Thursday.

Smith was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to a jammed left thumb.

The injury doesn't sound like the sort of thing which could place Smith's readiness for Opening Day in serious doubt. The team expects him to be ready to go by Monday, per Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com.

Fletcher was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cubs due to abdominal tightness, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Angels called Fletcher's absence precautionary, so he seemingly still has a chance to be ready for Opening Day, but the timing means that even a modest setback could send him to the injured list. When healthy, Fletcher lines up with an uncertain role in a middle-infield group that's full of capable but largely unexciting options, including Brandon Drury, Luis Rengifo and Gio Urshela.