MLB Player News

Baez rejoined the Tigers on Monday after hitting .368 with one home run, three doubles, six RBI and zero walks against three strikeouts over five games for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Baez was a standout performer for Puerto Rico in the tournament, as in addition to his exploits at the plate, he impressed with a few dazzling plays in the field at second base. He'll move back to his usual spot at shortstop now that he's back at Tigers camp, and the team brass will be hoping that the strong showing on the international stage will help invigorate Baez after he endured a rough first season in Detroit upon signing a six-year, $140 million deal last winter. Despite his excellent showing in the WBC, Baez hasn't carried that form over to the Grapefruit League, where he's slashing .136/.130/.227 with no walks and four strikeouts in eight games.

Crawford (shoulder) started at shortstop in Monday's Cactus League win over the Brewers and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before being replaced by Mason McCoy in the top of the sixth inning.

Crawford had last seen Cactus League action Thursday and most recently played shortstop March 10, as a "soggy" right shoulder had limited him to designated hitter duties since then. Crawford's ability to slot back in on defense Monday was in accordance with an aforementioned timeline, and it seems the veteran is on track to be at full strength for Opening Day.

Barger was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays on Monday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Barger was attempting to win a spot on Toronto's bench to begin the season, but instead will start the year in Triple-A. With Barger heading to Buffalo, it appears that Otto Lopez has won a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster to begin 2023.

Chang is contending with visa issues and isn't scheduled to report back to Red Sox camp until Thursday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Chang is working to rejoin Boston after he recently took home MVP honors for Pool A of the World Baseball Classic following a four-game stint with Chinese Taipei in which he went 7-for-16 with four extra-base hits and eight RBI. Assuming his arrival at camp isn't delayed any further than the latter half this week, Chang should remain in the mix to win a spot on the Red Sox's Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder. Bobby Dalbec likely represents his main competition for the final roster berth.

Lopez (groin) could return to Grapefruit League play as soon as Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Lopez suffered a left groin injury while playing for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, but he was able to go through a full workout -- including running the bases -- Monday without issue. The utility player is aiming for a spot on Toronto's Opening Day roster.

Crawford (shoulder) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff for the Mariners in Monday's Cactus League game versus the Brewers.

Crawford has been limited to designated hitter duties for a few days while battling a sore shoulder, but he's ready to test things out from his familiar shortstop position. The 28-year-old is 5-for-23 with zero extra-base hits so far this spring.

Although Diaz continues in a heated competition with Nick Allen for the starting shortstop role, the veteran's ability to play multiple positions should help him garner a near-everyday role irrespective of how the job battle shakes out, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports. "You could see Diaz at shortstop. That's kind of been a trend this Spring Training. That's not set in stone," manager Mark Kotsay said. "Aledmys can play in left, we have the opportunity to DH as well. So there's a ton of combinations that we can put together that we feel good about."

Diaz inked a two-year, $14.5 million deal this offseason, and he's wasted no time validating the investment with a strong spring that includes a .357 average across 33 Cactus League plate appearances. Diaz's career .266 average, .763 OPS and modest 14.7 percent strikeout rate should afford him plenty of job security regardless of whether Allen is declared the victor of their competition, considering Diaz's defensive versatility and the fact Kotsay has emphasized he'll be prioritizing offense this season after Oakland's struggles scoring runs throughout 2022.

Allen, who is hitting .375 across 11 Cactus League games, continues to be in a heated battle with Aledmys Diaz for the starting shortstop job, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Allen got the start Sunday against the Dodgers, and Stockmar reports the 24-year-old helped his case with an RBI and two stellar defensive plays. However, Diaz is also enjoying a successful spring at the plate, and manager Mark Kotsay is going to emphasize offensive upside in his decision-making process with respect to the winner of the job battle. "You look at the production offensively last year, we evaluate that," Kotsay said. "Obviously, we evaluate our offense last year as a group. We didn't score enough runs, and that's a necessity this year."

Crawford (shoulder) will play in a minor-league game Saturday to receive at-bats, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.

Crawford has been out of the lineup since March 13 because of a "soggy" right shoulder. The infielder will get at-bats on the back fields of Arizona, and he has a good chance to be back at shortstop for Seattle for Monday's Cactus League contest. It looks likely that Crawford will be ready for the regular season.

McCoy has a chance to make the Opening Day roster for the Mariners, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

He has impressed during spring training with his defense, and the fact that the Mariners will open the season without Dylan Moore (oblique) certainly helps McCoy's chances of making the roster. The 27-year-old is capable of playing all over the infield, and would likely be the backup to J.P. Crawford at short, Eugenio Suarez at third and Kolten Wong at second.