MLB Player News

Witt has a hit in his only at-bat through two games for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic.

Witt has been a bench bat for the USA, but he was fortunate to log plenty of time in spring training before leaving for the international tournament. Over seven Cactus League games, he hit .389 (7-for-18) with four RBI, a stolen base and six runs scored. Witt showed enticing speed (30 steals) and power (20 home runs, 31 doubles) over 150 games as a rookie last year, and he is penciled in as the Royals' starting shortstop this season after spending a large part of 2022 at third base.

The Angels reassigned Neto to minor-league camp Tuesday.

The 2022 first-round selection quickly rose to Double-A ball in 2022, slashing .320/.382/.492 over 136 plate appearances. Neto will likely return to Double-A to start the 2023 campaign, and at his current pace, he could find himself in Triple-A before the end of the season.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

The blasts didn't come against the stiffest competition, as Bichette took minor-leaguer Chris Murphy deep in the first inning before tagging Boston prospect Brandon Walter in the fourth, but it was still a strong performance from the shortstop. The homers were the first two of the spring for Bichette, but he's gone 11-for-28 (.393) overall with a 3:5 BB:K and appears more than ready for the games to begin to count.

Brito was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Although he went just 2-for-13 this spring, Brito showed off his excellent eye at the plate with 10 walks to just one strikeout. The 21-year-old was acquired from the Rockies for Nolan Jones in November.

Martinez was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Martinez just turned 21 in January, so he wasn't going to make the Opening Day roster. He's shown well in spring training, though, collecting an .825 OPS with one homer and one steal.

Tena was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Tena managed to reach Columbus last season, but he doesn't turn 22 until next week and could stand to work on his plate discipline. The infielder has fanned 11 times in 21 Grapefruit League appearances.

Rocchio was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The top prospect hasn't hit much this spring, but that doesn't dampen a rosy outlook for the 22-year-old. While Rocchio has primarily played shortstop, he is capable at second and third base as well. The Guardians are set at those positions, but he could be a capable fill-in if injuries strike.

Correa (personal) returned to Twins camp Tuesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Correa was away for a few days to be with his newborn son. He expects to return to Grapefruit League action Friday. Correa is 3-for-9 with one walk in four games so far this spring.

Martinez was optioned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Monday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Martinez has impressive power in his right-handed bat but has struggled to hit for average thus far in the professional ranks. He batted .203 with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate for Double-A New Hampshire last season but also clubbed 30 home runs. If he can keep the contact issues in check, he has a chance to be a strong fantasy option in the coming years.

Jimenez was optioned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Monday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Jimenez is on the Blue Jays 40-man roster after being protected from the 2021 Rule 5 draft, but he has yet to play above High-A in his four seasons in the Toronto system. He should start the season Double-A with an outside shot of playing for the Blue Jays before the end of 2023.