MLB Player News

Fletcher will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game Sunday due to hip tightness, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Although Fletcher has been forced to miss the last few days, manager Joe Maddon said that he expects the 27-year-old to be back in the lineup for Monday's spring game against the Dodgers. In spite of his absence, Fletcher is expected to be ready for Opening Day as he prepares to serve as the Angels' everyday shortstop in 2022.

Bogaerts hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game since Wednesday due to general body soreness, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

It's reportedly typical for Bogaerts to experience the issue late in spring training, and manager Alex Cora expects him to play in the final spring games Monday and Tuesday. There doesn't appear to much concern regarding the 29-year-old's availability for Opening Day, but with the opener only a few days away his status is worth monitoring.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Sunday that Martinez will likely open the upcoming season at Double-A New Hampshire, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Following his early-August call-up from Low-A Dunedin, Martinez produced at a roughly league-average level in his 27 games at High-A Vancouver last season with a .214/.282/.491 slash line (99 wRC+). A return to Vancouver to begin the 2022 campaign wouldn't have been unexpected for the 20-year-old, but the Blue Jays may have been encouraged enough with how he looked during his workouts at big-league camp earlier this spring to hand him the Double-A assignment. The Blue Jays haven't settled on a permanent defensive home for Martinez, but his prodigious power should play at nearly any spot.

Witt has won an Opening Day roster spot, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Witt tore through the upper minors last season, hitting .290/.361/.575 with 33 homers and 29 steals split between the two highest levels. He's carried that momentum through to this spring, hitting .407/.448/.741 in 10 Cactus League games. A shortstop by trade, Witt is expected to open the year as the Royals' third baseman, with Adalberto Mondesi occupying his primary position.

Crawford (mouth) will bat sixth and play shortstop Friday against the Rockies.

Crawford returns to the lineup after missing the last two games due to a dental procedure. His brief absence should have minimal impact on his readiness for the upcoming season.

Crawford (mouth) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

The team erroneously included Crawford in the initial lineup, but Dylan Moore will instead receive the start at shortstop. Crawford is down for a couple days after undergoing a dental procedure Wednesday, and he should be back on the field in the near future.

Crawford (mouth) is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in Thursday's Cactus League game against Cleveland.

Crawford was expected to be out a few days after undergoing a dental procedure Wednesday, but he'll instead rejoin the lineup a day later. The 27-year-old posted career highs with a .714 OPS, nine home runs and 54 RBI in 160 games for the Mariners last season and will be the everyday starter at shortstop again in 2022.

Anderson will begin the season with a two-game suspension stemming from an altercation with an umpire in September of last year, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Anderson was originally handed a three-game ban for the incident, which occurred when benches cleared against the Tigers on Sept. 29. The shortstop said he was pushed by someone he couldn't see and pushed back, without realizing that he'd just shoved umpire Tim Timmons. The suspension has been reduced to two games, so Anderson will now make his season debut April 10 against the Tigers. Leury Garcia or Danny Mendick will handle shortstop in his brief absence.

The Rangers assigned Smith to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports.

The assignment is an aggressive one for Smith, who received only 127 plate appearances at the Double-A level in 2021, all of which came after he joined the Rangers organization as part of the July trade that sent Joey Gallo to the Yankees. The 24-year-old passed the test in his limited sample of action with Double-A Hickory, slashing .294/.425/.431 with three home runs while going 7-for-9 stolen base attempts. Smith will likely be in line for a lengthier stay at Round Rock than he had at Hickory, but he could push his way on to the big-league roster at some point in the second half of 2022 if he continues to showcase the high-level contact, on-base and baserunning skills he demonstrated a season ago.

Bogaerts will remain the third batter in the order this season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora outfitted a lineup and batting order Wednesday that looked like one that will take the field against right-handers this season. That means Bogaerts will bat third while the recently signed Trevor Story slots in at sixth in the order. Against lefties, Cora is expected to alter the order, but Bogaerts should remain third. Bogaerts is just 2-for-16 through seven Grapefruit League games, but the longest-tenured Red Sox player and team leader will be safely ensconced between Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez against righties or Trevor Story and Devers against southpaws.