MLB Player News

Holliday (hand) said he'll begin taking live at-bats this week, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Holliday has been hitting off a tee for the last 10 days or so and keeps progressing in his return from a broken hamate bone in his right hand. Holliday is unsure if he'll see any Grapefruit League action this spring, but he's hopeful for a short stint on the injured list to begin the season and could even be in the lineup for Triple-A Norfolk's season opener in 11 days, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com. Blaze Alexander and Jeremiah Jackson will be candidates for early-season playing time at second base while Holliday is sidelined.

Neto (wrist) will hit off the tee and take live batting practice Monday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Neto also clarified that he sustained a small sprain to his left wrist, not the hand, as previously reported Saturday. The shortstop said that he's feeling good, and he expects to play Tuesday, either in a minor-league game or in the Angels' Cactus League contest versus the Cubs, per Fletcher. Neto should have plenty of time this week to pick up more at-bats and get himself ready for Opening Day.

Mayer (knee) is expected to rejoin Boston's Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The 22-year-old was scratched from Sunday's spring lineup due to left knee soreness and will rest again Monday, but the injury doesn't appear to be a serious concern. After posting a .674 OPS in 44 regular-season games as a rookie last season, Mayer's .816 OPS through 27 plate appearances in spring training put him in strong position to win the starting job at second base to begin 2026.

The Yankees reassigned Luciano to minor-league camp Sunday.

Once a prized prospect in the Giants organization, Luciano's luster has dimmed while he's shown defensive limitations and has slashed a collective .217/.286/.304 over 126 plate appearances across multiple abbreviated stints in the majors. He was claimed off waivers by two other organizations this winter before landing with the Yankees, who outrighted him off the 40-man roster in February. After he was unable to win a spot on the Yankees' Opening Day squad, Luciano should be ticketed for a full-time role at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

Pena (finger) said Saturday that he's been swinging a bat with one hand, throwing plyometric balls and fielding groundballs during his rehab program, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

The 28-year-old was diagnosed with a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger in early March, sidelining him for the World Baseball Classic and putting his availability for Opening Day into question. Pena's current participation in baseball activities is encouraging, and at this point, he's just awaiting clearance to throw and swing with both hands. Once fully cleared, the shortstop doesn't expect to need many at-bats before being ready for MLB action, so he still has a chance to be ready by Opening Day.

The Red Sox are monitoring Story's workload this spring and will continue to do so during the regular season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Story is being held out of the lineup Sunday for a third consecutive game, but the Red Sox are merely exercising caution with the 33-year-old. The club plans to give him a little more rest in 2026 after Story, who missed significant time in the first three years of the contract he signed with Boston in 2022, played 160 games last year, including playoffs.

Mayer was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins due to left knee soreness, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The Red Sox haven't provided further details regarding the severity of the issue, but Mayer will presumably need at least a couple days off to recover from the injury. He's enjoyed a strong spring with an .816 OPS and 5:6 BB:K in 27 plate appearances, which appears to have given him the inside track for the Red Sox's everyday second base job.

Neto said Sunday that X-rays on his injured left hand came back negative, and he expects to return to the Angels' Cactus League lineup within a few days, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Neto suffered the injury while sliding into home plate Saturday in a 6-2 win over the Mariners. Though a left hand strain had kept him out for the final two weeks of the 2025 season, the shortstop relayed that he's now dealing with a small sprain to the same hand, which is regarded as a more minor concern. Neto is expected to resume workouts in the coming days once the pain in his hand subsides, and if he's able to field his position and swing the bat without discomfort, he should soon get the green light to play in games.

Crawford (shoulder) is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday for one of the Mariners' split-squad games, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The veteran shortstop missed time earlier in camp due to a shoulder issue that he aggravated last week, but the setback doesn't appear to be serious. Crawford is still expected to be in the lineup at shortstop Opening Day.

Crawford is out of the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Reds due to lingering shoulder soreness, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.

Crawford had been slowed by the shoulder issue earlier in camp, which resulted in him going nearly two weeks between appearances. He's been able to make six starts thus far in March but hasn't played since Wednesday after the soreness apparently resurfaced. The Mariners aren't yet concerned about Crawford's availability for Opening Day, but that tune could change if the shortstop is still experiencing discomfort following Monday's off day.