MLB Player News

Lux will bat fifth and start at shortstop in Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lux had already made a couple of Cactus League appearances as the Dodgers' designated hitter, but he'll playing shortstop for the first time since suffering an ACL tear last spring. The 26-year-old recently ditched the brace he had been wearing on his surgically-repaired knee, trading it in for a compression sleeve. Lux is slated to be the primary shortstop for the Dodgers this season.

Anderson indicated Saturday that the MCL sprain in his left knee that he played through for most of 2023 is no longer an issue, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

"[The injury] took a toll," Anderson said prior to Saturday's Grapefruit League game. "You're talking about the front side of an MCL sprain. I had nothing to hit up against. It led to a lot of ground balls. No excuses. I kept working. I feel good today. I feel healthy, and I'm ready to go, and I'm excited." The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Marlins this week to be the team's starting shortstop, and while injuries are part of the package with Anderson -- he hasn't played more than 123 games in a season since 2018 -- if he is healthy again, he could rediscover the form that saw him slash .318/.347/.473 for the White Sox between 2019 and 2022. His running should provide the first clue whether Anderson is all the way back. After recording a sprint speed of greater than 28.0 feet per second every year of his career through 2022, ranking in the 78th percentile or greater each season, his speed plummeted to 27.2 ft/s, and a 46th percentile ranking, in 2023.

Cruz (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

Cruz didn't play Saturday in the Pirates' 5-3 loss to the Twins in the spring opener, but he'll be back in action for his first start at shortstop since April 9, when he suffered a fractured left ankle that required season-ending surgery. The 25-year-old reported to spring training at full strength and will look to get in as many game reps as possible to prepare himself for Opening Day on the heels of a lost season.

Winn (upper body) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff in Sunday's spring game against the Astros, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn has been dealing with tightness in his upper body but went through a full workout Friday and has now been cleared for game action. The 21-year-old shortstop is poised to start Opening Day for the Cardinals, assuming he avoids further injury issues.

Luciano (hamstring) has been scratched from the Giants' lineup for Saturday's game versus the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Luciano has been dealing with what's been described as a minor hamstring problem. While the hope was that he could play Saturday following a workout Friday, the Giants have ultimately decided to exercise caution. It's not clear when Luciano might be able to suit up for Cactus League action, but it seems like a day-to-day situation at this juncture.

Winn (upper body) went through a full workout Friday, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn had not been able to hit the previous two days because of upper-body discomfort, but he took part in batting practice Friday without any apparent issues. The Cardinals will wait to see how the rookie responds before determining when he'll make his Grapefruit League debut, but it could come as soon as Sunday or early next week. Winn is expected to be the club's Opening Day shortstop.

Luciano has been dealing with a minor hamstring issue but is tentatively listed in the Giants' lineup for Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's not clear how long Luciano's hamstring has been bothering him, but as long as he gets through a workout Friday with no issues he will be in Saturday's lineup. The youngster is projected to serve as the Giants' primary shortstop this season.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that he's eager to see Troy (foot) against major-league pitching early in camp, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Lovullo discussed what's piquing his interest during Cactus League play and mentioned bringing prospects over from minor-league camp, including Troy and Druw Jones, to get at-bats and innings. While Troy's injury was not mentioned, that the manager was talking about him playing suggests last year's first-round pick is healthy and ready to go for spring ball. At the time of his September foot surgery, the expectation was that he'd have a full offseason to prepare for spring training. The 22-year-old shortstop batted .271 with an .843 OPS and stole nine bases over 27 combined games between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Hillsboro.

Winn didn't participate in batting practice Wednesday and Thursday due to tightness in his upper body, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatchreports.

The 21-year-old still went through all other drills and could resume swinging as early as Friday, so the injury -- vague though it is -- doesn't appear to be a serious concern. Still, the Cardinals don't have much depth at shortstop with Winn and top backup Tommy Edman (wrist) banged up early in camp.

Berti will slot back into a utility role since Tim Anderson signing with the Marlins on Thursday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Adding a shortstop this offseason always seemed to be the plan for Miami, as Berti would be a poor fit as the starter even after playing a career-high 64 games at the position in 2023. The 34-year-old has topped 400 plate appearances in each of the last two seasons while seeing time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions, although in fantasy leagues with a 20-game threshold for qualification, he'll only be eligible at third and short to begin 2024. The bigger question for his value will be whether he can rebound on the basepaths -- after swiping 41 bags on 46 attempts in 2022, Berti failed to take advantage of the new rules last season and went just 16-for-22 on steal attempts despite maintaining an elite sprint speed (95th percentile).