MLB Player News

Tovar was optioned to minor-league spring training Saturday.

Tovar was added to the Rockies' Rule 5 draft in November, and he worked with the major-league coaching staff to begin spring training. He went 9-for-16 with three homers, a double, six RBI, five runs, a stolen base and a strikeout across seven Cactus League appearances this spring, but he'll presumably begin the 2022 campaign at High-A Spokane.

McLain was reassigned to minor-league spring training Saturday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

McLain served as a non-roster invitee to begin camp, and he went 2-for-7 with an RBI, a stolen base, a walk and four strikeouts across five Cactus League appearances. He'll presumably begin the year at High-A Dayton.

Ahmed believes he has a routine designed to deal with the shoulder injuries that plagued him the last two seasons, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Ahmed has been playing in Cactus League games and is ready to resume his role as Arizona's starting shortstop in 2022, but there remains lingering concerns about the health of the shoulder over the long haul. He did not undergo surgery and was somewhat evasive when asked about the possibility. The shortstop saw is production drop significantly in 2021, when he slashed .221/.280/.339 over 129 games. The Diamondbacks believe they are better positioned to handle his absence should Ahmed's shoulder act up again in 2022. Geraldo Perdomo showed development at the plate over the second half of the minor-league season, posting a line of .329/.414/.521 in August and September.

Lindor went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

He went back-to-back with Mark Canha in the first inning off Will Stewart, giving Lindor his first homer of the spring. The shortstop has seen his offensive production plummet the last two seasons, as his .240/.327/.413 slash line over that stretch is a far cry from the .278/.342/.514 mark he put up the three years prior, but at 28 years old there's still reason to hope Lindor can bounce back to his previous level.

Swanson went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The shortstop turned on a Shane McClanahan pitch in the second inning and drove it completely out of CoolToday Park. Swanson delivered a career-high 27 homers and 88 RBI last season, and the 28-year-old will be counted on to supply similar or better numbers for Atlanta in 2022 as the club looks to repeat as World Series champions.

Berti and the Marlins avoided arbitration Tuesday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.2 million deal, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Berti will nearly double his salary despite the fact that he's coming off his worst season at the plate. After two years as an above-average hitter, he slumped to a .210/.311/.313 line last season, good for a 79 wRC+.

Turner agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract with the Dodgers on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old was acquired from the Nationals ahead of the 2021 trade deadline and is in his final year of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency. Turner played second base for the Dodgers last year but is back at shortstop for 2022 due to the departure of Corey Seager, who signed with the Rangers.

Williams was designated for assignment on Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Williams had a memorable moment last season, hitting a walkoff homer in his first career start. His overall performance wasn't particularly impressive, however, as he hit .245/.315/.316 with a zero percent barrel rate in 108 trips to the plate. His defensive versatility and youth could nonetheless make him interesting enough for another team to claim off waivers. The move clears a roster spot for the newly-signed Nick Castellanos.

Adames agreed to a one-year, $4.6 million deal with the Brewers on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

It's a solid payday for Adames in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He's slated to start at shortstop for the Brewers this year after hitting .285/.366/.521 with 20 homers, 61 runs and 58 RBI in 99 games after being acquired from the Rays last May.

DeJong is ahead of Edmundo Sosa for the starting shortstop job, John Denton of MLB.com

Manager Oli Marmol entered spring with the mindset that the starting gig at shortstop was Dejong's to lose. So far, DeJong is 1-for-5 with a run scored in three games in spring training, though Marmol has been satisfied with his hitting process if not the results. Both DeJong and Sosa are right-handed hitters, so it's unlikely this develops into a platoon, though the latter could also challenge Tommy Edman for playing time at second base.