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.

Fletcher leads the battle to be the Angels' primary shortstop this season, though he'll play some second base as well, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Fletcher primarily played second base last season but has 73 career starts at shortstop, grading out as a bit better than average at the position according to both UZR and DRS. If he's the team's main shortstop this season, that leaves a battle for second base between a number of players including Luis Rengifo, Tyler Wade, Jack Mayfield and Matt Duffy.

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.

Baez is batting third in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, and Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said this may resemble his Opening Day lineup, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

After he signed a six-year, $140 million deal with Detroit in November, there was no doubt that Baez would bat high in the lineup, but it wasn't clear exactly where he'd slot in regularly. If Hinch's Saturday lineup is any indication, his new shortstop will be the No. 3 hitter most days, with Robbie Grossman batting second and Jeimer Candelario hitting cleanup. This could change, of course, but Baez should get plenty of chances to produce no matter who's around him in the order.

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.

Witt went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run and two runs scored in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Reds.

With homers in back-to-back games, Witt is using his power to make a case for the Opening Day roster. He's added five RBI, three runs scored and a double in four spring training games so far. For now, Witt is penciled in as the starting third baseman to begin 2022 -- he's done well to show he belongs so far after a quick rise through the minors.

Story will be away from camp for the next few days due to the birth of his child, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Previous reports indicated that Story would make his spring debut Saturday, but that will now be pushed back a few more days. His late signing with the Red Sox means he already didn't have much time to get up to speed by Opening Day, so it's possible he's eased into things with an extra off day or two at the beginning of the campaign.

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.

Story will appear in his first spring training game for Boston on Saturday against the Rays, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Story, who officially signed with the Red Sox on Wednesday, took at-bats in a minor-league game Thursday and will do so again Friday. After his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, he'll head back to the back fields Sunday before the Red Sox determine whether he's ready for full-time action. Boston manager Alex Cora has not committed to a specific spot in the batting order for Story, who batted in the heart of the Rockies lineup last year -- 75 times at cleanup, 49 times out of the five-hole and 15 times hitting third.

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.