MLB Player News

Diaz started at third base and went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Marlins.

Diaz has filled his usual role this spring, playing first base (three games), shortstop (two) and third base (two) over seven Grapefruit League contests. With Alex Bregman's hamstring injury lingering and his spring debut undetermined, Diaz could focus on third base in the short term. He's 3-for-10 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored so far in spring training.

Correa batted leadoff and went 3-for-3 with two RBI in Wednesday's spring game against the Marlins.

Houston manager Dusty Baker declared Correa as a candidate to lead off along with center fielder Myles Straw. Wednesday's start was the third time this spring that Correa has hit leadoff and the first success he's had in that role. The Astros are looking to replace George Springer atop the batting order, and Correa brings a similar offensive style to Springer, while Straw offers a speed element.

Ahmed (knee) is likely to return to action Friday following Thursday's off-day, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Ahmed missed a third straight game Wednesday and will get the benefit of a fourth day when Arizona is off. Josh Rojas started at shortstop Wednesday, the second time in three games he's replaced Ahmed in the lineup.

Manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that Correa and Myles Straw are the "leading candidates" to bat leadoff Opening Day for the Astros, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

George Springer was the longtime leadoff man for Houston, but now that he's moved onto Toronto, Baker is in search of his new man atop the order. Correa has never batted leadoff in his major-league career, primarily hitting third or fourth. The 26-year-old struggled in 2020 with a .264/.326/.383 slash line, five homers and 25 RBI in 58 games, but he had an .845 OPS across the previous five seasons. Correa is the safer option between the two candidates since Straw has only 224 big-league plate appearances to his name, though the latter certainly provides more upside on the basepaths.

The Red Sox are hopeful that Bogaerts (shoulder) will be available to serve as a designated hitter in Grapefruit League games as soon as this weekend, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Boston has been cautious with Bogaerts since he first reported soreness in his right shoulder March 1, but the star shortstop looks to be nearing a return to full health. After he was cleared to resume a throwing program last weekend, Bogaerts will take another step forward Wednesday, when he's scheduled to take live batting practice. If Bogaerts checks out fine during the workout, the Red Sox could clear him to rejoin the spring lineup as early as Friday's game against the Rays.

Ahmed (knee) was unavailable for Tuesday's spring game against the Rockies, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Ahmed missed his second consecutive game due to the injury. While Ahmed rehabs, Josh Rojas (on Monday) and Domingo Leyba (Tuesday) are filling in at shortstop.

Bogaerts said Tuesday that his shoulder feels "pretty close" to 100 percent and he thinks he'll be ready for Opening Day, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.

He's set to take batting practice for the first time Wednesday, and assuming that goes well, he will be tracking toward being active on Opening Day. Bogaerts has already resumed throwing and appears to be nearing game action.

Lindor and the Mets will begin discussions on a contract extension this week, Anthony Rieber and Tim Healey of Newsday report.

The shortstop, who picked up his first hit of the spring Monday, will become a free agent next offseason and has said he doesn't want contract talks to linger into the regular season, so the clock is ticking. Lindor could end up getting a deal in excess of $300 million, following in the wake of mega-deals signed by Manny Machado, Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis in recent years, and new team owner Steve Cohen hasn't shown any qualms about opening up his wallet. Chances seem good Lindor's stint with the Mets will last longer than just the current campaign.

Bogaerts (shoulder) is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The Red Sox had initially left the door open for Bogaerts to face pitching Tuesday, but the team will instead give the shortstop another day to recover from his shoulder injury before he takes the next step forward in his rehab program. Bogaerts, who has already resumed throwing since developing the sore shoulder early in camp, could be ready to rejoin Boston's spring lineup at some point next week.

Baez went 2-for-3 with a grand slam in Monday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.

Baez hit his first home run of the spring, and the 28-year-old is off to a hot start, posting a 1.128 OPS through five games. He had a down year in 2020, registering a .598 OPS that was his worst since his 2014 rookie campaign. However, Baez has the talent to be an obvious bounceback candidate in 2021, and his ADP could creep up if he keeps raking this spring.