MLB Player News

Shewmake was outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.

Shewmake was booted from the 40-man roster Thursday after the Yankees claimed Osvaldo Bido off waivers. Shewmake appears destined to begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A, where he hit .243 with four home runs, 29 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 85 games a year ago.

Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said Monday that Williams will be given some third-base reps during spring training, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.

Williams has yet to play third base at the professional level, but he's very familiar with the left side of the infield and has a plus arm, so it could be a smooth transition. The hot corner is now wide open for the Brewers after they traded Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio to the Red Sox on Monday. While it's probably a long shot that Williams breaks camp as the starter at third base, showing he can handle the position would give him another path to playing time. The 22-year-old Williams was acquired from the Mets in the deal that sent Freddy Peralta to New York.

The Brewers acquired Hamilton on Monday in a trade with the Red Sox, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Hamilton is a former Brewers farmhand who has slashed .222/.283/.359 over the past three seasons in Boston. While he's mostly played second base and shortstop, Hamilton will be given lots of reps at third base during spring training, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. That position currently looks wide open in Milwaukee, though another addition from outside the organization can't be ruled out.

Volpe (shoulder) will begin the 2026 season on the injured list and is unlikely to be ready to play "at least until May," Randy Miller of NJ.com reports.

Volpe underwent left labrum surgery last October and is still in the recovery phase. This isn't a new timeline for him -- Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported in early December that Volpe isn't likely to play in April -- but rather serves as a reminder for fantasy managers that the young shortstop is going to miss a substantial chunk of time early in the campaign. Jose Caballero seems to be the leading candidate to get the most starts at shortstop until Volpe is back in action.

The Red Sox claimed Cheng off waivers from the Nationals on Friday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

It's the fifth organization Cheng has been in this offseason, as he has been bouncing around all winter via waivers. The 24-year-old went hitless in seven plate appearances during a cup of coffee in the majors and slashed only .209/.307/.271 at Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pirates organization last season, but he's known for a reliable infield glove.

Baez has been suspended from the World Baseball Classic for testing positive for marijuana in March 2023, but the suspension will not affect his availability for the start of spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The World Baseball-Softball Confederation -- which governs the WBC -- classifies marijuana as a banned substance, hence the suspension. He will be eligible to play again for Team Puerto Rico in the 2029 WBC. Major League Baseball does not list it as a banned substance, so Baez's status with the Tigers is unaffected. The 33-year-old Baez is expected to be the Opening Day shortstop in 2026, though he will have to hold off top prospect Kevin McGonigle for the gig.

General manager Mike Hazen said that Lawlar will get the majority of his reps in the outfield this spring, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Hazen spoke to the media following a trade that sent Blaze Alexander -- the team's presumed starting left fielder -- to the Orioles on Thursday. Hazen said that the team remains open to Lawlar playing some in the infield, but that his clearest path to the roster will come either in center or left field. Alexander's departure could lead to Lawlar finally getting consistent run in the majors, but he'll need a strong spring to bolster his case.

The Yankees have extended Lombard an invitation to big-league camp during spring training.

Fellow top prospects Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess, among others, will also be on the major-league side of camp. Lombard was in big-league camp last year, too, but could stick around longer this time after spending most of the 2025 season at Double-A Somerset. The 20-year-old slashed .235/.367/.381 with nine home runs and 35 stolen bases over 132 contests between High-A Hudson Valley and Somerset last season.

The Orioles acquired Alexander from the Diamondbacks on Thursday in exchange for Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena and Jose Mejia, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Alexander had appeared pegged for a super-utility gig in Arizona, but he's now on the move to Baltimore, where his immediate role seems less certain. The 26-year-old slashed .230/.323/.383 with seven homers and four steals over 74 games for the Diamondbacks and hit .284/.413/.479 with eight long balls and 11 steals at Triple-A Reno in 2025. Alexander is under team control through 2030.

The Yankees designated Shewmake for assignment Thursday.

The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Osvaldo Bido. Shewmake spent all of the 2025 season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, slashing .244/.318/.362 with four homers and 15 steals in 85 games. The 28-year-old infielder does not have minor-league options remaining, which will likely affect his appeal on waivers.