MLB Player News

Shaw's chances of starting the season as Chicago's regular third baseman seemingly improved when the club missed out on free agent Alex Bregman, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Shaw has seemingly had the inside track on the starting gig at the hot corner in recent weeks, though Bregman was looming in the background. However, now that the latter has signed with the Red Sox, Shaw seems to have a clearer path to the role. The 23-year-old will still need to have a solid spring, and the Cubs could still look to add a veteran option before camp ends, but any move now might be more along the lines of improving the bench. Shaw's fantasy outlook is on the rise, and he could be a breakout performer in 2025 given his prospect pedigree.

Johnson (foot) was spotted taking grounders at second base during Thursday's spring training workout, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

After suffering a right foot injury in an Oct. 9 game in the Arizona Fall League, Johnson was limited to just 11 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions and slashed .250/.444/.475 with a home run and three stolen bases. The injury doesn't appear to be anything that is limiting him early on during the spring, and though he's attending big-league camp with the Pirates, Johnson will likely be headed to Double-A Altoona to begin the 2025 season. The 20-year-old infielder remains one of Pittsburgh's top prospects and could make a push for his big-league debut later in the season if he continues to maintain high walk rates while putting his power and speed on display in the upper levels of the minors.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Mateo (elbow) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Mateo's rehab from UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow is going well, but he will be held out game action until late in spring training. The 29-year-old's stint on the injured list to begin the season could be relatively brief, and once healthy he will fill a utility role for Baltimore.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed Thursday that Bichette is a "full go" for spring training after making a full recovery from September surgery to address a fractured right middle finger, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bichette needed to have a pin inserted during surgery to stabilize his finger, but Schneider relayed that the pin was removed long ago, and the veteran shortstop feels normal heading into camp. The 2024 campaign was by far the worst of the 26-year-old's six-year MLB career, as his OPS plummeted to .599 after he had delivered marks north of .800 in each of the prior five seasons. Bichette also continued his trend of halting his involvement in the running game; he was held to five stolen bases for the second season in a row after pilfering 25 bags in 2021 and 13 in 2022. Better health in 2025 could allow Bichette to bounce back to some degree after he also had two separate stints on the injured list last season due to calf strains, but fantasy managers shouldn't bank on him fully re-emerging as the five-category standout he was in 2021 and 2022.

Boston's acquisition of Alex Bregman will impact Grissom, who has minor-league options remaining, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. If the Red Sox deploy Bregman at second base, then the team could option Grissom to the minors without exposing him to waivers.

Grissom was the early leader in the competition for the vacant job at second base, which has been in flux since Dustin Pedroia retired. The position seemingly came down to Grissom and prospect Kristian Campbell. If the Red Sox opt to move Bregman to second base, then Grissom could be optioned to Triple-A Worcester to start the 2025 season. If Bregman moves to third base and Rafael Devers to designated hitter or first base, then the Grissom/Campbell competition will be back on.

Mayer (back) took batting practice Wednesday and appears to be a full participant for the start of spring training, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Mayer finished the 2024 season on Triple-A Worcester's 7-day injured list while he dealt with a lumbar strain, but he was cleared to resume baseball activities early in the offseason and doesn't look to be operating under any restrictions during his first big-league camp. The 22-year-old isn't a serious candidate to make the Opening Day roster, but a midseason debut is possible if he displays improved durability with Worcester while maintaining the improved plate skills he demonstrated with Double-A Portland. Before getting promoted to Worcester and being placed on the IL soon after, Mayer slashed .307/.370/.480 with eight home runs, 13 stolen bases and a 19.7 percent strikeout rate over 335 plate appearances at Double-A.

Abrams reported to spring training Monday and disclosed that he added about 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

A first-time All-Star in 2024, Abrams posted a career-best .314 on-base percentage to go with excellent counting numbers (20 home runs, 31 steals, 65 RBI and 79 runs), but his achievements were somewhat overshadowed by a late-season demotion to the minors, which came after he stayed out past curfew at a casino the night before a day game at Wrigley Field. Abrams addressed the incident publicly for the first time Wednesday, expressing remorse for his actions while noting that he had been in communication with members of the Washington coaching staff throughout the offseason. Now up to 200 pounds and with the embarrassing off-field incident behind him, Abrams believes that he's better prepared to withstand the rigors of a 162-game schedule and perform more consistently after he struggled to a .586 OPS in the second half of last season.

Neto said he received "good news" on his surgically repaired right shoulder Tuesday and is ahead of schedule in his recovery, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Details of Neto's shoulder operation remain scarce, and the shortstop did not further elaborate on the "good news" he received, nor did he know whether he would be ready for Opening Day. Neto has been hitting off a tee but has not yet been cleared to throw. The prevailing expectation is that the 24-year-old will begin the season on the injured list, but further clarity on his situation should arise as spring training rolls along.

Baez (hip) is going through full hitting and defensive drills and is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Baez continues to rehab after he underwent a right hip labral repair in September and will continue a running progression upon his arrival to camp. While the veteran shortstop is expected to be ready for Opening Day, his role on the Tigers is in flux, as Trey Sweeney is in line to serve as the club's primary shortstop.

Lux is expected to see time at first, second and third base as well as the outfield this spring, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Lux was projected to be the everyday second baseman upon being acquired by the Reds, but manager Terry Francona indicated Tuesday that Lux will be exposed to several positions. Lux moved between shortstop and second base for the Dodgers in 2024.