MLB Player News

Allen's defense at shortstop makes him the likeliest choice for a bench spot on Atlanta's initial 26-man roster, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The team's starters rarely get a day or even an at-bat off, so Allen's lack of offense isn't a big impediment to him winning the job if manager Brian Snitker is purely looking for the best defensive option. Allen has shown stolen-base ability in the minors and posted some PCL-inflated slash line promise at Triple-A Las Vegas in the A's system, but his .209/.254/.283 career line over 760 big-league plate appearances offers an accurate portrait of his fantasy upside should the 26-year-old find his way into consistent playing time.

Johnson was removed from the Pirates' Spring Breakout game roster due to a bone bruise in his left foot, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's not clear how long the injury might keep Johnson sidelined. The 20-year-old finished last season at Double-A Altoona and is likely headed back there for the start of the 2025 campaign.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Lux and Jeimer Candelario could be part of a platoon at third base during the regular season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I think Lux and Candelario, you'll see [Santiago] Espinal there sometimes. It depends on who is pitching," the manager said.

While Lux has seen action at several positions this spring, he's made the majority of his 2025 Cactus League starts at third base. Francona likes the idea of getting a platoon edge without weakening the team's defense at the hot corner. Lux also has experience at second base and in left field. The job share may not be an issue early in the regular season, as Spencer Steer (shoulder) could land on the injured list and push Candelario to first base or DH, but eventually Francona will need to find at-bats for all three on a semi-regular basis.

Witt, who was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's game, has a left forearm contusion and will continue to be evaluated in the coming days, MLB.com reports. "It was scary in the moment," he said. "But any time that happens, it's always scary. You never know what the results are going to be. But if it was October or April or March 27, I'd be good."

X-rays on Witt's forearm did not show any broken bones, but the report adds if it doesn't improve he'll have more imaging. He'll have limited activity the next few days as a result. Still, given his comments there's currently no reason to think he'll miss Opening Day. Witt has had a great spring by hitting .276/.364/.586 with two homers, four RBI and five runs scored over 11 games.

The Rangers optioned Ornelas to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.

Ornelas' defensive versatility and .881 OPS in spring training gave him a good chance to win a spot on the Rangers' bench out of spring training. However, the team would evidently like to see if his hot bat can hold up in the Triple-A regular season, which is not surprising given his career .505 OPS in the big leagues.

Story (back) is hitting in a simulated game against Walker Buehler on Thursday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Story last played in a Grapefruit League game March 9, as he's been dealing with back tightness. However, the fact that he's able to play in a simulated game suggests he's on track to return to the Red Sox' lineup Saturday versus Atlanta as hoped.

Meidroth has started at shortstop and batted leadoff in two straight Cactus League games for the White Sox and hit leadoff in all six of his exhibition starts in March.

Meidroth missed some time this month with a calf issue but has been getting a long look in the leadoff spot when on the field. The 23-year-old's on-base skills are his best asset, as he boasted a 71:105 K:BB and .437 on-base percentage at Triple-A Worcester with the Red Sox organization in 2024, making him a sensible fit for the leadoff spot. Meidroth also might be emerging as the favorite to start at shortstop for the White Sox, as Colson Montgomery is now in minor-league camp and Brooks Baldwin has been playing more second base and even center field.

Abrams (quadricep) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

As expected, Abrams has been cleared to return to action following his precautionary removal from Wednesday's game against the Astros when he experienced cramping in both of his quads after legging out a triple. He enters Thursday's contest having hit .300 with one home run and three RBI over 30 at-bats in the Grapefruit League.

The Astros reassigned Matthews to minor-league camp Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Joe Espada said of Matthews after the transaction that "second base looks like his best" position, adding that "there's a path" to a major-league role for Matthews eventually. Assuming Jose Altuve moves to left field as expected, the keystone could represent Matthews' best path to a major-league debut relatively soon if he gets off to a nice start at Triple-A Sugar Land. Slated to turn 23 on Sunday, Matthews slashed .265/.384/.481 with 15 homers and 32 stolen bases across four levels in the minors in 2024.

Baez will start at third base and bat sixth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game versus the Yankees, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Baez hasn't played third base since 2019, when he started there one game. With Matt Vierling (shoulder) out, it's possible Baez sees some action at the hot corner versus lefties. He also remains in the mix for playing time at shortstop.