MLB Player News

The Marlins optioned Amaya to Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday.

Amaya received a cup of coffee in the big leagues last June when the Marlins were short on healthy bodies in the infield, but he otherwise spent the bulk of the 2023 campaign at Jacksonville, where he slashed .252/.344/.406 with 15 home runs and six stolen bases across 567 plate appearances. The 25-year-old likely doesn't require much further developmental time in the minors, but it may take an injury to either of the Marlins' projected everyday starters in the middle infield -- Tim Anderson and Luis Arraez -- before Amaya gets an extended look in the majors.

The White Sox reassigned Montgomery to minor-league camp Monday, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Montgomery is considered the club's top prospect and could be ready to take over at shortstop for the White Sox sooner rather than later, but for now, he'll receive a bit more development time. The 22-year-old went 2-for-17 with six strikeouts in 11 Cactus League contests.

The Padres reassigned McCoy to minor-league camp Monday.

McCoy reached the big leagues for the first time in 2023 as a member of the Blue Jays, appearing in six games but logging just one plate appearances. He was moved off the Blue Jays' 40-man roster in September and caught on with the Padres on a minor-league deal in November, but the Friars likely don't envision the 28-year-old serving as anything more than organizational infield depth this season. McCoy is expected to report to Triple-A El Paso to begin the season.

Seager (groin) will take some light swings Monday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Seager has been fielding grounders and playing catch, but he'll be swinging a bat for the first time since he underwent sports hernia surgery in January. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Monday that he expects to know more next week regarding Seager's Opening Day availability.

Grissom remains unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, but his left groin strain is not considered a long-term injury, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Grissom has yet to play this spring because of hamstring and groin problems. It's not clear when he might be ready for game action, but the Red Sox are optimistic his impending stay on the injured list will be a short one. Enmanuel Valdez is in line to handle second base duties while Grissom is sidelined.

Reds manager David Bell indicated Sunday that De La Cruz will most likely bat second to begin the season, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Bell noted that De La Cruz's position in the lineup is the spot he's thought about the most, and the young shortstop has hit second for much of spring training. De La Cruz mostly hit in the top half of the Reds' batting order while he was up last season, although he slid down toward the bottom some in September as his struggles mounted. The switch hitter sported just a .495 OPS with a 40.2 percent strikeout rate against left-handers last season, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he winds up hitting lower versus southpaws. Bell said that Sunday's lineup against the Guardians "could be pretty close" to the one he uses in the regular season, although worth noting is that regulars TJ Friedl and Spencer Steer both had the day off.

Hernaiz, who's hitting .240 with five RBI across 10 Cactus League games, is making a strong bid for an Opening Day spot with improved arm strength and footwork, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Hernaiz came into spring camp needing to improve his overall infield defense, and he's been able to make significant progress over the last several weeks. Hernaiz has been splitting time between shortstop and third base, and although the former is his natural position, the latter may be his best path to an Opening Day roster spot. Hernaiz is also holding his own with the bat against big-league arms this spring, and he posted a remarkable .319/.384/.454 slash line and 13.4 percent strikeout rate across 131 games between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas last season.

Diaz (groin) continues to ramp up baseball activities and could take minor-league at-bats this coming week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Diaz has been progressively building back up from the groin strain he sustained before a Feb. 28 Cactus League game. If he's indeed able to begin logging at-bats again at minor-league camp in the next few days, his chances of being ready for Opening Day on March 28 would seemingly increase.

McLain started at second base and went 0-for-2 in Sunday's spring game against Cleveland.

McLain took the field for the first time in a Cactus League game after dealing with an oblique injury. He batted third and played four innings in the field at what will be his primary position in 2024, as he's set to be Cincinnati's starter at second base. There's plenty of time for McLain to get at-bats and swings, and he should be ready to go Opening Day.

Rojas was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks due to lower leg soreness, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Even though Rojas was scratched, Ardaya notes that the veteran infielder was still taking groundballs in pregame warmups, so the leg injury likely isn't a major concern. Rojas made 109 starts for Los Angeles during the 2023 season, but he'll likely be in line for more of a reduced role in 2024 with Mookie Betts and Gavin Lux slated to serve as the Dodgers' primary starters in the middle infield.