MLB Player News

Manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Chang was diagnosed with a severe oblique strain and is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 28-year-old signed with Tampa Bay as a non-roster invitee in February but suffered the oblique injury early in camp. Chang was a longshot to make the Rays' Opening Day roster and will likely report to Triple-A Durham once healthy.

Young went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in the Mariners' Cactus League loss to the White Sox on Thursday.

The precocious 20-year-old extended his spring hitting streak to three games with his fifth-inning solo shot. The fact Young is enjoying early success against big-league arms this spring isn't necessarily surprising, considering he's done nothing but hit over his first four minor-league stops in his first two professional seasons. Young has slashed .286/.402/.858 across stints ranging from Rookie ball to High-A, complementing those eye-catching figures with equally impressive 14.2 percent and 14.5 percent walk and strikeout rates, respectively. Young likely doesn't have much left to prove at High-A Everett after a productive 48-game stint there last season, so he's almost certainly ticketed to start the campaign at Double-A Arkansas.

Paris (thumb) is starting at second base and batting ninth in Friday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

Paris underwent thumb surgery late last season but is fully healthy heading into 2024. The 22-year-old went 4-for-40 in his first taste of the majors last year and is 1-for-8 through four games in spring training.

Anderson went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankeees.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting second behind Luis Arraez and ahead of Jazz Chisholm, Anderson didn't make an impact with his bat but looked healthy on defense, going deep in the hole to field a grounder in the second inning before firing the ball across the diamond to get the out at first base. The 30-year-old is coming off the worst season of his MLB career, but a knee injury that bothered him most of the year might have been the primary culprit for his decline. If Anderson is fully healthy in 2024, he could prove to be a draft-day steal for fantasy GMs, and a bargain for Miami on his one-year, $5 million contract.

Dezenzo is able to play the field but cannot hit in games due to a wrist injury, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's not clear when he might be ready to swing the bat. Dezenzo, 23, finished last season at Double-A Corpus Christi and might be ready to move up to Triple-A Sugar Land to start 2024, if healthy. He had a breakout 2023 campaign, posting a .914 OPS with 18 homers and 22 steals between High- and Double-A.

Basabe (head) is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in Friday's spring game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 23-year-old suffered a head injury while making a headfirst slide during Tuesday's contest, and he'll return to action Friday after taking the past couple days to recover. Basabe had a .218/.277/.310 slash line over 31 games in his first taste of the majors last season and is likely to open 2024 at Triple-A Durham.

Tovar led off and went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Tovar hit atop the Rockies' order with lefty Drew Smyly on the mound for Chicago. He led off the game with a single and then began the third frame with his first home run of the spring. Tovar primarily hit second and ninth in the order last season, and he projects to have a prominent spot in the lineup in 2024.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Basabe (head) should be available to play in Grapefruit League games beginning Friday or Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Basabe was removed from Tuesday's game against the Yankees after hitting his head while sliding into third base, but he seems to have avoided a concussion. The Tampa Bay medical staff cleared him to resume baseball activities Thursday, so if all goes well in his workout, he should return to the spring lineup this weekend.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said that Diaz has been diagnosed with a left groin strain following an MRI on Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Though the groin strain has been confirmed, the Athletics are still awaiting the results of the MRI to determine the severity of the injury. Diaz, who slashed .229/.280/.337 over 344 plate appearances in his first season with Oakland in 2023, is projected to serve as a utility player during the upcoming campaign.

Luciano (hamstring) is starting at shortstop and batting second for the Giants on Thursday against the Diamondbacks in his Cactus League debut, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Luciano has been slowed by a hamstring issue to this point in camp but is feeling well enough to give it a go Thursday. The 22-year-old is tracking toward everyday shortstop duties for the Giants this season, although he will need to hold off Casey Schmitt and non-roster invitee Nick Ahmed.