MLB Player News

Cruz (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

Cruz didn't play Saturday in the Pirates' 5-3 loss to the Twins in the spring opener, but he'll be back in action for his first start at shortstop since April 9, when he suffered a fractured left ankle that required season-ending surgery. The 25-year-old reported to spring training at full strength and will look to get in as many game reps as possible to prepare himself for Opening Day on the heels of a lost season.

Winn (upper body) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff in Sunday's spring game against the Astros, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn has been dealing with tightness in his upper body but went through a full workout Friday and has now been cleared for game action. The 21-year-old shortstop is poised to start Opening Day for the Cardinals, assuming he avoids further injury issues.

The White Sox envision DeJong as their starting shortstop to begin the 2024 season, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

DeJong signed a deal with the White Sox early in the offseason, though he presents a curious fit for a rebuilding club. Nevertheless, the team is set on him starting the season at shortstop, pairing with Nicky Lopez in the middle infield. DeJong has failed to post a wRC+ of at least 100 since the 2019 season.

Luciano (hamstring) has been scratched from the Giants' lineup for Saturday's game versus the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Luciano has been dealing with what's been described as a minor hamstring problem. While the hope was that he could play Saturday following a workout Friday, the Giants have ultimately decided to exercise caution. It's not clear when Luciano might be able to suit up for Cactus League action, but it seems like a day-to-day situation at this juncture.

Winn (upper body) went through a full workout Friday, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Winn had not been able to hit the previous two days because of upper-body discomfort, but he took part in batting practice Friday without any apparent issues. The Cardinals will wait to see how the rookie responds before determining when he'll make his Grapefruit League debut, but it could come as soon as Sunday or early next week. Winn is expected to be the club's Opening Day shortstop.

Luciano has been dealing with a minor hamstring issue but is tentatively listed in the Giants' lineup for Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

It's not clear how long Luciano's hamstring has been bothering him, but as long as he gets through a workout Friday with no issues he will be in Saturday's lineup. The youngster is projected to serve as the Giants' primary shortstop this season.

Volpe is working on flattening out his swing path, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Volpe had a flyball rate of 37.1 percent in his rookie season, which was down from the rates he regularly posted in the minors. The shortstop feels that a simplified, flatter swing will lead to more consistency after he went through peaks and valleys in 2023. Perhaps the changed approach will lower his home run ceiling, but if it makes him a better all-around hitter, both the Yankees and Volpe's fantasy managers will take it.

Grissom is dealing with a hamstring issue, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

It's not clear when Grissom suffered the injury, but the team considers it to be mild and doesn't expect it to affect the infielder's availability for Opening Day. The expectation is that Grissom will be ready to play in Grapefruit League games around March 1. He is projected to be Boston's everyday second baseman in 2024.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that he's eager to see Troy (foot) against major-league pitching early in camp, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Lovullo discussed what's piquing his interest during Cactus League play and mentioned bringing prospects over from minor-league camp, including Troy and Druw Jones, to get at-bats and innings. While Troy's injury was not mentioned, that the manager was talking about him playing suggests last year's first-round pick is healthy and ready to go for spring ball. At the time of his September foot surgery, the expectation was that he'd have a full offseason to prepare for spring training. The 22-year-old shortstop batted .271 with an .843 OPS and stole nine bases over 27 combined games between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Hillsboro.

Winn didn't participate in batting practice Wednesday and Thursday due to tightness in his upper body, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatchreports.

The 21-year-old still went through all other drills and could resume swinging as early as Friday, so the injury -- vague though it is -- doesn't appear to be a serious concern. Still, the Cardinals don't have much depth at shortstop with Winn and top backup Tommy Edman (wrist) banged up early in camp.