MLB Player News

Lindor went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The shortstop took Dylan Floro deep to right field in the third inning for his first homer of the spring. Lindor saw his numbers rise in his second season with the Mets last year as he drove in a career-high 107 RBI, but his .788 OPS was still a notch below the production he was flashing with Cleveland a few years ago. The 29-year-old should again hit in the heart of the Mets' order in 2023.

Luciano (back) has progressed to taking regular rounds of batting practice in Giants camp, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Luciano appears to be nearing the end of his recovery from the back injury he sustained while playing in the Dominican Winter League. If all continues to go well, the 21-year-old shortstop prospect should be ready for the start of Double-A Richmond's regular-season schedule. He put up an .817 OPS in 65 games last year between the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and High-A Eugene.

Velazquez said Monday he will no longer switch hit and will instead exclusively bat right-handed, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Velazquez briefly dropped switch hitting last season before a season-ending knee injury, and he'll now hit exclusively right-handed going forward. The 28-year-old had a .540 OPS across 125 games last season, with similarly poor results against both types of pitcher. Velazquez isn't guaranteed a spot on the Halos' Opening Day roster, though his elite defense at shortstop and speed could make him a solid bench piece.

Grissom went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

The 22-year-old got the start at shortstop and hit second in the order, but Atlanta has few concerns about his bat. Whether Grissom emerges as the Opening Day starter at short will depend largely on the progress he makes with his defense, but so far so good with the glove in the early part of spring training. If he proves to need more work with that part of his game, Orlando Arcia would get the nod while the younger infielder begins the season at Triple-A, but the job seems to be Grissom's to lose.

Downs went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 24-year-old is now on his fourth organization, having been part of some very high-profile trades, including the one that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers. However, Downs' prospect status has taken a steep dive the last couple years after back-to-back campaigns at Triple-A in which he hit under .200 with a strikeout rate hovering around 30 percent. Claimed off waivers from the Red Sox this winter, he's in camp fighting for a utility role on a rebuilding Nationals club, and through the early part of spring training he's showcased some impressive defense and speed on the basepaths. Journeyman 31-year-old Ildemaro Vargas is currently penciled in as the top middle infield backup behind CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia, but if Downs can show enough with his bat, he might be able to claim an Opening Day bench spot.

Correa is set to make his Grapefruit League debut Wednesday versus the Phillies, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

The condition of Correa's ankle was a major topic of conversation this offseason, but he reported to camp healthy and with no limitations. Him not playing in the Twins' first five games seems to be more about getting the veteran treatment and easing into things. Correa is expected to leave camp for a bit at some point in March with his wife due to give birth to the couple's second child soon.

Manager Dave Roberts said that Rojas (foot), who will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Reds, will get the bulk of the playing time at the position in 2023 after Gavin Lux (knee) was diagnosed with a season-ending torn ACL, ESPN.com reports.

Rojas missed a day of workouts after experiencing cramping in his right foot during Sunday's exhibition against the Cubs, but he's back in action Tuesday and suddenly finds himself in position to fill a larger role than anticipated when the Dodgers acquired him this offseason and then signed him to a two-year extension. While serving as an everyday player for the Marlins in each of the past five seasons, Rojas topped out at 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases during a single year and maintained a .262 batting average during that stretch. While Rojas' fantasy profile isn't one teeming with upside, he could prove to be a sneaky compiler if he ends up sticking as a regular in what shapes up as the best lineup he's ever been a part of during his career. Even with Lux out of the picture, Rojas could still face competition for reps from utility man Chris Taylor, who has prior experience at shortstop but played just one inning at the position during the 2022 season.

Perez (back) will begin light baseball activities this week, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Perez continues to receive treatment and is going through a core stabilization program as he works his way back from lower-back inflammation. The infield prospect was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster over the offseason but is slated to begin the year in the minors.

Mondesi (knee) took regular batting practice Monday for the first time since last May's ACL surgery, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi has been going through some baseball activities for a little while now but this is the first time he took some rounds of BP on the field in 10 months. He has yet to participate in team defensive drills or run at max effort. Opening Day is considered a long shot, but Mondesi should be able to get into some Grapefruit League games in March.

Volpe is hitting fifth and playing second base in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Volpe has played shortstop for the overwhelming majority of his professional career, but the Yankees want to see their top prospect at multiple positions this spring, and he'll get the start at second base Monday. The 21-year-old is very likely ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the 2023 season, but if Volpe is able to show the versatility to contribute at multiple positions, it could be a major boon to his chances of making an early contribution to the Yankees this spring.