MLB Player News

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Smith will play all infield positions and left field during spring games, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. "I think he's comfortable moving around," Bochy said. "He's already done it, so that's always a good thing."

Smith came through the system as a shortstop, but he's blocked by Corey Seager in the majors. That means he'll have to make the team in a utility capacity. He debuted in the majors in 2022, playing 36 games at third base, 24 in left field, six at shortstop, five as the designated hitter and two at second base. Smith posted a line of .197/.307/.249 over 73 games.

Ahmed (shoulder) will not play in the Diamondbacks' Cactus League opener Saturday, Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports.

It's merely a precautionary measure as Ahmed completes his recovery from the shoulder surgery he underwent last June. He has been throwing without issue so far in camp, but the Diamondbacks want him to build up a bit more power and endurance before exposing his surgically repaired right arm to live competition. There's no current worry about his readiness for the start of the 2023 regular season.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Friday that Abrams could work his way to the top of the batting order with a strong spring, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Abrams will hit leadoff in the Nats' Grapefruit League opener Saturday against the Cardinals, though Lane Thomas is probably going to have that role when the real games begin. Abrams seems to be a potential option for the No. 2 spot if he displays enough improvement in the on-base department over the next five weeks. The 22-year-old slashed just .246/.280/.324 across his first 302 major-league plate appearances last season between San Diego and Washington.

Velazquez (knee) said Sunday that he intends to return to switch hitting this season, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez dropped switch hitting for a portion of last season to focus on batting right-handed, but he doesn't intend to continue that trend in 2023. He wasn't very effective from either side of the plate in 2022, though he did fare far better as a righty, batting .238 from that side of the plate versus .168 as a lefty. In any case, Velazquez could see fewer opportunities this season with Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher back healthy and new additions Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela further clogging up spots in the infield.

Baez can opt out of his contract after the upcoming season, and it's unclear if he'll remain in Detroit beyond 2023, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Baez had a disappointing first season in Detroit after signing a six-year, $140 million deal, posting just a .671 OPS and hitting only 17 home runs after recording 31 long balls in 2021. Entering his age-30 season, Baez will be looking to rebound, and if he does, he may want to test free agency again next offseason. The rebuilding Tigers may also look to trade him at some point in 2023, particularly if the shortstop plays well and Detroit can acquire solid prospects in return.

The Pirates announced Wednesday that Cruz (ankle) is a "full go" for spring training, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Though Cruz sustained what was reported to be a minor ankle injury in December while he played in the Dominican Winter League, his availability for the start of spring training was never believed to be in much question. It's reassuring nonetheless that the Pirates have cleared him for full activity for the first week of camp, ensuring that the 24-year-old can continue to hone his craft in the field and at the plate during the Grapefruit League slate. Last week, Cruz told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic that he expects to turn in a "30/30 or 40/40" season, and while that type of lofty production probably isn't realistic, a 20/20 season is certainly attainable for the toolsy shortstop if health prevails and he shows some growth as a hitter. In 361 plate appearances with the big club as a rookie last season, Cruz notched 17 home runs and 10 stolen bases, but a bloated 34.9 percent strikeout rate weighed down his batting average (.233).

Luciano (back) is ramping up his hitting progression and fielding grounders Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Luciano is still recovering from a back injury sustained in the Dominican Winter League. It doesn't appear this injury will impact the start of his season, where he's expected to make the jump to Double-A Richmond to begin the year. Barring setbacks, Luciano should have a chance to get into at least a couple of spring games.

DeJong has removed a high leg kick from his swing, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

DeJong has a tumultuous 2022, which saw him in and out of the mix for the starting shortstop job. He ended the campaign with a paltry .157/.245/.286 slash line across 77 games in the majors, which prompted him to work on his plate mechanics during the offseason. DeJong figures to be in competition for a spot on the major-league roster throughout spring training -- a number of moving parts in the infield, such as where Tommy Edman plays, will likely have an impact on DeJong's role.

Rojas (hand) was spotted taking part in fielding drills at shortstop Monday during the Dodgers' spring workout in Arizona, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Rojas underwent surgery in mid-January to remove a loose piece of bone between the thumb and index finger on his right hand, but his ability to field grounders and throw across the infield Monday suggests he's at full strength for his first spring training with the Dodgers. After being acquired from the Marlins in January and then signing a two-year extension less than a month later, the 33-year-old Rojas is clearly valued by the Dodgers, but he's still likely to be ticketed for a utility infield role when Los Angeles is at full strength. The Dodgers are giving top prospect Miguel Vargas (finger) a chance to lock down an everyday role at second base in spring training, while Gavin Lux is shifting from the keystone to shortstop in the wake of Trea Turner's move to Philadelphia this offseason. The presence of Vargas and Lux looks as though it'll block Rojas from seeing steady reps at either middle-infield spot.

Mondesi (knee) has started baseball activities with hitting and fielding drills but is still ramping up his running progression, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi's rehab is expected to keep him out of the lineup when Opening Day rolls around, which means manager Alex Cora will deploy Enrique Hernandez at shortstop and Christian Arroyo at second base. Once Mondesi is healthy, there could be a rotation of the three players at the two positions until Trevor Story (elbow, 60-day IL) is ready to play.