MLB Player News

Baldwin is among the candidates to see starts at shortstop for the White Sox, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth are back in the minors, leaving Baldwin, Jacob Amaya and non-roster invitees Nick Maton and Tristan Gray as candidates at shortstop in what will be a "mix and matching" situation, per manager Will Venable. Amaya is probably the favorite to see the bulk of the time at shortstop based on his defensive prowess. Baldwin, meanwhile, operated in a utility role during spring training and could continue to bounce around all over the field for the Southsiders.

The Tigers placed Meadows (arm) on the 60-day injured list Monday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

With this move, Meadows now isn't eligible to return until late May. The 25-year-old outfielder is battling a nerve issue in his right arm and will require at least four more weeks of rest before he can begin throwing. Meadows going on the 60-day IL clears a 40-man roster spot for Manuel Margot, who was officially signed Monday. With Wenceel Perez (back) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) also out, the Tigers could use Ryan Kreidler in center field.

The Orioles reassigned Machin to minor-league camp Monday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles signed Machin to a minor-league contract Nov. 11 after playing in the Mexican League in 2024. He posted an impressive .400/.438/.578 with one home run and 10 RBI across 48 plate appearances in spring training, but he'll likely begin the 2025 campaign in Double-A or Triple-A. Machin last saw major-league action in 2022 with the Athletics, finishing the regular season with a .587 OPS across 73 games.

Pasquantino has been diagnosed with a Grade 1-plus right hamstring strain, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Pasquantino -- who suffered the injury during Saturday's Cactus League game -- said Monday that he plans on playing in Thursday's opener, but he added, "that's just me speaking as a player." The ultimate decision lies with the Royals, and they may very well choose to hold Pasquantino out. He will not play in the team's final two exhibition games Monday and Tuesday but will hit in the batting cage Monday and on the field Tuesday. If Pasquantino isn't ready for the start of the season, Mark Canha and Salvador Perez represent options at first base for Kansas City.

The Orioles optioned Gibson to minor-league camp Monday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Gibson signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Orioles on Friday to bring depth to a rotation that has Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish all missing the start of the season due to elbow injuries. Despite not being with a team during most of spring training, the 37-year-old Gibson has pitched in simulated games against college hitters and has built up to 70 pitches, and the plan is for the veteran right-hander to join Baltimore's rotation "somewhere around" May 1, per Weyrich. Gibson went 8-8 across 30 regular-season starts with the Cardinals in 2024 and logged a 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 151:68 K:BB over 169.2 innings.

Amaya is among those in the mix for starts at shortstop for the White Sox, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Manager Will Venable said that he will "probably be mix and matching" at shortstop, adding that Amaya is "obviously a great defender." Amaya has slashed only .182/.222/.195 in limited chances at the big-league level. Brooks Baldwin and non-roster invitees Nick Maton and Tristan Gray are also in the mix for starts at shortstop.

Latz was spotted at Globe Life Field on Monday and could win a spot in the Rangers' Opening Day bullpen, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Latz was sent to minor-league camp in early March, but he remains under consideration for a multi-inning relief role and could be the favorite to nab the last spot in the Texas bullpen. The 28-year-old made 46 appearances in relief for the Rangers in 2024, posting a 3.71 ERA and 40:27 K:BB over 43.2 frames.

Jones is expected to see the bulk of his playing time in right field against right-handed pitching, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

The Guardians acquired Jones via trade Saturday and sent Will Brennan down Monday, effectively replacing the latter with the former as the strong side of a platoon in right field. Jhonkensy Noel is likely to start in right field versus left-handers. Jones exiting Coors Field isn't ideal on the surface, but Progressive Field ranked fourth in baseball for home runs for left-handed batters last season, per Baseball Savant's Park Factors.

Cantillo will open the season in the Guardians' bullpen, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Cantillo lost out on the fifth spot in Cleveland's rotation but will be included on its Opening Day roster as a reliever. The left-hander made eight starts and one relief appearance last season, collecting a 4.89 ERA and 44:15 K:BB over 38.2 frames. Cantillo could still be considered for starts at some point later this season.

The Guardians optioned Walters (shoulder) to Triple-A Columbus on Monday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

After retiring just one batter and giving up three earned runs in his Cactus League debut Feb. 24, Walters was shut down for a brief period of time due to right shoulder stiffness. Walters was cleared to return to action March 15 and gave up one earned run on three hits and two walks over 2.2 innings across his final three appearances of the spring, but the missed time along with the fact that he had minor-league options remaining likely worked against him in his bid for the Opening Day roster. If he's able to get off to good start to the season at Triple-A, Walters should be in the mix for an early call-up, as he excelled in his first taste of the majors in 2024. The young righty allowed just six baserunners over 8.2 innings during the regular season and then held opposing batters to a .111 average over three postseason appearances.