MLB Player News

Baez is expected to open the season in a bench role with Trey Sweeney likely in line to serve as the Tigers' Opening Day starter at shortstop, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Sweeney hasn't been optioned to Triple-A Toledo yet, and if the 24-year-old sticks in the majors, the Tigers likely won't want him riding the pine instead of developing in the minors. Baez has seemingly kept himself prepared for the possibility of serving in more of a utility role this spring, as he's also been seeing time at third base in addition to his natural spot at shortstop. Baez has struggled mightily since signing a six-year, $140 million deal with Detroit in November 2021, but with three seasons still left on his contract, the Tigers may not be ready to write him off as a sunk cost just yet.

Malloy went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

While Malloy hasn't gone deep yet this spring, he is batting a solid .308 across 17 contests. Power is the 25-year-old's calling card, but after batting just .203 with a 37 percent strikeout rate as a rookie last year, the team would likely trade in a bit of his slugging ways for more consistent contact at the plate. Malloy may be a bench option for the Tigers to begin the regular season, though he has the upside to seize a larger role as the year progresses.

Rice went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Rice has homered in back-to-back games as he continues to build his case for a spot on the club's Opening Day roster. He slotted in behind the dish Monday after serving as the designated hitter Sunday, putting his versatility on full display. Rice would likely get looks at first base, catcher and in the DH spot if he were to make the big-league club out of camp.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Campbell is still fine-tuning his defense at second base and admitted the 22-year-old prospect has struggled offensively during Cactus League play, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Cora talked about Campbell's need to refine ball security on transfers and how he receives the ball. The manager feels those details can be cleaned up, but it's looking like the one-time frontrunner for the second base job is losing out to David Hamilton. As for Campbell's offense, he's batting .167 (6-for-36) with 15 strikeouts this spring. If Campbell doesn't win the starting job at second, he's expected to open the 2025 season at Triple-A Worcester.

Grissom may be behind David Hamilton in the battle for the starting second base job, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora is expected to name his starter at second base soon, but it looks like both Grissom (.176 average, .535 OPS) and Kristian Campbell (15 strikeouts in 36 Cactus League at-bats) are losing out to Hamilton. The speedy Hamilton (.812 OPS, five steals) is out-hitting both competitors, and Cora's comments suggest he's more of a known commodity. The manager also noted Hamilton's improvement at the dish in 2024. The lone caveat here is if Rafael Devers eventually takes over at third base, which would likely mean Alex Bregman plays the keystone.

The Blue Jays placed Manoah (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Richard Lovelady, whose contract was selected Monday. Manoah has begun to throw off a mound but is not expected back from his hybrid internal brace procedure until August.

The Blue Jays selected Lovelady's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Manager John Schneider said Monday that Lovelady is still competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but the Blue Jays elected to go ahead and add him to their 40-man roster now, likely due to an opt-out in the reliever's minor-league contract. Lovelady does not have minor-league options left, so he would need to go through waivers first if the club wanted to send him to Buffalo. The southpaw has allowed five runs (four earned) with an 8:3 K:BB in seven innings this spring.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Vazquez is expected to be fine after exiting Monday's Grapefruit League contest against the Red Sox after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Vazquez looked to be in ample pain after being struck by a pitch in the seventh inning, but it doesn't sound like he will need any testing. The infielder is projected to open the season at Triple-A Norfolk.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Mayo is expected to be fine after being lifted from Monday's Grapefruit League game versus the Red Sox after being hit on the right hand by a pitch, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The team will re-evaluate Mayo's hand Tuesday just to be safe, but it doesn't sound like he will miss much, if any, time. Mayo is likely to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Norfolk.

Benintendi (hand) took live batting practice Monday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. "I feel a lot better than I anticipated," Benintendi said after Monday's workout. "Things kind of progressed better than we thought. The bone itself is healed. At this point it's just pain tolerance."

Benintendi faced pitching for the first time since Feb. 27, when he suffered a non-displaced fracture of the bone on beneath the pinky knuckle on his right hand after Guardians lefty Logan Allen struck him with a pitch. The 30-year-old said that he had been hitting for four or five days before testing himself in a live session Monday, and if he experiences no unexpected pain coming out of the workout, he could be cleared to rejoin the White Sox's Cactus League lineup as a designated hitter Wednesday against the Brewers. At the time he suffered the injury, Benintendi faced an estimated recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks, but he sounds like he'll push to be ready for the March 27 season opener against the Angels, even if the fractured bone hasn't fully healed by then.