MLB Player News

Ward is unconcerned about the knee soreness that kept him out of Monday's Cactus League game against the Rockies and said Tuesday that he expects to be back in game action soon, Jack Janes of TheSportingTribune.com reports.

Ward added that he would have played Monday had it been a regular-season contest. He is out of the lineup again Tuesday versus the Guardians, but his return to game action appears imminent.

Vivas (shoulder) will start at second base and bat seventh in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Vivas will be making his spring debut Tuesday after a sore shoulder delayed his entry into the spring lineup. The 23-year-old infielder is a member of the Yankees' 40-man roster, but he has yet to make his big-league debut and is most likely to begin the 2025 season in an everyday role at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Grissom leads the Red Sox with six starts at second base this spring, Joe Weil of WEEI reports.

Top prospect Kristian Campbell has only started once at the keystone while getting three starts in left field. Grissom is limited to second base, so it makes sense that he wouldn't be playing other positions, but if the Red Sox happen to start the season with Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) on the injured list, Grissom could be the Opening Day starter at second base.

Campbell is starting in left field Tuesday for the third time this spring, compared to one start at second base, Joe Weil of WEEI reports.

Campbell's defense at the keystone is arguably the worst part of his game, and it's noteworthy that the Red Sox seem to be playing him at an easier position (left field) rather than giving him more game reps at second base. Vaughn Grissom has made six starts at second base, while David Hamilton has made three starts and Alex Bregman has yet to feature at the keystone this spring. Campbell's clearest path to playing time would be at second base, as the Red Sox already have a crowded outfield, and prospect Roman Anthony would likely get the nod over Campbell if Boston turned to a top prospect to take on a prominent outfield role. Campbell got his first hit of the spring Monday and is hitting .071 with nine strikeouts and two walks in 16 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

Through seven Grapefruit League games, Lombard has gone 3-for-11 with two home runs, three runs and three RBI.

Lombard was invited to big-league spring training despite having yet to rise above the High-A level, and he's making the most of the opportunity. The 19-year-old hit his second long ball of the spring Monday, launching a shot to left-center field in the eighth inning against the Pirates. Lombard isn't a realistic candidate to make the Opening Day roster, but he's one of New York's top prospects and could advance to Double-A ball this year if he continues to take positive steps in his development.

Fried tossed 2.1 innings in a Grapefruit League game against Pittsburgh on Monday, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out two batters.

Fried's stat line in his first appearance in a Yankees uniform wasn't spectacular, though both runs that were charged to him crossed the plate after his third-inning exit. The southpaw threw 31 of his 49 pitches for strikes, with 29 of his offerings being four-seam fastballs and sinkers. Fried is penciled in to join Gerrit Cole atop the Yankees' rotation after signing an eight-year contract with New York during the offseason.

Mountcastle went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against Boston.

Mountcastle is off to an encouraging start this spring, having gone 4-for-11 with three runs scored and the aforementioned RBI. The offseason departure of Anthony Santander has created an opening in the top half of Baltimore's lineup for other members of the club to fill, with Mountcastle being one of the candidates to do so in 2025. While it's unknown where Mountcastle will slot in most days, the 28-year-old slugger is slated to serve as the Orioles' primary first baseman and is making an early case to hit in the heart of the order more often than not.

Mullins went 0-for-3 in Monday's Grapefruit League game against Boston and is now 1-for-13 during spring training.

After spending most of last season batting in the bottom part of the order, it remains unclear if the 30-year-old outfielder will be able to hit in the top part of Baltimore's lineup in 2025. Anthony Santander's exit this past offseason opens up an opportunity for Mullins to settle into a favorable lineup spot, but the Orioles may want to see the latter find a rhythm this spring before granting him that chance. Mullins' playing time was also fairly sporadic a year ago, but he's likely to handle the bulk of the reps in center field and offers enough power and speed to be worthy of drafting in most mixed fantasy leagues.

Moore went 0-for-3 in Monday's Cactus League game against Cleveland and is now 0-for-14 during spring training.

It's been a sluggish start to the spring for Moore, who is auditioning for the gig as Seattle's primary second baseman in 2025. Jorge Polanco is set to move to third base following the departure of Josh Rojas this past offseason, clearing up plenty of reps at the keystone. Moore has position eligibility in fantasy leagues essentially across the entire diamond and is capable of stealing bases in bunches when given consistent at-bats, so he remains a late-round flier in drafts this spring.

O'Hearn went 1-for-3 with one strikeout in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

O'Hearn was able to get his first hit of the spring out of the cleanup spot in Baltimore's lineup, as he's now gone 1-for-12 during spring training. The 31-year-old veteran slugger is set to function as the Orioles' primary designated hitter versus right-handed pitching in 2025, but he does have 2020 first-rounder Heston Kjerstad fighting for at-bats as well. O'Hearn is likely to be on the strong side of a platoon, so he is best deployed in daily leagues or deeper formats.