MLB Player News

Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti on Tuesday lauded the work Martinez put in during the offseason to become a better hitter, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports. "He worked really hard on his left-handed swing over the course of the winter, and we saw that play dividends in spring training," Antonetti said.

Pending any additional moves the team may make to finalize its Opening Day roster, Martinez appears to have beaten out Stuart Fairchild for the final outfield spot. The switch-hitting Martinez closed the spring slashing .356/.396/.800 with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, six RBI, three steals and 10 runs scored over 18 contests. Along with his ability to hit from both sides of the plate, Martinez brings defensive versatility and could play second base if needed. "He could be a really valuable member of our team and help us find ways to win games," Antonetti added.

Fairchild is expected to open the regular season at Triple-A Columbus, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

Fairchild, who was in camp as a non-roster invitee, appears to have lost out on his bid for a roster spot to Angel Martinez, who raked (1.196 OPS) this spring. The 30-year-old Fairchild has an upward mobility clause in his contract; if another team wants to add him to their 26-man or 40-man roster, the Guardians would have to decide whether they would match the proposition for part ways. Fairchild can play all three outfield spots and could be of value to another club.

The Rays placed Lux on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right shoulder impingement.

Lux had been slated to open the season as the Rays' primary second baseman, but he'll get a late start after coming down with a shoulder issue. Ben Williamson and/or Richie Palacios could get reps at the keystone while Lux is shelved.

The Rays placed Walls on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right oblique strain.

Walls is slated to miss at least the first couple weeks of the season due to an oblique strain that first popped up in late February. Carson Williams will handle shortstop for the Rays while Walls is out and could keep the job if he gets off to a hot start.

Wallner is expected to play everyday in right field and won't sit against left-handed pitchers early in the season, according to manager Derek Shelton via Matthew Leach of MLB.com.

Wallner has had problems against left-handed pitching (career .641 OPS against LHP), so this is a good sign for his playing time. He did improve to a .790 OPS vs. LHP last season. Wallner reduced his problematic strikeout rate below 30 percent for the first time in his career (29.1 percent) last season and had the best contact rate of his career (66.1 percent), so there are promising signs he could have a breakout season despite posting just a .775 OPS last year.

Jeffers went 3-for-3 with two RBI in the Grapefruit League finale win against Boston on Tuesday. He hit .239 (11-for-46) with a home run this spring. He's set to get the bulk of starts behind the plate plus occasional starts at DH, MLB.com reports.

Jeffers split playing time with Christian Vazquez last season as the Twins emphasized keeping their catchers fresh. However, Jeffers is expected to get the majority of starts this season under new manager Derek Shelton with Victor Caratini serving as his backup.

The Angels selected Frazier's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old emerged as the frontrunner to begin the season as the Angels' primary second baseman once the club sent Christian Moore and Kyren Paris to the minors last week, and Frazier's addition to the active roster makes it even more likely that will be the case. He made a strong case for himself to make the big-league squad, slashing .281/.452/.375 with six RBI and four runs scored over 18 games during spring training. He'll most likely work in a platoon at the keystone with Oswald Peraza -- a scenario that will still allow the lefty-hitting Frazier to start more often than not.

Banda will make Minnesota's final 26-man roster, MLB.com reports. He had a 4.91 ERA and 9:6 K:BB in 7.1 innings this spring.

Banda should have a prominent role in the setup corps for the Twins. However, he's one of three lefties in the bullpen, which could limit his usage in the highest-leverage roles.

The Angels placed Yates on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to left knee inflammation.

With Yates on the IL until at least April 6, the Angels are looking at a potential closing tandem of righty Jordan Romano and lefty Drew Pomeranz. Romano has put together a much better spring with a 1.50 ERA compared to Pomeranz's 9.64 mark. Even once he's back to full health, Yates won't be guaranteed the closer's role, though he should at least be a factor in the late innings for the Angels.

The Angels selected Candelario's contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

Candelario earned a spot on the Angels' Opening Day roster after slashing .245/.339/.612 with four homers, 10 RBI and eight runs scored over 56 plate appearances in the Cactus League. He will provide infield depth for the big club to begin the season while Vaughn Grissom (wrist) is on the injured list.