MLB Player News

Vaughn (back) appeared in another minor-league game Saturday and hopes to return to the big-league lineup Monday against the Cubs, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vaughn has been dealing with lower-back soreness for over a week, but he's trending in the right direction. He served as the designated hitter in Friday's minor-league contest and will play the field Saturday. If he does indeed play Monday and gets through the game without issues, he should be good to go for Opening Day.

Guardians manager Terry Francona announced that Arias left Friday's game against the Cubs with a contusion on his right hand, Mandy Bell of MLB.comreports.

Arias was hit in the same hand that he broke in 2022, but he underwent a scan and everything has come back OK according to Francona. The utility player is not scheduled to undergo X-rays just yet, but the team might be waiting for any swelling to go down. For now, Arias should be considered day-to-day.

Arias left Friday's Cactus League game after being hit near his hand by a pitch, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Arias had a broken right hand that sidelined him in 2022, and he is expected to serve as a utility player for the Guardians in 2023. He immediately dropped to the ground after being hit, and looked to be in significant pain. If he ends up landing on the IL to begin the season, Tyler Freeman might be recalled to take Arias' spot on Cleveland's bench.

Casas hit a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Red Sox a 9-8 win over Atlanta in Friday's Grapefruit League game.

Casas smoked a two-run homer off Joe Harvey to give the Red Sox the victory. The 23-year-old has blasted three homers so far in the Grapefruit League, and he's also hitting .360 to show he's more than just a power threat at the plate. Casas is expected to have an everyday role for Boston, and while there may be some ups and downs in his first full season, he offers significant offensive upside.

Casas and Alex Verdugo will be the preferred options in the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com on Friday.

Cora will use Enrique Hernandez and Christian Arroyo at leadoff versus left-handers as he mixes and matches at the top of the batting order. Casas would have more pop than most leadoff hitters, but his excellent batting eye makes him a fit. He's reached base at a .400 clip this spring while slugging a couple dingers.

Vaughn (back) will play in a minor-league game Friday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vaughn will be able to take as many at-bats as he needs in a controlled setting. Assuming it goes well, the first baseman could be able to play in a Cactus League during the final stretch of spring training. Vaughn has been dealing with lower-back soreness for the last week but should be ready for Opening Day as long as he can avoid setbacks.

Casas (finger) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

As expected, Casas will return Thursday after missing a couple days with left fifth finger pain. The swing-and-miss in Casas' game has been prevalent this spring (11 strikeouts in 41 at-bats), but he's done damage when he's put bat to ball with five extra-base hits in exhibition play. The 23-year-old is primed to begin the season as Boston's primary first baseman.

Kirilloff (wrist) will begin the season on the injured list, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

We're barely more than a week away from Opening Day and Kirilloff still hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game, so this news doesn't come as a surprise. The good news is that he has been participating in some minor-league contests lately and has been taking live batting practice for a while. Kirilloff's stint on the injured list seems like it has the potential to be a relatively short one, but we'll have to wait and see how he progresses in the coming days and weeks. The Twins are expected to utilize multiple players at first base while Kirilloff is sidelined, with Jose Miranda, Joey Gallo and Donovan Solano among those in the mix.

Casas (finger) is slated to return to the Red Sox' Grapefruit League lineup Thursday versus the Pirates, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Casas had to be scratched from Tuesday's lineup and will remain out Wednesday due to a left pinkie injury he suffered while catching a medicine ball in the weight room, but he'll be back in there Thursday. The young first baseman has clubbed a pair of home runs this spring while putting up a .952 OPS.

The Royals optioned Pratto to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Pratto was a solid contributor in Cactus League play before his demotion, producing a .313/.378/.438 slash over 37 plate appearances. The 24-year-old will get regular playing time at Omaha, and a strong start to his campaign in the minors could earn him a promotion over the summer, if not sooner.