MLB Player News
-
Andrew Vaughn 1B | MIL
White Sox's Andrew Vaughn: Makes second outfield start
Vaughn started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored in Sunday's spring game against Arizona.
Vaughn made his second start in left field and handled his chances without issue. White Sox manager Tony La Russa is getting a look at Vaughn as a replacement for Eloy Jimenez, who will miss at least five months with a pectoral injury. The club may not need Vaughn as a permanent fill-in, because Adam Engel (hamstring) is due back within the first two weeks of the regular season. If Engel takes over in left, then Vaughn will slide back to designated hitter.
-
Blue Jays' Rowdy Tellez: Locks up roster spot
Toronto informed Tellez on Sunday that he would be included on the Opening Day roster, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
The uncertain status of George Springer (oblique) for the start of the season might have helped Tellez's case for a spot on the 26-man roster, but the 26-year-old entered the spring on fairly sturdy ground after submitting a career-best .886 OPS over 127 plate appearances in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. The lefty-hitting Tellez will likely sit against southpaws more often than not, but he should start at least semi-regularly at either designated hitter or first base when the Blue Jays oppose right-handed pitchers.
-
Bobby Dalbec 1B | CHW
Red Sox's Bobby Dalbec: Dealing with finger injury
Manager Alex Cora told WEEI radio during Sunday's spring game that Dalbec is sitting out a couple days due to a sore right index finger.
The 25-year-old apparently suffered the injury while fielding a grounder Saturday, but he's expected to retake the field in the final game of spring ball Tuesday. Dalbec is on track to be ready for Opening Day as Boston's starter at first base.
-
Yandy Diaz 1B | TB
Rays' Yandy Diaz: Finishing strong at plate
Diaz went 2-for-2 with a solo home run, an RBI groundout and a walk in a Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox on Friday, pushing his spring average to .290 (9-for-31) across 14 games.
Diaz was hitting just .188 as recently as March 16, but he subsequently picked up the pace at the plate and now has at least one RBI in six of his last eight exhibitions. The fact the burly infielder's late-spring surge has included a pair of round trippers is particularly encouraging, as Diaz has been working on squaring up on the ball with more authority following a nearly 15.0 percent drop in hard-contact rate and a tally of just five extra-base hits over 138 plate appearances in 2020.
-
Nate Lowe 1B | CIN
Rangers' Nate Lowe: Wins starting role
Lowe was named the Rangers' starting first baseman Saturday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.
Lowe's top competitor, Ronald Guzman, has also made the team, but he isn't expected to play regularly at first base. Lowe could potentially thrive with regular at-bats, something he wasn't able to earn in the past two seasons with the Rays. His .215/.322/.447 slash line through his first 71 big-league games is decent, though his 31.8 percent strikeout rate is high for a player who's only shown modest power.
-
Luke Voit 1B | NYM
Yankees' Luke Voit: Slated to undergo surgery
Voit has a partial meniscus tear and will undergo surgery, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Voit recently underwent an MRI that revealed the extent of his knee injury. Voit won't be able to participate in baseball activities for at least three weeks following his procedure, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action. Jay Bruce will serve as the team's starting first baseman in his absence, while Derek Dietrich and Tyler Wade could also see increased playing time to begin the season.
-
Andrew Vaughn 1B | MIL
White Sox's Andrew Vaughn: Handles outfield challenge
Vaughn could open the regular season as the starting left fielder after he made his debut there Friday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Vaughn had a largely uneventful day in left field, his first experience patrolling the outfield in game conditions. He caught the lone flyball in his vicinity and fielded a double that rolled into the corner. Manager Tony La Russa will evaluate him as a left fielder over the next few days and make a decision based on what he sees. Vaughn, a first-base prospect who was expected to serve as the primary designated hitter in 2021, took flyballs in the outfield during spring training this year and worked there last summer at the team's alternate training site in Schaumburg.
-
Chris Shaw 1B | CHW
Orioles' Chris Shaw: Reassigned to minors
Shaw was reassigned to minor-league camp Friday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.
Shaw was designated for assignment by the Orioles in late January but went unclaimed on waivers. The 26-year-old appeared in 20 Cactus League games but hit just .071 with three walks and two runs. Shaw will likely begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk.
-
Bobby Dalbec 1B | CHW
Red Sox's Bobby Dalbec: Takes spring HR lead
Dalbec went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's spring game against the Twins.
Dalbec launched his seventh spring home run, which leads both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. That's seven homers in 42 spring at-bats, a better rate than the eight in 80 at-bats he had during 2020. Dalbec, who still qualifies as a rookie in 2021, has also struck out 18 times in 42 at-bats however, continuing the contact issues he had in his big-league debut (42.4 percent strikeout rate in 2020).
-
Andrew Vaughn 1B | MIL
White Sox's Andrew Vaughn: Manning left field Friday
Vaughn will start in left field Friday against the Brewers, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
The White Sox are scrambling to fill in for injured left fielder Eloy Jimenez, who will miss a minimum of five months with a ruptured left pectoral tendon. Vaughn, who is projected to be team's primary designated hitter, will get his first exposure to the outfield Friday while the team evaluates other internal options, including Adam Engel (hamstring), Leury Garcia, Billy Hamilton and Nick Williams.