MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Vivas hasn't participated in any Grapefruit League games due to shoulder soreness, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Vivas is close to being ready for game action, per Boone. The 23-year-old hit .225/.347/.366 with nine home runs and 20 steals over 93 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2024 and is likely to head back to the minors to begin the 2025 campaign.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday that Westburg hasn't played since Saturday due to lower-back soreness, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

The Orioles expect Westburg to be ready to go in a few days, so fantasy managers shouldn't be too concerned about his recent absence from the spring lineup. Westburg put up a .792 OPS with 18 home runs and six stolen bases in 107 regular-season contests for Baltimore in 2024. He's expected to serve as the club's everyday third baseman in 2025.

Westburg remains out of the Orioles' Grapefruit League lineup Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's not yet clear whether Westburg is dealing with some sort of injury, but he has not played since the Baltimore's spring training opener Saturday. The club could offer more information on Westburg's status soon.

Bazzana walked twice and hit a three-run home run in Tuesday's Cactus League game against Milwaukee.

Bazzana entered in the sixth inning to play second base. The 22-year-old's notoriously discerning eye was on display in his first two plate appearances when he worked walks. He then jumped on the first pitch he saw in the bottom the ninth inning, going deep over the wall in right field. He's not expected to win the Guardians' open job at second base to start the season, but Bazzana and his 70 hit tool could reach the majors in 2025.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Altuve will make his Grapefruit League debut in left field later this week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve's workouts so far in camp have focused on left field, and that's the position he'll man in his first game this spring. As long as he proves to be adequate defensively, it seems as though Houston plans to play him there often, if not on a full-time basis. Altuve has never played the outfield either at the major- or minor-league level.

White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that he views Vargas as the team's primary option at third base, James Fegan of Sox Machine reports.

Vargas is working out a bit at first base this spring, too, and he has plenty of past experience at second base and in left field. However, it sounds like he will focus on the hot corner in 2025. Vargas has managed just a .175/.273/.312 batting line at the major-league level and slashed just .104/.217/.170 in 42 games with the White Sox last season after being acquired via trade. However, he turned just 25 this offseason and is a former top prospect, so expect the White Sox to give him plenty of leash to see if he can hit his stride.

Moore will get looks at both second base and third base during spring training, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Moore was already expected to compete for an Opening Day roster spot as a second baseman, but he could increase his chances of breaking camp with the big club if he can prove himself capable of handling the hot corner. Though the Angels signed Yoan Moncada on Feb. 6 to fill a need at third base in the wake of Anthony Rendon's potentially season-ending hip surgery, the team hasn't yet committed to a specific starter either there or at second base. Luis Rengifo is also a candidate to start at either position, and Tim Anderson has spent some time at the keystone this spring as well.

The Rays signed Westbrook to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Westbrook, 29, saw his first major-league action in 2024 with the Red Sox, producing a .584 OPS over 21 contests. He's likely to begin the 2025 campaign at Triple-A Durham, where he'll provide utility depth.

Julien is battling Brooks Lee for the starting second base job this spring with Willi Castro also likely to get time at the position, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. He started at second base in his spring debut Sunday and went 1-for-3.

Julien was thought to be a possible platoon partner at first base earlier in the winter, but Minnesota's signing of Ty France likely limits him to second base for any starting job. Julien's role is in flux as he could win the second base job, platoon at first base (or DH or 2B) or even begin the season in the minors. Julien displayed a mix of exceptional plate discipline and power in 2023 with a .381 OBP and .195 ISO, but he struggled with a .615 OPS last season and spent much of the year in the minors.

Vargas added 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vargas had considerable prospect pedigree while rising through the Dodgers' system, though he's hit just .204 with 13 home runs across 591 big-league plate appearances. His struggles in 2024 were at least partially blamed on the fact that he lost 12-to-14 pounds during the season, causing him to prioritize adding muscle this offseason. Vargas made his spring debut Saturday against the Cubs and went 0-for-2 with a walk.