MLB Player News

Norby (side) expects to begin playing in games this weekend, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

After taking some cuts recently, Norby is now on the verge of making his Grapefruit League debut. The 23-year-old is a well-regarded prospect, though he's not seen as a realistic candidate to break camp with the big-league team. He hit .290/.359/.483 with 21 homers and 10 steals in 138 games with Triple-A Norfolk last season.

Semien went 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's spring game against Arizona.

Semien launched Eduardo Rodriguez's first pitch of the game over the wall in left center. It was the first Cactus League homer in four at-bats for Semien, who belted 29 for the Rangers in 2023. He's expected to bat leadoff once again in 2024 and has missed just one game over the last three seasons.

Norby (side) is feeling betting and will hit Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The 23-year-old has been shut down for a few days due to some soreness in his left side, but his confirms it isn't a major concern. Norby should continue to ramp up his workouts if he can avoid any setbacks.

Lopez has worked exclusively at second base early in spring training, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Lopez has worked evenly at second base and shortstop throughout his big-league career, but the White Sox are having him focus on the latter position for the time being. Van Schouwen reports that the club envisions him and Paul DeJong as the pairing in the middle infield this season, though Lopez could still lose playing time against lefties. Since a solid 2021 campaign, his performance has slipped considerably, and he posted just a .231/.236/.307 line across 262 plate appearances in 2023.

Stefanic left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers early due to a left quad strain, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The severity of Stefanic's injury is unknown, but the Angels will likely have more information following Saturday's contest. Stefanic slashed .290/.380/.355 across 71 plate appearances last season with Los Angeles and found consistent success in Triple-A as well, but his chances at making the big-league roster out of camp may take a significant hit if he's forced to miss a large portion of spring training.

Rengifo is expected to miss time due to left hamstring tightness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that Rengifo will be off his feet for the next few days, but manager Ron Washington believes the infielder will be ready for Opening Day. Rengifo's 2023 season was cut short after he sustained a torn biceps in early September. Across 126 games last year, he slashed .264/.339/.444 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI.

Norby is dealing with soreness on his side, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The Orioles don't seem to consider Norby's injury much of an issue, and he's expected to return within a couple of days. Norby is considered one of the better prospects in Baltimore's farm system, but he's unlikely to break camp with the major-league squad given the Orioles' already-crowded infield.

Lowe (illness) returned to team workouts Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe missed much of the last week with an illness but was able to join his teammates Thursday. He'll serve as the Rays' primary second baseman in 2024, though he'll likely cede at-bats when lefties are on the mound.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told Jung on Thursday the infielder will not be part of the Opening Day roster, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

It never really seemed like a consideration, but Hinch apparently wanted to nip the possibility in the bud at the start of camp. Jung slashed .265/.376/.502 with 28 home runs between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie in 2023. He's played only second base in the minors so far, but Jung was used at third base in the Arizona Fall League and that appears to be his long-term home with Colt Keith settling in at the keystone. Detroit has a big hole at the hot corner, so it's possible Jung could push to debut in 2024 if he gets off to a nice start.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that Rengifo and Mickey Moniak are candidates to bat leadoff, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The switch-hitting Rengifo is much better against left-handed pitching, so it might make sense to put him at the top of the order versus southpaws while Moniak bats leadoff against right-handers. Whichever of the two are in the leadoff spot will be followed by Nolan Schanuel, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Rengifo might not have a set position for the Halos, but he should get lots of his starts at third base while Rendon serves as the designated hitter.