MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that he envisions Torres batting in the 4-to-6 range in the lineup, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Boone added that Torres could also fill in at leadoff on occasion. DJ LeMahieu appears to be the heavy favorite to open the season at the top of the batting order and will likely be followed by Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Tuesday that Caballero is still expected to be the Opening Day shortstop even after the addition of Amed Rosario, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays are viewing Rosario as more of a utility player than a regular at any one position. Acquired via trade from the Mariners in January, Caballero slashed .221/.343/.320 with four homers and 26 stolen bases over 104 games with Seattle in 2023. Taylor Walls (hip) will also eventually be in the mix for starts at shortstop, but he'll miss at least the first month of the season.

Torres said Wednesday that he's interested in signing a long-term contract extension with the Yankees, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

However, Torres added that he and his representation have yet to engage in negotiations with the club regarding a long-term deal, confirming what general manager Brian Cashman said last week. Torres is set to earn $14.2 million in 2024 in his final year under contract before reaching free agency next offseason. While it does not appear the Yankees are eager to lock him up to an extension, Torres' market figures to be fairly robust. He's posted a 120 wRC+ over the last two seasons and will be only 28 heading into free agency.

Lowe was held out of workouts again Tuesday due to illness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's not clear exactly what Lowe is dealing with, but he should be fine to return to action later this week. The 29-year-old is slated to handle second base again for the Rays in 2024.

Urias has resumed workouts following a shutdown period due to right shoulder inflammation, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

Urias was diagnosed with inflammation after reporting to camp early a couple weeks ago. The good news is that testing came back negative and he has since been cleared for workouts. It's possible the Mariners will ease Urias into Cactus League play, but it does not appear this will interrupt his availability for the start of the season.

Westburg will primarily play at second base and third base with a little bit of shortstop mixed in this spring, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Westburg got six games of experience in the corner outfield last season with Triple-A Norfolk, but he's played 50 of his 80 major-league games at second base. There's a good chance Westburg can claim a starting role at the keystone this spring, though the Orioles are also trying top prospect Jackson Holliday there. That said, Westburg's versatility will be beneficial to him beginning the season in the majors.

Foscue will primarily work out at first base for the Rangers this spring, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Foscue has predominantly been a second baseman, but with Marcus Semien holding down the keystone in Texas, Foscue's best path to playing time lies elsewhere. The 24-year-old did see some action at first base down the stretch last season at Triple-A Round Rock, so the position isn't totally foreign to him. Foscue is also an option at designated hitter for the Rangers, and he might see action at third base if Josh Jung's calf injury lingers into the regular season.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that he has not had any contract extension talks with Torres' representation, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cashman added that Torres is the team's second baseman "for this season" in what will be his final year before reaching free agency next winter. It's possible the two sides will eventually look into a long-term deal down the line, but that doesn't appear to be on the horizon. Torres slashed .273/.347/.453 with 25 home runs for the Yanks in 2023.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Biggio has left shoulder tendinitis, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

He has yet to face live pitching so far this spring, but it's possible the Jays are simply erring on the side of caution in order to prevent Biggio's shoulder from getting any worse. Schneider also noted Thursday that the utility player is expected to be in the mix for reps at second and third base -- a good indication that Biggio will be ready when Grapefruit League play begins later this spring.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider on Thursday mentioned Biggio, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Santiago Espinal when asked about the team's options at second and third base, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Notably absent was Davis Schneider, who the skipper said would focus on playing left field in addition to second base. Biggio did see most of the action at second base for Toronto down the stretch last season and started both games in the club's Wild Card Series loss to the Twins. The 28-year-old could be the favorite to handle the keystone against right-handed pitching, at least initially.