MLB Player News

Angels manager Phil Nevin indicated that Rengifo could play right field occasionally this season as well as during his time with Team Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic, Doug Padilla of The Orange County Register reports.

Rengifo started in right field in Thursday's Cactus League contest against Kansas City and was charged with a throwing error in the fourth inning. He's not a complete stranger to the position -- he logged 103 innings there between 2021 and 2022 -- but hasn't shown great acumen for the outfield thus far. The Angels' infield is much more crowded this year with the additions of Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela as well as the return to health of both Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher, so Rengifo could help himself see more at-bats if he's able to gain the team's confidence as a capable outfielder.

Mathias was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Saturday.

Lefty reliever Will Smith was brought in on a one-year deal and Mathias was the roster casualty. While he's 28 years old and lacks a defensive home, Mathias hit six home runs in just 91 plate appearances in the majors last year, so he could draw interest on waivers.

Brujan was removed from Friday's Grapefruit League game after being hit by a pitch, but he did not sustain a serious injury, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Brujan was hit by a pitch in the shoulder in the fourth inning. He stayed in the game initially but was ultimately pulled as a precaution after feeling a "shock sensation" in his hand. However, after the contest manager Kevin Cash said Brujan was fine. The 25-year-old will be fighting for a bench role with the big-league club this spring, but he has only one hit in eight spring at-bats to this point.

Torres (mouth) is starting at second base and batting third Friday versus the Tigers.

Torres had a tooth extracted Thursday and was forced to miss the Yankees' matchup with the Pirates, but his absence will be limited to just one contest. So far this spring, the 26-year-old is 4-for-8 with a long ball.

Arroyo went 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI in Thursday's spring game against Philadelphia.

Arroyo belted a solo shot the opposite way in the second inning then followed with a grand slam an inning later. The original plan during the offseason was for him to return to a utility role, but that changed when shortstop Trevor Story underwent an elbow procedure that will keep him out until the second half of the season. The resulting domino effect has Enrique Hernandez moving to shortstop and Arroyo slotting in at second base. Once Adalberto Mondesi (knee) is ready, there could be a rotation of those three players at the two positions.

Biggio will split his playing time roughly equally between the infield and outfield this season, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Per manager John Schneider on Wednesday, Biggio will play "a ton" in the outfield in 2023, and the 27-year-old justified that confidence during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers when he made a dazzling sliding catch in right field, then doubled off a runner at first base. The Blue Jays have a lot of moving parts in the outfield, and while Biggio has mostly played right in the majors, he does have some experience in left and center as well. After managing only a .202/.318/.350 slash line over 97 games last season, however, he'll need to turn things around at the plate for any extra playing time to translate into real fantasy value.

Torres was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Pirates due to a tooth extraction, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Top prospect Anthony Volpe will get a turn at second base, where Torres is penciled in to start come Opening Day. Torres is off to a 4-for-8 start to spring training with a homer, and he should return to spring action within a few days.

General manager Rick Hahn praised Gonzalez's defensive versatility when speaking to the media at the beginning of spring training, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

For much of the offseason, Gonzalez was projected to start at second base for the White Sox. That changed when the team signed Elvis Andrus on Feb. 19, but Gonzalez could still make the big-league club out of spring training as a utility option. He's played every defensive position for the organization except first base, catcher and center field, which caused Hahn to draw a comparison between Gonzalez and Ben Zobrist.

Lowe (back) will serve as Tampa Bay's designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Lowe looks to be at full strength for spring training after back issues as well as a triceps contusion limited him to just 65 games in 2022. The back concerns may have well played a part in Lowe's downturn in production when he was healthy enough to take the field, as he saw his OPS drop to .691 last season after he posted marks of .850 or better in each of the previous three campaigns. Lowe thus looks like an interesting bounce-back candidate for 2023, and though he'll be making his spring debut at DH, he's eventually expected to settle back into a near-everyday role at second base.

Valdez will get reps all over the infield this spring, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com on Thursday.

Acquired from the Astros at last year's trade deadline as part of the Christian Vazquez deal, Valdez has some experience in the minors in the corner outfield spots, but it sounds like the Red Sox plan to keep him on the dirt. Cora repeatedly extolled Valdez's virtues as a hitter Thursday while also adding that "we'll try to help him defensively," which gives you an idea how the club views him. His defensive shortcomings aside, Valdez had a .918 OPS with 28 homers and 107 RBI between Double- and Triple-A last season. He's most comfortable at second base and Boston has a clear opening there, so while Valdez might not make the Opening Day roster, he's someone to keep an eye on.