MLB Player News

Westburg is batting .308 with a home run, four RBI and seven runs scored through 16 Grapefruit League games.

Westburg has also posted a 2:12 BB:K, but his five extra-base hits in 39 at-bats have made him stand out in camp. The 24-year-old split last year between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a combined .261/.353/.491 slash line with 27 home runs, 105 RBI, 95 runs scored and 12 stolen bases across 138 games. Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports that teammates and coaches consider Westburg a consistent player. If he can continue to show that trait at Triple-A this season, he could be in line for his major-league debut some time this summer.

Drury (calf) is back in the Angels' Cactus League lineup Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Drury hasn't played since last Friday due to a sore calf as a result of fouling a ball off the area, but he's fine. The 30-year-old is at first base and batting second against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Clement was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Monday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Clement was signed to a minor-league deal last week, and the former Cleveland and Oakland infielder will provide organizational depth for the Blue Jays; likely at the Triple-A level.

The Mariners reassigned Wong to minor-league camp Monday.

Despite offering multi-position versatility in addition to possessing 39 games' worth of prior MLB experience, Wong never looked to be a serious threat to make the Mariners' Opening Day roster. Wong stole 41 bases in 47 attempts at Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization in 2022, but he otherwise struggled at the dish (.670 OPS over 565 plate appearances) while playing in hitter-friendly parks in the Pacific Coast League. He'll likely head to Triple-A Tacoma to begin his time in the Seattle organization.

Ibanez (finger) started at second base and went 1-for-4 for Cuba in Sunday's World Baseball Classic loss to the United States.

Ibanez sprained his left ring finger during an exhibition game for Cuba and didn't travel to Japan for the first round. He played with Cuba once the team returned to Miami. He'll now return to Detroit's camp and looks to be ready for the regular season.

Astros general manager Dana Brown confirmed Sunday that Altuve has a fractured right thumb and will undergo surgery, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Brown told reporters that the surgery will be done in the coming days as surgeons need some of the swelling to subside before the operation can occur, and that there is no timetable for Altuve's return. The former MVP was hit on his thumb by Daniel Bard during the World Baseball Classic, and imaging has revealed the fracture. Altuve will miss at least all of April while recovering, and he isn't likely to return until the middle of May at the earliest.

Dubon is one of the likely fill-in options at second base after manager Dusty Baker said Sunday that starter Jose Altuve (thumb) is likely out "a while," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros have yet to provide any specifics on the injury, but according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Altuve is dealing with a fractured thumb and is expected to miss 8-to-10 weeks. Dubon appeared in career-high 104 games last season between Houston and San Francisco and had a .214/.252/.313 slash line. He'd be the more defensive-oriented option at the keystone, with David Hensley offering more upside at the plate.

Altuve is expected to be out 8-to-10 weeks after being diagnosed with a fractured right thumb Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

The initial fears of a broken thumb appear to have come to fruition after Altuve exited Saturday's World Baseball Classic game due to a hit-by-pitch. An eight-week absence would have the 32-year-old returning in mid-to-late May, but any hiccups during his rehab program could push his return well into June. David Hensley, Mauricio Dubon and Rylan Bannon should all be in the mix to see playing time at second base while Altuve is unavailable.

Hensley is starting at second base and batting cleanup in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 26-year-old covering the keystone ordinarily wouldn't be newsworthy at this point in spring training, but it's notable after Jose Altuve suffered an injury Saturday during the World Baseball Classic, with the initial fear being that of a broken thumb. Hensley made five appearances at second base last season and could split time there with Mauricio Dubon with Altuve likely unavailable to open the campaign.

Angels manager Phil Nevin expressed concern about Rengifo's lack of playing time with Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Nevin's comments came before Venezuela was ousted from the tournament by Team USA on Saturday, but it remains to be seen if Rengifo's minimal playing time will have any impact on his readiness for the regular season. The infielder got just six at-bats during the tournament, collecting one hit (a single) and scoring two runs. Rengifo will presumably return to the Angels in short order and should have more opportunities to play as the team wraps up its Cactus League schedule.