MLB Player News

Frazier is 3-for-19 with a double, a walk, one strikeout and three runs scored across eight Grapefruit League games.

Frazier hasn't hit well in the spring, but it's not much to be concerned about for a veteran. The 31-year-old is expected to be the Orioles' Opening Day second baseman, though he could ultimately end up filling the strong side of platoon at the keystone. Ramon Urias is Baltimore's top right-handed option in a variety of spots, so he could occasionally spell left-handed hitters like Frazier at second and Gunnar Henderson at third.

The Athletics optioned Diaz to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Though Diaz displayed impressive contact skills during his time at Las Vegas and Double-A Midland in 2022 and even acquitted himself well during his brief run in the big leagues late last season, the Athletics will have the 22-year-old open 2023 in the minors and afford him the chance to play regularly. Since he lacks major power and doesn't contribute as a base stealer, Diaz's fantasy upside isn't particularly high, but his stellar hit tool may be enough to earn him steady playing time in the majors at some point in 2023.

Julien led off Sunday's World Baseball Classic win over Great Britain with a home run, went 1-for-2 and had four walks while batting leadoff for Canada. He was hitting .250 with two home runs and a.919 OPS in six games for the Twins in spring training before leaving for the WBC.

Julien has been an on-base machine in his minor-league career, so the four walks Sunday are no surprise. He slashed .303/.443/.491 with a 24.6 percent strikeout rate, a 19.3 percent walk rate and a strong 32.6 hard-hit percentage at Double-A last season. He then was a star of the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .400 with five home runs and more walks (23) than strikeouts (22) in 21 games. He'll likely begin the season at Triple-A and could be in the majors early in the season should an opening arise.

Sosa was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Sosa is on the 40-man roster and made his big-league debut in 2022, but more development is needed in the upper levels of the minors. Chicago brought in veteran Elvis Andrus to serve as a placeholder at the keystone, with Sosa and Jose Rodriguez the most intriguing internal long-term options behind him.

Massey (ankle) is starting at second base and batting seventh in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

The 24-year-old suffered the ankle injury when he was hit by a pitch Wednesday, but he'll return to the lineup Sunday after taking a few days off. Massey is expected to begin 2023 as Kansas City's primary second baseman, though he may need to improve upon the .683 OPS he posted last season to retain the job for long.

Stefanic was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Stefanic got a modest look in his first taste of MLB action last season, logging 69 plate appearances over 25 games. However, he managed a meager .197/.279/.230 slash line, well off the .314/.422/.425 line he posted at the Triple-A level. Stefanic is an extreme contact hitter but offers little in the way of power or speed, so he doesn't figure to ever be an impactful fantasy asset. The Angels have multiple infielders returning from injury this season and also added Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela in the offseason, so Stefanic faces a difficult path back to the big leagues.

Oritz has been in the concussion protocol over the last few days after he was hit in the head by a batted ball, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Ortiz won't be able to return until he is not experiencing concussion symptoms. The shortstop prospect was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster in November after closing the season with a .320/.383/.534 slash line across 26 games with Triple-A Norfolk. He's likely to see much of his playing time at that level in 2023, though he could earn a midseason call-up to the majors if he plays well.

Semien went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Friday's spring game against the Athletics.

Semien is batting .320 (8-for-25) with six runs scored over nine Cactus League contests. He fell off in all the major hitting categories in 2022, his first year with the Rangers, and he needs to bounce back in 2023 to justify the seven-year, $175 million investment Texas has in him.

Biggio went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's split-squad game against Atlanta.

Getting the start at second base and hitting second, Biggio turned on an inside pitch from Spencer Strider in the third inning and drove it over the wall in right field. Biggio has gone 8-for-22 with a homer and a steal through eight Grapefruit League appearances, and the 27-year-old could see consistent playing time in a utility role this season for the Blue Jays. With a .213/.320/.353 slash line over the last two seasons, however, his primary fantasy value could lie in his position flex rather than his performance at the plate.

Polanco has yet to play in any Grapefruit League games for the Twins this spring, but that's not due to any health issues, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Polanco missed the final month of last season with a knee injury, so his absence this spring raised some concerns. However, the infielder is healthy and doing back-field work. Polanco will see some Grapefruit League action eventually and is expected to be ready to roll for Opening Day.