MLB Player News

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.

Ibanez is in the mix for a reserve role on Detroit's Opening Day roster, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Ibanez was claimed off waivers by Detroit in November and outrighted to Triple-A Toledo. The 29-year-old appeared in 40 games for the Rangers last season and slashed .218/.273/.277. He likely won't have a prominent role with the Tigers, though it sounds like he could at least break camp on the MLB roster.

Wong agreed Monday with the Mariners on a minor-league contract, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Seattle marks the fourth organization for Wong, who was drafted by the Rays in 2013 before he had stints with the Giants and Angels over the past two seasons. The 27-year-old utility man saw big-league action in 2019 and 2021, but he spent the entire 2022 campaign with the Angels' Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake, slashing .260/.340/.330 with three home runs and 41 stolen bases. Wong, whose older brother Kolten Wong is set to man second base for Seattle, will likely be ticketed for Triple-A Tacoma.

Andrus signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the White Sox on Sunday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Andrus joined the White Sox in August of 2022 after being released by Oakland, and he slashed .271/.309/.464 with nine home runs, 28 RBI, 25 runs and 11 stolen bases over 43 games with the club while mainly filling in for Tim Anderson, who missed the final two months of the season with a hand injury. Andrus will be in the mix to serve as the White Sox's starting second baseman to begin the 2023 campaign, especially since the team views Leury Garcia as a backup.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that he envisions Torres serving as the team's starting second baseman this season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Though the skipper noted that Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson will likely join Torres as the preferred starters at three of the infield spots, DJ LeMahieu is expected to rove between first base, second base, third base and designated hitter to maintain a near-everyday role. As a result, Torres could be subject to days off once or twice per week when the Yankees are at full strength, as was often the case in 2022. Despite the crowded infield situation, Torres still saw action in 140 games last season, slashing .257/.310/.451 with 24 home runs, 76 RBI, 73 runs and 10 stolen bases across 572 plate appearances.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora cited Hernandez and Alex Verdugo as players he'd like to see steal more bags in 2023, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Cora lamented the state of baserunning in baseball, saying the art is "at its worst" for a variety of reasons, but he would like his club to take advantage of the bigger bases, which will create a four-and-half inch reduction in the distance between first and second base and between second and third base. Hernandez attempted two steals (caught both times) last season but also missed a lot of time with a hip injury. The most he's stolen is four bags in 2019. The manager plans to emphasize the finer points of baserunning techniques during spring training.

Rengifo won his arbitration case against the Angels on Thursday and will earn $2.3 million this season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

The club filed at $2 million when arbitration figures were exchanged over the winter. Rengifo gets a nice raise from his $730,000 salary in 2022 as he prepares to serve as the Angels' primary shortstop in 2023. He's coming off a .724 OPS with 17 home runs and six stolen bases in 127 games.

Arroyo "is our second baseman as of now," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican Tuesday.

Adalberto Mondesi (knee) will be a candidate to start at second base once he's ready, but he'll be behind others at the start of spring training. Arroyo sports a solid .273/.320/.427 batting line with 15 home runs over 158 games during his two-and-a-half years with the Red Sox. He might ultimately be just a placeholder for Mondesi but we've learned over the years that Mondesi is no sure thing to play or perform.

Haggerty (groin) has resumed baseball activities, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Divish reports that Haggerty underwent surgery to repair a Grade 2 adductor strain, but the Mariners aren't confirming the operation. The 28-year-old was a pleasant surprise for Seattle in 2022 before the injury, contributing a .738 OPS with five homers and 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts over 201 plate appearances. If healthy, Haggerty should be a utility option for the Mariners in 2023 with the ability to play all three outfield spots with some history at both second and third base.