MLB Player News

Bannon was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Bannon made eight Grapefruit League appearances this spring and went 4-for-12 with a home run, a double, four runs, four RBI, four walks and four strikeouts. He'll begin the regular season in the minors but will be in consideration to serve as major-league depth if he performs well in Norfolk.

Jones was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Jones was in the mix for a major-league roster spot this spring, and he performed well in Grapefruit League action by going 5-for-14 with three doubles, four runs, an RBI, two walks and five strikeouts across seven appearances. He'll begin the year in the minors but should be in consideration for a call-up at some point in 2022.

Biggio went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

He took Michael King deep in the third inning, turning around a high fastball and depositing it over the right-field wall for his first homer of the spring. Biggio is coming off a career-worst .356 SLG and .678 OPS in an injury-plagued 2021, so any flash of power is a positive sign, but his hold on the starting second base job for the Blue Jays is a tenuous one.

Gorman was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets due to lower back tightness, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Gorman was originally in the lineup at second base and batting seventh. It's unclear how serious the injury is at this point, or whether it will affect the team's plans for him to begin the campaign.

Stott is starting at third base and hitting eighth in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Stott has been in competition with Didi Gregorius for the starting shortstop role in camp. However, he'll now get a look at the hot corner, where Alec Bohm is currently penciled into the starting lineup. Stott has appeared in only seven games at third base during his pro career, so this could just be an exercise to get him more reps at the position in case of an injury. Though he's in camp as a non-roster invitee, Stott has reached base in seven of his 13 plate appearances this spring.

Marte and the Diamondbacks are engaged in talks about a contract extension, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Marte is under contract for this season with the team holding options for the next two seasons. News of the negotiations was first reported by Robert Murray of Fansided. Since then, Jon Heyman of MLB Network added further details, indicating the option years will be guaranteed plus another three more years. The Diamondbacks understand how important Marte is to their offense. He was a key piece in 2019, when Arizona made a late push for a wild-card spot, and he slashed .318/.377/.532 with an OPS+ of 143 over 90 games in 2021, though his season limited by hamstring injuries. The organization has taken steps to minimize the chances of injury by moving him to second base full time in 2022.

Kemp is hitting .500 (5-for-10) with three doubles, a triple, an RBI, a walk, a stolen base and five runs across his first four Cactus League games.

The veteran enjoyed a career-best season in 2021 that saw him generate a .279/.382/.418 slash line across 397 plate appearances. Kemp also compiled a career-high 27 extra-base hits, and his scorching hot start in that regard this spring certainly supports the notion he's up to the task of replicating or even exceeding that feat this season. Despite the Athletics' overall rebuilding approach heading into 2022, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports the 30-year-old is set to enjoy an everyday role at second base for the first time in his career, although it bears noting the recent signing of the versatile Jed Lowrie does give manager Mark Kotsay another experienced hand capable of manning the keystone.

Frazier is hitting .333 (3-for-9) with a double, three walks and a run across his first five Cactus League games.

The offseason acquisition is penciled in as the everyday second baseman and is coming off an impressive 2021 season where he generated a career-best .305 average and .368 on-base percentage during stints with the Pirates and Padres. Frazier's constant presence on the basepaths early, albeit over a small sample, is certainly encouraging as he begins the first American League stint of his career.

Chavis was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's game against Baltimore due to shoulder tightness, reports Mike Persak of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Updating earlier information, Chavis' late removal from the lineup has been deemed precautionary. This is good news for the infielder as he battles for a spot on the Opening Day roster in Pittsburgh.

Chavis was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's game against Baltimore for undisclosed reasons.

Chavis is competing for at-bats at several spots around the diamond this spring. He's struggled to a .228/.259/.386 line in 85 major-league games over the last two seasons, so he needs every chance he can get in Grapefruit League action to make his case for playing time. It's unclear if Saturday's setback will keep him off the field for an extended period.