MLB Player News

Ortiz has a "good shot" to make the Opening Day roster, according to manager Pat Murphy, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Ortiz is known for his excellent infield defense, but he's no slouch at the plate either. He is slashing .261/.393/.522 with one home run and one steal in 28 Cactus League plate appearances. If the Brewers trade Willy Adames during the season, Ortiz would likely take over as the everyday shortstop, but in the meantime, he could be an everyday option at third base while sometimes shifting to second base when the Brewers face a lefty.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Valdez will be part of a platoon at second base to open the season, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

While Cora didn't specify which players would platoon at the keystone, he was presumably referring to Valdez as the long side of the platoon and Pablo Reyes as the short side. It will be a short-term arrangement, as Vaughn Grissom (groin) is due back in mid-to-late April and will be in line to take over everyday duties at the position at that time.

The Athletics reassigned Schuemann to minor-league camp Sunday.

Schuemann was having an impressive spring, slashing .321/.412/.429 with a homer across 34 plate appearances in 15 games. Despite this, the 27-year-old was not expected to make the Opening Day roster due the presence of outfielders JJ Bleday and Miguel Andujar.

Arraez went 2-for-3 with a double in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

It's the fifth time in his last six spring games that Arraez has banged out multiple hits. The reigning NL batting champ has a .382 average in camp (13-for-34) with five doubles and a 0:3 BB:K, and Arraez is locked into the leadoff spot for the Marlins after posting a .354/.393/.469 slash line with a career-high 10 homers and 69 RBI in 2023.

Andrus started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against the Rangers.

With Geraldo Perdomo (knee) still day-to-day, Andrus was given the starting nod Saturday. Perdomo's been out since Tuesday, but manager Torey Lovullo does not feel the injury will impact his availability for Opening Day. Given that, the Diamondbacks are trying to settle on a backup at shortstop, and the non-rostered Andrus has the most experience at the position. Arizona is also giving the currently rostered Jace Peterson and Emmanuel Rivera innings there, and the club may want prospects Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawlar to get regular at-bats in the minors. This was Andrus' third Cactus League appearance and second at short -- he's also played third base.

Drury (illness) went 1-for-1 with a walk in Saturday's Cactus League contest versus the Cubs.

Prior to Saturday, Drury hadn't played in a game since Monday due to an illness. His ability to return to the lineup against Chicago suggests that he's past the issue and won't have any problem being ready for Opening Day. Drury is expected to serve as the Angels' everyday second basemen during the coming campaign.

Schuemann went 1-for-2 with an RBI sacrifice fly and a run in a Cactus League loss to the Brewers on Saturday, pushing his spring average to .321.

After opening Cactus League play 1-for-10 over his first six exhibitions, Schuemann's bat has come alive. The 26-year-old has gone on to hit safely in seven of his next eight games, going 8-for-21 with two RBI, two walks and six runs over that span. However, despite the strong spring, Schuemann doesn't make Martin Gallegos of MLB.com's latest Opening Day roster projection due to the presence of hot-hitting reserve outfielders JJ Bleday and Miguel Andujar. If Gallegos' projection proves accurate, it likely equates to a return to Triple-A Las Vegas to start the 2024 campaign for Schuemann, who slashed .277/.402/.429 with the Aviators across 103 games last season.

Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City by the Dodgers on Saturday, J.P. Hoornstra of DodgersNation.com reports.

Vargas traveled with the Dodgers to South Korea for their upcoming series versus the Padres, but he will not be on the active roster. The 24-year-old has been working out in left field this spring and figures to continue playing the outfield while at OKC.

McNeil (biceps) will make his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday against the Cardinals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McNeil has yet to make his spring training debut while dealing with discomfort in his left biceps. The Mets will have the second baseman play five innings in a minor-league game Sunday, and he will be in the lineup Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, McNeill should be good to go for Opening Day. He slashed .270/.333/.378 with 10 home runs and 55 RBI over 648 plate appearances in 2023.

Garcia went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The second baseman slapped an Adrian Houser offering the other way in the first inning and watched it carry over the fence in the left-field corner. Garcia has picked up the pace at the plate after a slow start to his spring, and over the last eight games he's batting .370 (10-for-27) with three doubles and two homers. Still only 23 years old, the Nationals are hoping he can take a step forward as a hitter in 2024 despite an unimpressive .265/.295/.395 slash line through his first four MLB seasons.