MLB Player News

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said earlier this month that Moncada will serve as the team's No. 2 hitter this season, Vinnie Duber of AllCHGO.com reports.

Moncada mostly hit fourth or fifth during his injury-shortened 2023 season but will slide up to the No. 2 spot to start the 2024 campaign. He'll be preceded by Andrew Benintendi and likely followed by Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez and Andrew Vaughn. Moncada has battled through chronic back and leg problems the past two seasons but is fully healthy this spring and has slashed .348/.464/.435 during Cactus League play.

Alvarez remains a longshot to break camp with the Athletics, but he is making an impression with his bat in Cactus League play, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The career minor-leaguer had his best game of spring Saturday, going 3-for-3 with a solo home run that traveled 423 feet to left field, per Gallegos. Alvarez has put together several impressive Triple-A stints since 2019 in which he's showcased some decent power, but he's yet to log a regular-season major-league at-bat. The 29-year-old has experience playing across the infield, and given his .539 average over eight Cactus League games thus far, he may be on his way to forcing manager Mark Kotsay into a difficult decision come final cutdowns.

Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.

Diaz had a rough go of it with the A's in Cactus League play, batting .083 with a double and two runs scored while striking out three times over 24 at-bats in 10 contests. He'll now look to get right with the Aviators before he inevitably gets another shot with the major-league roster in 2024.

Rendon (groin) will start at third base and bat cleanup in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Padres, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

As anticipated, Rendon will make his return to the lineup for the first time in one week after he reported groin discomfort following his most recent spring appearance last Sunday. The missed week of action shouldn't put Rendon too far behind his healthy teammates as Opening Day approaches. Heading into the fifth season of the seven-year, $245 million megadeal he signed with the Angels in December 2019, the 33-year-old Rendon will be looking to bounce back after he posted a career-worst .679 OPS over 183 plate appearances during an injury-shortened 2023 campaign.

Jung underwent an MRI on Friday that showed improvement in his left calf, but not enough to ramp up his running program, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

While his recovery has been trending in a mostly positive direction, Jung will not be upgraded to full activities anytime soon. He will be working within a tight window to make Opening Day. Jung slashed .266/.315/.467 for 23 home runs and 70 RBI over 515 plate appearances in 2023.

Manager Ron Washington said he expects Rendon (groin) to return to the Angels' lineup Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Groin discomfort has prevented Rendon from playing in Cactus League games since Sunday, but it appears his absence won't extend longer than a week. Rendon has logged two hits in 10 at-bats so far this spring while drawing four walks and scoring twice. He posted a .679 OPS last season -- the lowest mark of his 11-year career -- and he hasn't eclipsed 250 plate appearances in a season since joining the Angels in 2020.

Peraza was diagnosed with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder Saturday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Peraza has been in and out of spring training lineups due to problems with his right shoulder, and his latest round of imaging revealed a strain that will keep him shut down for 6-to-8 weeks. The 23-year-old infielder will almost certainly begin the year on the injured list, opening the door for someone like Jahmai Jones to potentially make the Yankees' Opening Day roster as a utility man.

Peraza will undergo additional testing on his right shoulder Friday, including dye-injected imaging, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

Peraza returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing time with the shoulder issue, but renewed soreness resulted in a round of medical imaging. The 23-year-old is now going back for additional testing to help determine the specifics of the issue. There should be more clarity on Peraza's status once all the results come back.

Jung (calf) will undergo an MRI on Friday and hopes to be cleared to resume running soon, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

The third baseman is three weeks removed from a left calf strain. Jung has already been performing all other baseball activities other than running, and if his calf shows sufficient healing, he can progress to full activities. If that happens, a return to game action should be just around the corner, potentially giving him enough time to be ready for Opening Day.

The Angels reassigned Dozier to minor-league camp Thursday.

Dozier signed a minor-league deal with the Angels in January after logging a .558 OPS across 91 plate appearances in his final season with the Royals. He looked better this spring, going 4-for-19 with a home run and three RBI, but the Angels will keep him in the minors until he proves he can maintain consistent success at the plate. Dozier will likely begin the season at Triple-A Salt Lake.