MLB Player News

Burger (ankle) was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

Burger battled ankle discomfort in late March but returned to game action with a homer Thursday against the Reds. An encouraging 2021 campaign saw him make his major-league debut after missing two seasons to Achilles injuries and another due to the canceled minor-league season, but he's stuck behind a number of bat-first players on the White Sox's depth chart. Yoan Moncada has Burger's spot at the hot corner blocked off for the foreseeable future, while Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets are stuck battling for at-bats at designated hitter as long as Jose Abreu remains the team's first baseman.

Paredes was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Friday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Pareds missed some time during camp with a hand injury and won't end up making Detroit's Opening Day roster. He had a .625 OPS in 23 big-league games during 2021 and could receive a call-up when the Tigers require infield depth this season.

Devers went 1-for-1 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's spring training game against the Twins.

Thursday's long ball was Devers' fifth in Grapefruit League action. The third baseman is dialed in this spring, wielding an impressive 1.211 slugging percentage over eight games.

Ramirez and the Guardians have made little progress on negotiating a long-term contract extension, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Ramirez's option was exercised by Cleveland in November, so he'll earn $12 million for this season. There's one more option on his current contract, but both sides would greatly benefit by locking in a strong five-tool player long term. Ramirez hit .266/.355/.538 with 36 home runs, 103 RBI, 111 runs scored and 27 stolen bases in 152 games last season, and he enters 2022 as the everyday third baseman as he has for the last six years. He figures to be a bright spot in the heart of the lineup even if the Guardians struggle again this season.

Miranda was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday.

Miranda sustained a bruised jaw last weekend, but he wasn't forced to miss additional time due to the injury. The 23-year-old went 3-for-12 with three RBI, a run, a walk and a strikeout across eight Grapefruit League games this spring. While he'll begin the season in the minors, he's a strong candidate to be called up fairly early in the regular season after he slashed .343/.397/.563 with 17 homers, 61 runs and 56 RBI across 80 games in St. Paul last year.

Paredes (hand) is listed as an available reserve for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Paredes hasn't played since exiting Sunday's game against the Orioles after taking a pitch off his right hand, but he looks like he could see some action off the bench Wednesday. Assuming his hand doesn't bother him heading into Opening Day, Paredes could break camp with the Tigers as a utility infielder.

Nevin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 7-1 loss to the Phillies.

Nevin has moved around the diamond during spring training in preparation for a versatile role. He's a natural first baseman, but he's also logged time at third base and in the corner outfield spots. Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports the players that remain in camp are either locked in as Opening Day options or competing for a spot, so Nevin remains in the mix to be a bench option. The 24-year-old is still unlikely to see an everyday role to begin the season. He's hitting .211 with five RBI and two runs scored in seven Grapefruit League games.

The Royals optioned Garcia to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Monday, MLB.com reports.

Garcia will move up a level to begin 2022 after he split time between Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities last season. Over 244 plate appearances for the latter affiliate, the 22-year-old infielder posted a .354 on-base average and went 11-for-14 on stolen-base attempts.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Donaldson could get some opportunities to bat leadoff, Erik Boland of Newsday reports. "Guy that controls the strike zone like he does, the ability to get on, power, great hitter...yeah, he's definitely someone I would consider," Boone stated.

Donaldson didn't hit leadoff at all last season with Minnesota, though he did frequently bat second in the order. The veteran finished with an above-average .352 OBP and and an excellent 13.6 percent walk rate, marking the sixth straight season his walk rate was north of 13 percent. Donaldson's patience and eye at the plate lend credence to the notion that he could succeed as a leadoff hitter, though players with his big power and lack of speed aren't typically used in that role.

Urias is hitting .500 through five Grapefruit League games.

Urias has flexed some power as well, posting three home runs and a double with four RBI and six runs scored. The Orioles' infield plans remain a bit muddied -- Urias is in contention for a starting job, but it's unclear if that will be at shortstop or third base. Richie Martin, Jorge Mateo and Kelvin Gutierrez are all also hitting well so far, as the competition for playing time seems to have brought out the best in all of them.