MLB Player News

Machado (back) is not in the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The 29-year-old was scratched from Saturday's lineup with back tightness and will remain sidelined for Sunday's contest. Manager Bob Melvin said there's no worry about Machado's status for Opening Day, but it's still worth keeping an eye on the third baseman's status until he's able to retake the field.

Moustakas (shoulder) is batting second as the designated hitter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moustakas had been held out of the lineup since Tuesday, when he injured his left shoulder making a diving attempt in the field. The 33-year-old's return to the lineup is a good sign for his Opening Day availability, but the coast may not be fully clear until he's back playing defense.

Castro was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.

As a rookie in 2021, Castro hit five home runs with a .198 batting average in 93 plate appearances. Michael Chavis and Hoy Park will serve as the bench infielders for now, but neither have fantasy relevancy outside of NL-only leagues.

Devers went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Saturday's spring training game against the Rays.

Devers deposited the first pitch he saw from Corey Kluber over the right-center field fence in the first. Two innings later, he took Kluber deep again, this time needing three pitches. Devers is off to a quick Grapefruit League start with three homers and four RBI across 12 at-bats. The durable 25-year-old has missed just 15 games over the last three seasons and batted .291 with 81 home runs, 107 doubles and 271 RBI during that time.

Miranda (jaw) entered Saturday's game against Atlanta as a substitute, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Miranda left Friday's game against the Pirates with a bruised jaw after getting struck in the face by an errant throw, but he avoided serious injury. He's back in action just one day later, so he should be able to continue making his push for an Opening Day roster spot. Whether or not he'll be given a legitimate chance to break camp with the team is unclear, but he could eventually be part of the plan to replace Josh Donaldson at third base.

Machado was scratched from Saturday's Cactus League lineup against the Cubs due to back tightness.

Machado was initially slated to start at third base, but Eguy Rosario will now shift to the hot corner while Domingo Leyba enters the lineup at the keystone. It's not yet clear whether Machado will be forced to miss additional time following Saturday's matchup.

Longoria (finger) is participating in all baseball workouts, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Longoria has downplayed the injury, though he also noted that the pain stems from when he was hit by a pitch late in the 2021 season. Given that he's had the entire offseason to rest the issue, it's a bit concerning that he is still not feeling fully healthy. Even so, his Opening Day status does not appear threatened at this time.

Moustakas (shoulder) isn't starting Saturday's game against San Francisco. Moustakas said that his shoulder is better, however, and he should return to action on Sunday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The Reds were hopeful that Moustakas would be able to return to game action as soon as Saturday, but he'll remain out of the lineup for at least one more matchup. In spite of his continued absence, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 33-year-old available for Opening Day.

Kreidler will not make Detroit's Opening Day roster, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Pressreports.

Kreidler hit a grand slam in his fifth spring training contest, though he has only one other hit across eight at-bats. He could be close to his major-league debut after he racked up 162 plate appearances at Triple-A Toledo and hit .304/.407/.519 to close the 2021 season. However, his path to the majors is complicated by the fact that he is not on the 40-man roster and that his primary positions -- shortstop and third base -- are occupied by Javier Baez and Jeimer Candelario.

Lewis was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Lewis suffered a torn ACL ahead of the 2021 campaign but joined the Twins for major-league spring training this year. The 22-year-old went 1-for-8 with a run, a stolen base and three strikeouts across four Grapefruit League appearances this year, and it's not very surprising to see him sent to the minors following his lengthy layoff. Lewis is still one of Minnesota's top prospect, and it's possible that he could make his major-league debut at some point in 2022 if he performs well in the minors.