MLB Player News

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he plans to have Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers (shoulders) and Bregman as the top three in his batting order this season, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

They will be followed by Triston Casas and Trevor Story in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, at least against right-handers. Bregman has had a terrific spring at the plate with his new club, slashing .391/.467/.826 with a couple home runs.

Alexander (undisclosed) will start at third base and bat eighth in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

Alexander exited Monday's game against the White Sox due to an unspecified issue, but his return to the lineup two days later implies he was dealing with just a minor health concern. The 28-year-old is battling for a utility role with the Athletics in spring training.

Muncy went 1-for-1 with a double, two RBI and two walks against the Guardians in a Cactus League victory Tuesday.

Muncy's first-inning double was just his second extra-base hit of the spring. However, he's tied for third on the team with six RBI and ranks second with eight walks. Muncy has posted a walk rate of at least 15 percent in six of his seven seasons with the Dodgers and has belted 30-plus homers four times during that span, making him a particularly valuable third-base option in fantasy leagues that use OBP rather than batting average.

Workman will travel with the Cubs for their two-game series against the Dodgers in Tokyo on March 18 and 19, Jesse Friedman of MLB.com reports.

With Nico Hoerner (forearm) not making the trip, Chicago is filling out its infield depth to start the regular season with Workman and Vidal Brujan, along with veteran utility player Jon Berti. Hoerner's eventual return will complicate things, but with Workman joining the Cubs as a Rule 5 pick, he may end up sticking around in an MLB bench role unless the team is willing to lose him. The 25-year-old impressed during spring training with a 1.201 OPS, three home runs and 13 RBI across 15 games.

Smith will play five innings in right field in a game on the back fields Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Astros manager Joe Espada said earlier Tuesday that Smith would play right field in a Grapefruit League game soon, and apparently he'll be eased into things in the outfield in a lower-profile contest right away. Whether Smith is being truly considered as an option to open the season in right field for the Astros is very much up in the air, but the third-base prospect adding to his versatility would give him an additional path to playing time with the big club.

Henderson (intercostal) hit in the batting cage Tuesday and is slated to take grounders Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's the start of Henderson's progression as he returns to baseball activities following a mild right intercostal muscle strain. The 23-year-old does not have much runway to get ramped up in time for Opening Day, but the Orioles are not ruling out his availability for March 27 in Toronto. If Henderson needs a little time on the injured list, Baltimore could shift Jackson Holliday to shortstop temporarily and install Ramon Urias or Jordan Westburg at second base, with the other occupying third base.

Devers (shoulders) is "increasingly likely" to open the season as Boston's designated hitter, with Alex Bregman playing third base, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Devers hasn't made his Grapefruit League debut yet and all of Bregman's action this spring has come at third base. So, while manager Alex Cora has declined to address the situation, it's pretty clear where this is headed. Devers is currently slated to make his spring debut Saturday, although his debut has already been pushed back multiple times as he works on his swing mechanics that were thrown off by last year's shoulder problems.

Bregman is "increasingly likely" to open the season as the Red Sox's starting third baseman, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Bregman has yet to play an inning at second base this spring and Rafael Devers (shoulders) has yet to play an inning anywhere, so Bregman handling third base and Devers being used at designated hitter on Opening Day looks to be a safe bet at this point. It would leave Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton and Kristian Campbell fighting for reps at second base.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that Smith will play right field in a Grapefruit League game soon, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Smith is a natural third baseman and his long-term home is probably still at the hot corner, but he did see a little action in left field during the Cape Cod League in 2023. The 22-year-old has wowed the Astros this spring, going 8-for-13 with two home runs and a 2:5 K:BB. While a spot on the Opening Day roster for Smith is probably still a long shot, it does seem as though he'll debut sooner rather than later, and showing comfortability in the outfield could speed up that timetable.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Devers (shoulders) is now slated to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday versus Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The initial plan called for Devers to make his spring debut March 5, but that's now been pushed back twice. Instead, he will face Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler on the back fields on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, before making his first official game appearance Saturday. That gives Devers just over a week's worth of games to get ready for Opening Day. The Red Sox have not indicated any worry about how Devers is doing physically following last year's shoulder problems, pointing to him simply working on getting his timing down. Still, it's an atypical situation that raises red flags.