Hamilton has made the strongest case this spring to earn the starting job at second base, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora is expected to make a decision on a primary starter at second base in a few days, but all signs point to Hamilton. Not only his spring numbers, which dwarf his competitors, Kristian Campbell and Vaughn Grissom, but also in how the manager speaks about Hamilton. "The experience matters, but at the same time we know the athlete," Cora said of Hamilton. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, all of them, they can play the position. It's just a matter of, how are we going to do it, what we're looking for." If Hamilton becomes the primary second baseman, he will be a hot fantasy draft commodity for those looking for steals. He stole 33 bags in 2024 for Boston and 50 or greater in three minor league seasons from 2021 to 2023. This supposes that Alex Bregman will play third base with Rafael Devers moving to DH.

Sweeney "appears poised to open the season as the primary shortstop" for the Tigers, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Sweeney had just a .642 OPS for the Tigers down the stretch of last regular season and has only a .611 OPS so far this spring. However, Detroit likes his glove at shortstop and the club is also lacking alternatives, so Sweeney is slated to see most of the reps at shortstop to open the season, at least against right-handed pitching.

Anderson might be the Angels' Opening Day starter at second base due to Yoan Moncada (thumb) being a question mark for the beginning of the season, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Moncada may be destined for the IL due to a thumb injury, which would likely mean that Luis Rengifo will become the starter at the hot corner at the beginning of the campaign. That could open up the second-base job for Anderson, who has been getting some reps at the keystone this spring despite playing only two regular-season games there to this point in his nine years in the big leagues. If the second-base role does become available, Christian Moore and Scott Kingery, among others, could also be candidates for the position, but Anderson has done enough this spring to have his name called, as he's slashing .243/.300/.351 with a home run and two stolen bases over 40 plate appearances.

Crawford is batting just .214 with one home run and two RBI over 28 at-bats in the Cactus League, but he enters the 2025 season with a clean bill of health, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Following an injury-plagued season that saw him deal with an oblique strain and a fractured hand, Crawford is looking to put his tough 2024 campaign behind him. "I couldn't get in a rhythm and every time I started to hit good, those injuries popped up," Crawford said this past Monday. "It pretty much hurt every time I swung the bat." However, the 30-year-old infielder believes he's "in a great spot" health-wise this spring, and he's set to reprise his role as Seattle's everyday shortstop after hitting a career-low .202 across just 105 games last season.

Arias went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's spring game against Kansas City.

Arias launched his second Cactus League home run and has hits in five of his last six outings. Part of the competition for the starting job at second base, Arias may be leading the race, although Tyler Freeman has hit the best of the quartet with a .333/.419/.630 slash line in 31 plate appearances. Juan Brito and Angel Martinez are also in the mix.

Mateo (elbow) is starting at shortstop and batting seventh in Sunday's split-squad game against the Phillies, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mateo underwent UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow in late August and will be making his first start of spring training. The 29-year-old hasn't officially been ruled out for Opening Day, but manager Brandon Hyde recently said Mateo is unlikely to be available.

Dezenzo could make the Astros' Opening Day roster, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Dezenzo has racked up 33 at-bats and 34 plate appearances this spring while playing a combination of first base and both corner outfield spots. He's struck out at a 26.5 percent clip but also has four extra-base hits, and manager Joe Espada has noted the positive overall impression Dezenzo has made on the club. Even so, the status of Christian Walker (oblique) could ultimately dictate Dezenzo's fate to begin the campaign.

Witt (forearm) will start at shortstop and bat second in Saturday's Cactus League game versus the Guardians.

Witt suffered a bruised left forearm after getting hit by a pitch Wednesday, but the soreness has now subsided, and he's been given the green light to resume playing in exhibition games. With a .276/.364/.586 slash line alongside two home runs, four RBI and five runs scored over 11 contests this spring, the 24-year-old looks poised to have another great season in 2025.

Story (back) is starting at shortstop and batting cleanup in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The veteran shortstop was scratched early in the week due to back tightness but is ready to return to game action this weekend. Injuries remain a concern for Story given that he's played in just 69 games across the past two seasons, but he's currently healthy and on track to serve as Boston's shortstop for Opening Day.

Perez (back) is starting in center field and batting leadoff in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

The 25-year-old has been dealing with lower-back tightness over the past week but will rejoin the starting nine Saturday after recently receiving a cortisone injection. Perez is expected to start in center or right field Opening Day for the Tigers since Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) will be unavailable to begin the season.