MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Mateo (elbow) went through a full workout Monday but is "still a ways away" from playing in a game, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Hyde said that Mateo "looked great" in the workout, but it does not sound like the Orioles plan to throw him into a Grapefruit League game anytime soon, and perhaps not at all this spring. Mateo is coming back from a UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow. Once healthy, he's projected for a utility role with Baltimore.

The Yankees reassigned Lombard to minor-league camp Monday.

Lombard appeared in 10 spring games for the Yankees and went 5-for-19 with one walk, two home runs and four RBI. He spent most of the 2024 regular season in Single-A Tampa, but the 19-year-old should have an opportunity to ascend to Double-A ball as long as he continues to develop his game.

Amaya was removed from Monday's Cactus League game against the Athletics due to left hip tightness.

Amaya struck out in his lone plate appearance before departing. Competing for the White Sox' shortstop job this spring, Amaya has gone just 2-for-16 with eight strikeouts in nine Cactus League contests.

The Mariners reassigned Arroyo to minor-league camp Monday.

Arroyo saw action in nine Cactus League games this spring, going 2-for-11 at the dish, but the top prospect was always destined to return to the minors to start the 2025 campaign. A 20-year-old infielder, Arroyo slashed .285/.400/.509 with 23 homers and 18 stolen bases between Single-A Modesto and High-A Everett in 2024. He could moved up to Double-A Arkansas in 2025.

White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that the time Montgomery missed with a back injury will not hurt his chances of making the Opening Day roster, Daryl Van Schuowen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Montgomery missed 10 days of action before returning to the lineup Sunday. The 23-year-old has accrued only nine plate appearances so far during Cactus League play, but Venable suggests Montgomery could still win the team's shortstop job, saying of the youngster that "there's been a lot of stuff here that we've evaluated," and the "most important thing is just that he's healthy." Brooks Baldwin, Chase Meidroth and Jacob Amaya are competing with Montgomery for the shortstop gig.

Perez (back) is not in the Tigers' lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Perez told reporters over the weekend that he would be back in action Monday, but he evidently didn't clear that with the coaching staff. Manager A.J. Hinch said Monday that while Perez is "doing great" as he recovers from a back injury, the outfielder "doesn't get to pick the day" he returns. Hinch added that Perez has "got to pass a few tests" before being re-inserted into the lineup, but it does appear as though the outfielder is trending in the right direction.

Lee went 1-for-3 with his second home run of the spring in Sunday's loss to Baltimore. He's hitting .308 (8-for-26) in nine spring training games.

Lee is competing with Edouard Julien for the starting second base job this spring with Willi Castro also likely to get time at the position. Lee is outperforming Julien so far this spring at the plate, and Julien has struggled in the field (two errors Sunday). However, Minnesota's plans for second base and Lee's role aren't clear at this point.

Montgomery (back) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

Montgomery will be making his first Cactus League appearance since Feb. 25, after back spasms kept him out of action for nearly two weeks. The 23-year-old shortstop is in contention for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he'll likely need a strong finish to the spring to earn his place with the big club. Coming off a 121-loss season, the White Sox have no visions of contending for a playoff spot in 2025, so they won't have much motivation to start Montgomery's service clock until they're fully confident that he's big-league ready.

Rocchio went 2-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against San Diego.

Rocchio is showing signs of improvement at the plate during Cactus League play, slashing .450/.476/.650 with four doubles through eight spring games. That builds off a strong 2024 postseason in which the shortstop had a .906 OPS. The 24-year-old was a highly regarded prospect a few years ago, and while he may not provide much in the way of power, Rocchio defends well (five outs above average in 2024) at a premium position and doesn't need to be a five-category contributor to be an asset for the Guardians.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that Duran isn't guaranteed a place on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Duran posted a .276/.324/.443 slash line with 14 home runs in 122 games two seasons ago, but he slipped to a .609 OPS in 2024 and now doesn't have a secure role. The 25-year-old is competing for a utility job, but Josh Smith is poised to be the main reserve infielder while Leody Taveras lines up as the No. 4 outfielder.