MLB Player News

Lee, who has primarily focused on second base in the minors, has also been seeing some time at third in the early stages of camp, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The Tigers are seemingly working on increasing Lee's positional flexibility, which could expedite his journey to the majors. Third base has some uncertainty in Detroit, as utility man Matt Vierling and youngster Jace Jung are currently the top options. Neither player has the role locked down full time, however, which could open the door for Lee down the road. The 22-year-old slashed .298/.363/.488 with 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 87 regular-season games for Double-A Erie last season. He's likely to begin the year with Triple-A Toledo and is not yet on the 40-man roster.

Seager (hip/sports hernia) reported to spring training Monday and isn't expected to face any restrictions during camp.

The Rangers shut Seager down for the season last September after placing him on the 60-day injured list due to hip soreness, and he was diagnosed with a sports hernia later that month that required surgery. After a roughly two-month rehab program following his sports hernia surgery, Seager was cleared for baseball activities over the winter and appears to have had a relatively normal offseason. While durability remains an annual concern, the 30-year-old shortstop has proven himself to be a four-category standout whenever he's on the field.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday that Anderson will see some action in the outfield later this spring, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Anderson's main focus will be competing for time at shortstop, where the Angels will likely need a fill-in for the injured Zach Neto (shoulder) for a bit. However, it appears the 31-year-old will also attempt to add to his versatility with some reps in the outfield. Anderson started two games at second base for the White Sox in 2023, which is the only time he's ever played a position other than shortstop.

Angels manager Ron Washington said that Neto (shoulder) began his throwing progression Monday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Washington added that Neto is not yet throwing with full effort, but the process of the shortstop ramping things up following last November's right shoulder surgery has begun. The expectation is that Neto will likely need a stint on the injured list to begin the season, but a clearer picture on his timetable should be available in the coming weeks.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Friday that he expects Neto (shoulder) to bat fifth or sixth this season once he's healthy, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Neto batted second for the Angels for most of the final two months of last season, but with Mike Trout (knee) expected back and Jorge Soler added to the mix, Neto will slide down a bit in the batting order. A stint on the injured list at the beginning of the season is likely as he continues his recovery from right shoulder surgery.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Mateo (elbow) is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Mateo's rehab from UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow is going well, but he will be held out game action until late in spring training. The 29-year-old's stint on the injured list to begin the season could be relatively brief, and once healthy he will fill a utility role for Baltimore.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed Thursday that Bichette is a "full go" for spring training after making a full recovery from September surgery to address a fractured right middle finger, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bichette needed to have a pin inserted during surgery to stabilize his finger, but Schneider relayed that the pin was removed long ago, and the veteran shortstop feels normal heading into camp. The 2024 campaign was by far the worst of the 26-year-old's six-year MLB career, as his OPS plummeted to .599 after he had delivered marks north of .800 in each of the prior five seasons. Bichette also continued his trend of halting his involvement in the running game; he was held to five stolen bases for the second season in a row after pilfering 25 bags in 2021 and 13 in 2022. Better health in 2025 could allow Bichette to bounce back to some degree after he also had two separate stints on the injured list last season due to calf strains, but fantasy managers shouldn't bank on him fully re-emerging as the five-category standout he was in 2021 and 2022.

Boston's acquisition of Alex Bregman will impact Grissom, who has minor-league options remaining, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. If the Red Sox deploy Bregman at second base, then the team could option Grissom to the minors without exposing him to waivers.

Grissom was the early leader in the competition for the vacant job at second base, which has been in flux since Dustin Pedroia retired. The position seemingly came down to Grissom and prospect Kristian Campbell. If the Red Sox opt to move Bregman to second base, then Grissom could be optioned to Triple-A Worcester to start the 2025 season. If Bregman moves to third base and Rafael Devers to designated hitter or first base, then the Grissom/Campbell competition will be back on.

Mayer (back) took batting practice Wednesday and appears to be a full participant for the start of spring training, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Mayer finished the 2024 season on Triple-A Worcester's 7-day injured list while he dealt with a lumbar strain, but he was cleared to resume baseball activities early in the offseason and doesn't look to be operating under any restrictions during his first big-league camp. The 22-year-old isn't a serious candidate to make the Opening Day roster, but a midseason debut is possible if he displays improved durability with Worcester while maintaining the improved plate skills he demonstrated with Double-A Portland. Before getting promoted to Worcester and being placed on the IL soon after, Mayer slashed .307/.370/.480 with eight home runs, 13 stolen bases and a 19.7 percent strikeout rate over 335 plate appearances at Double-A.

Neto said he received "good news" on his surgically repaired right shoulder Tuesday and is ahead of schedule in his recovery, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Details of Neto's shoulder operation remain scarce, and the shortstop did not further elaborate on the "good news" he received, nor did he know whether he would be ready for Opening Day. Neto has been hitting off a tee but has not yet been cleared to throw. The prevailing expectation is that the 24-year-old will begin the season on the injured list, but further clarity on his situation should arise as spring training rolls along.