MLB Player News
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Healthy for spring training
Neto (hand) took live batting practice against teammate Yusei Kikuchi on Sunday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Neto closed the 2025 season on the 10-day injured list due to a left hand strain, but the injury was never viewed as a long-term concern. The shortstop was also shelved at the start of the 2025 campaign while recovering from right shoulder surgery, so a healthy spring training would be a welcome change for the 25-year-old.
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Josh H. Smith SS | TEX
Rangers' Josh Smith: Preparing to play second base
Smith confirmed Sunday that he's preparing to mainly play second base in 2026 following the trade of Marcus Semien, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Smith finished second on the Rangers with 563 plate appearances a season ago, but he didn't have a permanent home at any one position. The super-utility player instead filled in as injuries dictated, logging 46 starts at shortstop, 28 at third base, 23 at first base, 14 in the outfield, 10 at designated hitter and three at second base. He'll carry eligibility at shortstop, third base and first base in most fantasy leagues heading into 2026, and he should also be usable for at keystone quickly if manager Skip Schumaker commits to him as the club's primary second baseman. The Rangers could look to deploy the left-handed-hitting Smith on the strong side of a platoon, as slashed just .206/.277/.224 (47 wRC+) in 121 plate appearances against southpaws last season.
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Ryan Bliss SS | SEA
Mariners' Ryan Bliss: No apparent restrictions
Bliss (knee/biceps) went through a full infield workout and was scheduled to hit Thursday in Mariners camp, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Bliss missed virtually all of the 2025 season, first due to April biceps surgery and later a September meniscus tear. However, it would seem he has been cleared to participate fully at the beginning of spring training. The 26-year-old is theoretically in the mix for the second-base job, but it's likely he will begin the season at Triple-A Tacoma as he knocks off some rust.
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Sebastian Walcott SS | TEX
Rangers' Sebastian Walcott: Out for 2026 after elbow surgery
Walcott will undergo UCL surgery on his right elbow and will miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
The hope is that Walcott needs internal brace surgery rather than a full Tommy John repair, but the Rangers won't know until he has the procedure in a few days. The former would give him a slight chance to return late in the season. Slated to turn 20 in March, Walcott is one of the game's elite prospects and could have pushed for a major-league debut this season. He slashed .255/.355/.386 with 13 home runs and 32 stolen bases over 124 games in 2025 at Double-A Frisco as a 19-year-old.
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Leonardo Jimenez SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Leo Jimenez: Clear path to Opening Day roster
Jimenez seems likely to have a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Toronto's infield depth got a little thinner after it was announced that Anthony Santander (shoulder) would miss most of all of the 2026 season, which pushed Addison Barger out of the third-base mix and into right field. Ernie Clement was the team's main utility infielder last year, but with Bo Bichette now a Met, he's stepping into a starting role at second base. That leaves Jimenez as the next man up to handle backup duties at the middle-infield spots. The 24-year-old shown hasn't shown much at the plate, managing a .635 OPS in 242 career big-league plate appearances, and he could be joined on the bench, or even pushed aside, by glove-first prospect Josh Kasevich.
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Addison Barger SS | TOR
Blue Jays' Addison Barger: Set to be primary right fielder
Barger will see most of his playing time in right field this season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
The 26-year-old might have bounced between right field and third base once again if the Blue Jays had headed into 2026 fully healthy, but with Anthony Santander (shoulder) set for another long absence, Barger will be needed more in the outfield. He could still wind up on the strong side of a platoon after slashing just .217/.270/.337 against left-handed pitching in 2025, but Toronto doesn't have an obvious candidate to pair him with in right field aside from the light-hitting Myles Straw. Maintaining his stamina in a full-time role will be Barger's biggest task, however -- he held a .264/.318/.512 slash line at the end of July last year, but managed just a .205/.270/.360 line the rest of the way in the regular season.
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Bryce Rainer SS | DET
Tigers' Bryce Rainer: Should be ready for start of season
Rainer, who had his 2025 campaign come to a premature end in June after dislocating his right shoulder, is in line to be ready for the start of the 2026 minor-league season, MLB.com reports.
Rainer dislocated his shoulder diving back to first base in a June 3 game for Single-A Lakeland, and he underwent surgery shortly after that. The 20-year-old shortstop seems to be almost fully recovered, and if he stays healthy all season long, he will look to build on the positive momentum he was establishing before getting hurt. Rainer, the 11th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, posted an .835 OPS across 35 games for Lakeland in his first professional campaign, and he's one of the top prospects in Detroit's system. The youngster could make the jump to High-A West Michigan at some point this year and perhaps climb even higher.
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Blaze Alexander SS | BAL
Orioles' Blaze Alexander: Could fill in for Holliday
Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Wednesday that Alexander is a candidate to start at second base while Jackson Holliday (hand) is out, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
The Orioles acquired Alexander via trade Feb. 5, and the next day Holliday suffered a hamate bone fracture that will result in a stint on the injured list to begin the season. Alexander slashed .230/.323/.383 with seven homers and four steals over 74 games for the Diamondbacks in 2025. Jordan Westburg (oblique) will also be in the mix for reps at second base while Holliday is shelved.
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Jackson Holliday SS | BAL
Orioles' Jackson Holliday: Missing opener after hamate surgery
Holliday will undergo surgery Thursday for a fractured right hamate bone and will begin the season on the injured list, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
A clearer timetable should become available after the operation, but Holliday will shelved for several weeks in any case. Additionally, it's a procedure that can often result in an initial loss of power for a player upon their return. Blaze Alexander and Jordan Westburg (oblique) are candidates to handle second base while Holliday is out.
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Marcelo Mayer SS | BOS
Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Position to be determined
Mayer's starting position has yet to be determined, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. He played both second base and third base during his rookie season in 2025.
Mayer had been ticketed for a starting role at third base, replacing the departed Alex Bregman, but Monday's acquisition of Caleb Durbin from Milwaukee creates uncertainty. Both Mayer and Durbin have experience at the hot corner and second base in the majors, and manager Alex Cora was hesitant to make any decisions Monday. An early indicator of the infielders' eventual landing spot should come Feb. 15, when Boston's position players report to Fort Myers and where the two are stationed during spring training drills.