MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Friday that Holliday will be getting reps at shortstop and could play at the position at the start of the 2025 regular season due to the potential absence of Gunnar Henderson (side), Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The Orioles are going through contingency plans in case Henderson cannot play in the early portion of the 2025 campaign, and that includes having Holliday or even Jordan Westburg filling in at shortstop. Holliday mostly played shortstop in the minors, but he transitioned to second base during spring training in 2024 and mostly played there during the regular season. He struggled out of the gate in 2024 and finished the regular season with a slash line of .189/.255/.311 with four stolen bases, five home runs and 23 RBI across 208 plate appearances.

Mateo (elbow) has begun hitting in a cage but is still a long shot to be ready by Opening Day, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mateo is working through his recovery from the UCL reconstruction surgery he underwent on his left elbow in late August. He's upgraded from hitting off a tee to in the cage, but it appears the 29-year-old is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day and could begin the 2025 regular season on the injured list. He appeared in 68 regular-season games for the Orioles in 2024 and posted a slash line of .229/.267/.401 with 13 stolen bases, five home runs and 18 RBI across 208 plate appearances.

Kasevich will be sidelined several weeks after aggravating a stress reaction in his lower back in a game last weekend, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

It's not clear when Kasevich suffered the initial injury, but he's now had a setback. The 24-year-old infielder finished last season at Triple-A Buffalo and will be assigned there once he's healthy enough to play.

The Tigers announced Friday that Perez is dealing with lower-back tightness but is expected to participate in full baseball activities this weekend, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Perez hasn't seen the field since Sunday due to the injury, but he appears to be trending in the right direction after taking a few days to rest up. If healthy, the 25-year-old has a strong chance to begin the season with a regular role for the Tigers since Matt Vierling (shoulder) will begin the campaign on the injured list.

Clement went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a second run scored in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Getting the start at third base and batting seventh in what might have been a preview of Toronto's Opening Day lineup, Clement turned on a Cooper Criswell offering in the second inning and drove it out to center field for his first homer of the spring. The 28-year-old infielder has gotten off to a hot start in camp, going 8-for-17 (.471) in seven appearances, but he'll likely need to improve on last season's .284 OBP if he's going to be anything more than a utility player in the majors over the long haul.

Montgomery (back) is expected to return to Cactus League action as soon as Saturday and no later than Monday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Montgomery hasn't played in more than a week because of back spasms but is making nice progress. The shortstop took some swings off the Trajekt machine as part of his baseball activities Thursday, and it appears as though his return to the lineup is imminent. Montgomery is competing for the White Sox' shortstop job this spring, so he can't afford to miss much more time.

Rivas (ankle) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

Rivas has been sidelined since late February after turning his left ankle while participating in infield drills. After a week of rest, he's been cleared to return to game action and continue competing for a spot on Seattle's Opening Day bench.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Thursday that Bichette could bat leadoff or cleanup this season, "depending on who we're facing," Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Schneider has decided on Vladimir Guerrero in the No. 2 hole and Anthony Santander in the No. 3 spot, but who bats before them and after them is not yet written in ink. Bichette has spent the vast majority of his career hitting second, but his 106 starts in the cleanup spot are the second most of any position in the batting order. George Springer has been the club's regular leadoff man during his four seasons in Toronto but might bat lower in the order in 2025.

Cespedes (hand) is listed on Boston's roster for its March 13 Spring Breakout game against Tampa Bay prospects.

Cespedes' inclusion on the roster implies that he's back to full health after undergoing surgery in August to repair a hamate bone fracture in his left hand. The 19-year-old infield prospect hit .319/.400/.615 with five home runs and three stolen bases over his 105 plate appearances in the rookie-level Florida Complex League last season before being shut down with the hand injury. He'll likely open the 2025 campaign at Single-A Salem.

The Mariners list Celesten (wrist) on the roster for their March 14 Spring Breakout game against Guardians prospects.

Celesten appears to be in good health entering the 2025 campaign after not playing for the Mariners' rookie-level Arizona Complex League from July 24 onward last season while recovering from a lingering hamate injury that he addressed with surgery. The 19-year-old infield prospect should be ready to debut with a full-season affiliate in 2025.