MLB Player News
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Zachary Neto SS | LAA
Angels' Zach Neto: Slated to bat ninth
Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that Neto will bat ninth this season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Neto will have an opportunity to hit his way to a higher spot in the batting order over time, but for now he'll be stuck at the bottom. The 23-year-old shortstop slashed .225/.308/.377 with nine home runs and five stolen bases over 329 plate appearances during his rookie campaign in 2023.
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Amed Rosario SS | NYY
Rays' Amed Rosario: Eyed for four positions
Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Tuesday that the plan is to play Rosario some at both middle infield positions as well as the corner outfield spots, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Neander also mentioned Rosario's ability to hit left-handed pitching, and there's a good chance much of the 28-year-old's playing time ultimately comes against southpaws. Jose Caballero is still expected to open the season as Tampa Bay's primary shortstop.
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Jeremy Pena SS | HOU
Astros' Jeremy Pena: Has new stance
Pena overhauled his batting stance during the offseason, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Pena was essentially a league-average hitter in many aspects last season, but he posted just a .118 ISO across 634 plate appearances. To unlock more power in 2024, he reworked his stance to minimize movement while focusing on driving balls to all areas of the field. Manager Joe Espada has noted early in spring training that Pena looks more athletic and comfortable in the box while lifting the ball more. The latter will be a key to his potential jump in home runs, as he has only a 29.5 flyball percentage across 1,192 career plate appearances.
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Austin Martin SS | MIN
Twins' Austin Martin: Working with infielders
Martin is not moving to a full-time outfield role, manager Rocco Baldelli told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Martin has only worked as an infielder at the start of camp, but the Twins plan to play him in the outfield this spring as well.
Martin didn't make his Triple-A debut until July 3 after missing the first three months of the season while recovering from a UCL sprain in his elbow. He put up a decent, if unspectacular, .791 OPS with six homers and 16 steals over 59 games for Triple-A St. Paul. Martin could be a candidate to be a reserve center field option to begin the season if the Twins don't sign a veteran. However, this news could be seen as Minnesota not looking at him as a viable option in the outfield in the near term, though position flexibility could provide him multiple paths to reach the majors this season. He'll likely begin the season at Triple-A.
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Diego Castillo 3B | MIN
Orioles' Diego Castillo: Assigned to Norfolk
Castillo was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday after clearing outright waivers, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
The Orioles DFA'd Castillo on Sunday after claiming him off waivers two days prior. He has been with five different organizations this offseason but will stay in Baltimore's system for the time being. Castillo played 124 games for the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate last season and finished with a .313/.431/.410 line, three home runs and 72 RBIs across 556 plate appearances.
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Amed Rosario SS | NYY
Rays' Amed Rosario: Lands with Rays on one-year deal
Rosario signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Rays on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
It's a good fit for Rosario, who, with a career .298/.339/.467 batting line against left-handed pitching, should see plenty of action in the middle infield spots versus southpaws. The 28-year-old has slashed only .263/.296/.374 in his career against right-handers and is a poor defender, so Tampa Bay figures to use him sparingly versus same-handed pitchers.
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Yu Chang SS | TB
Rays' Yu Chang: Back in Tampa Bay as NRI
Chang signed a minor-league contract with the Rays on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Chang spent some time with the Rays in 2022 before playing for the Red Sox in 2023. The 28-year-old utility infielder sports a career .204/.265/.359 batting line over parts of five major-league seasons. Tampa Bay has an opening at shortstop, but Chang would appear far down its list of candidates.
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Brooks Lee SS | MIN
Twins' Brooks Lee: Will receive 2B, 3B reps
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Lee will get reps at second base and third base in addition to shortstop this spring, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Virtually all of Lee's pro career at this point has been spent at shortstop, but with Carlos Correa holding down that spot with the big club and Royce Lewis pegged for third base, Lee's future might be at second base. If that move winds up happening, Edouard Julien could shift to first base and/or designated hitter. Lee, 23, slashed .275/.347/.461 with 16 home runs and 39 doubles over 125 games between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul in 2023.
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Corey Seager SS | TEX
Rangers' Corey Seager: Not sure he'll be ready for opener
Seager (groin) told reporters Monday that he hopes to be ready for Opening Day but isn't sure it will happen, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.
Seager underwent surgery in January to repair a sports hernia and was just recently cleared for incline walking and riding a stationary bike. It's not clear when he might be able to resume baseball activities and play in games, but it does not appear to be imminent. If Seager needs a stint on the injured list to start the season, Ezequiel Duran would figure to be in line to fill in at shortstop for the Rangers.
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Jorge Mateo SS | ATL
Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Dabbling at multiple positions
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday that Mateo took reps at second base over the winter before arriving at spring training, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. "We're going to keep our options open with him. He really increases the versatility we have on this club," Hyde said of Mateo.
Mateo played all but 20 of his 863 defensive innings in 2023 at shortstop, with the rest coming in center field. After the Orioles retained him on a $2.7 million salary for 2024, Mateo projects to open the season as the team's everyday shortstop, though he may not be long for the job with top prospect Jackson Holliday unlikely to require much finishing time in the minors before making his MLB debut. Given the likelihood that he'll transition into a utility role once Holliday is ready for big-league action, Mateo has been getting exposure to the keystone, in addition to continuing to take reps at shortstop and center field. While he has a path to steadier playing time earlier in the season, Mateo should provide fantasy value on the bases after recording 32 steals in 37 attempts in 2023, but his light power, poor plate skills and likely spot at the bottom of the Baltimore lineup make him mostly a one-category play.