MLB Player News

Neto is out of the lineup for Thursday's spring game against the White Sox and has been unavailable recently due to the flu, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Registerreports.

Neto will miss a second straight Cactus League start Thursday, but he's feeling better and was able to go through a pregame workout. It sounds like he should be ready to return to action in a day or two. Luis Rengifo will handle shortstop again while Neto rests.

Tena has gone 4-for-18 with two RBI, one run scored, four walks and two strikeouts over 12 Cactus League games.

Tena is at least getting a long look as a reserve infielder, but he hasn't posted the results to justify winning a roster spot. He's also showing a solid eye at the plate, which is encouraging after he struck out 13 times in 34 plate appearances following his call-up last season. Tena's easiest path to the major-league roster would be at shortstop, but Gabriel Arias (illness), Brayan Rocchio and Tyler Freeman are also contenders to see at-bats there. It may be better for Tena's development for him to start the year at Triple-A Columbus.

Story went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's spring game against the Cardinals.

Story's having a fine spring, posting a .360 average and 1.048 OPS through 28 Grapefruit League plate appearances. He slotted in third in the batting order Tuesday, a comfortable spot behind Rafael Devers and ahead of Triston Casas. The shortstop is finally healthy after two injury-marred seasons for Boston.

Baez, who went 0-for-2 with an RBI in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, is now batting just .050 this spring.

Baez has gone just 1-for-20 with 10 strikeouts across nine spring games. Veteran players can often be given a free pass for slow starts, but with Baez struggling mightily in his first two seasons with the Tigers, the recent performance is worrisome. The 31-year-old should still have a fairly firm hold on the starting shortstop role, though fantasy managers may want to look elsewhere, at least until Baez shows any signs of getting going at the plate.

The Twins optioned Martin to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.

Martin might have had a shot at a reserve role prior to the Manuel Margot trade, but not so much after it. He should still have a chance to debut in 2024 but will report to St. Paul for now.

The Blue Jays optioned Barger to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Barger didn't have a realistic chance of making Toronto's Opening Day roster, but he still put on a show while in big-league camp with a .929 OPS in 19 plate appearances. The 24-year-old saw a lot of action in right field this spring, potentially setting him up for a promotion if George Springer goes down with an injury at some point this season.

The Blue Jays optioned Martinez to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Martinez was never a likely bet to crack Toronto's Opening Day roster given the club's infield depth, but he certainly didn't help himself during spring training with a .566 OPS in 20 plate appearances. Barring any major changes late in camp, the 22-year-old is set to return to Buffalo to begin 2024, where he posted a .263/.340/.507 slash line in 55 games after being promoted from Double-A last July.

Diaz (groin) suffered a calf strain recently while running the bases, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Diaz has been rehabbing a groin strain and now has a new injury to deal with. He's played just two Cactus League games to this point and can now probably be ruled out for the rest of the spring, with a stint on the injured list to begin the season likely. Once healthy, Diaz is expected to be in the mix primarily at third base and shortstop.

Clement 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 27-year-old launched a two-run homer off Zach Eflin in the second inning before singling home another run off the Tampa right-hander in the third. Clement came into camp with a decent chance of winning the final spot on the Toronto bench due to the fact that he was out of minor-league options, but he's backed that up with a scorching spring that's seen him hit .400 (10-for-25) through nine games with a triple and two homers. Perhaps more impressively, he hasn't struck out once in 26 plate appearances. The Blue Jays have unsettled situations at both second base and third base, and if Clement carries his hot stick into the regular season, he could push his way into playing time at both spots.

The Tigers optioned Perez to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Perez had a strong finish to his 2023 season at Toledo and will head back there for some more refinement. The 24-year-old has a shot to debut for the Tigers at some point during the 2024 campaign.