MLB Player News

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Wednesday that Diaz (groin) has been cleared to resume baseball activities, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Diaz was diagnosed with a left groin strain Feb. 29 and will face an uphill battle to get fully healthy in advance of Opening Day, but the fact that he's taking part in baseball activities just one week after suffering the injury at least bodes well for his chances of avoiding an extended absence to begin the season. He remains without a definitive timeline to re-enter the Athletics' Cactus League lineup, however.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Wednesday that Allen is currently sidelined with a mild back strain, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Allen hasn't played in a Cactus League game since March 1 due to the back issue. The Athletics haven't provided an indication of when Allen might be ready to return to the spring lineup, but the team seems to be viewing his injury as a day-to-day concern. If healthy, Allen is the favorite to open the season as the Athletics' primary shortstop.

Duran started at third base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases in Tuesday's spring game against the Mariners.

Duran's getting a healthy dose of playing time and leads the Rangers with 26 plate appearances (.360/.385/.480). He's the steady fill-in at third base for Josh Jung (calf), who is due back at some point this month. Duran is expected to be on the Opening Day roster as a backup utility infielder.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday he's "hopeful" Seager (groin) will get some at-bats in Cactus League play before the end of spring training, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old's availability for Opening Day remains in question as he recovers from the hernia surgery he underwent in late January. Seager recently had his progress slowed by the flu, but it apparently wasn't enough to delay his potential return. It's unclear if he has resumed baseball activities, but there should be more clarity on his status as spring training continues to progress. Even if Seager isn't quite ready by Opening Day, he isn't expected to miss much time.

Hamilton started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a double in Monday's spring game against Detroit.

Hamilton, who can play both middle infield positions, made a second consecutive start at second base since Boston announced Vaughn Grissom (groin) could miss Opening Day. The frontrunner to replace Grissom is Enmanuel Valdez, whose glove is not as sound as Hamilton's but projects a better bat. Hamilton is 3-for-16 over six Grapefruit League games.

Witt has gone 4-for-15 with two home runs, a stolen base and four runs scored over five Cactus League games.

As if the 11-year contract extension he signed in February wasn't enough proof, Witt is locked in as the Royals' starting shortstop. The 23-year-old offers both power and speed and should be a fixture at or near the top of the batting order this season. He hit .276 with an .814 OPS, 30 home runs, 49 stolen bases, 96 RBI and 97 runs scored in a similar role in 2023.

Correa went 2-for-3 in Sunday's spring training tie with Tampa Bay. He's hitting .429 (3-for-7) through three spring games.

Correa played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot for most of last season but said he was pain-free as spring training began, and he's looked sharp in the field. Correa slashed just .230/.312/.399 with 18 home runs and 65 RBI in 580 plate appearances last season while battling through a nagging foot issue starting in mid-May, so he could bounce back simply by avoiding re-injury.

Story went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Saturday's spring game against the Nationals.

Story, making his fourth appearance of the Grapefruit League, has struck out six times in 12 plate appearances. He's missed a lot of time the last two seasons due to injury, and he enters 2024 with questions about what he can give fantasy managers. He'll be Boston's starting shortstop and will have a chance to answer those questions. The Red Sox lack thump from the right side of the plate and will look for Story to produce similar results as he did as a member of the Rockies between 2016 and 2021.

Hernaiz has been seeing action at third base this spring and could get a shot to start there for the Athletics, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Hernaiz has predominantly been a shortstop in the minors, and the A's aren't exactly set at that position with Nick Allen as the incumbent. However, it sounds like Hernaiz's better shot at a starting gig might come at third, particularly with Aledmys Diaz (groin) likely to require a stint on the injured list. Jordan Diaz, Brett Harris and Abraham Toro are also in the mix at the hot corner. For what it's worth, Gallegos projected Hernaiz on Thursday to win the third base job.

Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Friday that it would be "optimistic" to think Diaz (groin) could return before the end of the Cactus League schedule, MLB.com reports.

Diaz is dealing with a strained left groin and is expected to miss at least the next 2-to-3 weeks of action. Barring a rapid recovery, it sounds like an injured list stint should be expected. Diaz is competing for Oakland's third base job, but his injury opens up more chances for Darell Hernaiz, Jordan Diaz and Brett Harris.