MLB Player News

Bichette said Wednesday that he added pilates, swimming and Muay Thai to his offseason training regimen and has been pleased with his physical conditioning in the early stages of spring training, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Specifically, Bichette said his pilates and Muay Thai workouts were targeted toward his right leg, after he missed 25 games in 2023 with right patellar tendinitis and a right quadricep strain. Bichette is hoping that the more holistic approach to his offseason training will yield better results in 2024, after both he and the Blue Jays offense as a whole fell a bit short of their lofty expectations heading into the past season. Even in what was considered a down year for Bichette, particularly in the running game -- he stole just five bags in eight attempts after nabbing 38 combined steals over the prior two campaigns -- the 25-year-old still finished with a .306 batting average and a .814 OPS, the fourth straight season in which he's cleared .800. Bichette batted primarily out of the two hole in 2023, but it's unclear if he'll remain in that spot or if he'll hit third or fourth, which he did over the Blue Jays' final four games of last season.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.