MLB Player News

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.

Boston manager Alex Cora believes there's potential for Grissom to add power to his game, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. "We do believe the stronger he gets, mechanics-wise, there's a few things sequencing-wise, that (hitting coach) Pete (Fatse) has recognized," Cora said. "If we can get that, we're going to have the final product."

The 23-year-old Grissom, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, will have the opportunity for consistent playing time, which could improve all aspects of his game. The Red Sox are banking on him being their everyday second baseman, presenting an opportunity for consistent plate appearances he never had on a deep Atlanta roster. In addition to the experience gained facing MLB pitching, the innings in the field should help him develop defensively, where Grissom is considered average at best.

Castillo was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Sunday.

The 26-year-old was claimed off waivers by Baltimore on Friday, but his stay on the 40-man roster was brief. Castillo has already been with five different organizations this offseason, and a sixth could be added to the list with him being put through the waiver process once again.

Soto was claimed off waivers by the Angels on Sunday.

The 23-year-old was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Friday and will now return to the Angels, who also designated him for assignment in early February. Soto is now back on the Halos' 40-man roster and will provide middle-infield depth.

Leonard is one of several players who figure to compete for Detroit's final bench spot this spring along with new acquisition Keston Hiura, Ryan Kreidler and others, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Leonard has yet to make his MLB debut, while Kreidler played with the Tigers some last season and Hiura has appeared in 284 games at the MLB level, so Leonard may be third in the pecking order to begin the regular season. However, he has some defensive versatility and posted a .904 OPS in 40 contests with Triple-A Toledo last season, so the youngster could be on the verge of cracking the big-league roster soon. Leonard's cause would be boosted if Kreidler and Hiura struggle at the plate in camp or early in the regular season.

Smith is expected to be the primary fill-in at shortstop this spring while Corey Seager (groin) is sidelined, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Smith and Ezequiel Duran were expected to get a ton of reps at shortstop, but third baseman Josh Jung's calf injury means Duran will cover the hot corner the next two-to-three weeks at least. Both Seager and Jung are expected to be ready for Opening Day.

Duran will fill in at third base for Josh Jung (calf) who is expected to miss multiple weeks, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers said Jung will miss a minimum of two-to-three weeks, and they will evaluate him during that time period, although the team expects him to be ready by Opening Day. In the meantime, Duran, who was already expected to get reps at shortstop due to Corey Seager's groin injury, will slide to the hot corner for the start of the Cactus League. That means there will be a lot of Duran and Josh Smith on the left side of the infield this spring, but both Jung and Seager are expected to be ready to go for the regular season.

Soto was designated for assignment by Baltimore on Friday.

Soto was claimed off waivers from the Angels last week but didn't stick on the Orioles' 40-man roster for long. The 23-year-old appeared in four big-league games last season and had a .700 OPS over 477 plate appearances at Triple-A.

The Orioles claimed Castillo off waivers from the Phillies on Friday.

It marks the fifth organization Castillo has been in just this offseason, as he continues to bounce around via waivers. The 26-year-old utility player does have an option year remaining and seems likely to begin the year at Triple-A Norfolk, assuming he's still in the organization by Opening Day.

Baez revealed Friday that he's dealt with nagging back and core issues over the last two seasons, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Baez altered his offseason training routine in order to strengthen those areas and said he's now feeling much better. Perhaps the injury problems can partly explain Baez's dreadful .230/.273/.361 slash line during his two years in Detroit, but fantasy managers will likely need to see tangible improvement from the 31-year-old before investing.