MLB Player News

Mondesi (knee) will not play in any Grapefruit League games this spring, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic on Friday.

Things had been pointing in that direction for a while now. Cora also added that there remains no timetable for Mondesi's return as he works his way back from last year's ACL tear. The infielder continues to work out and seems to be progressing fine, but fantasy managers should count on him missing at least the first month or so of the season. Christian Arroyo is in line for starts at second base.

Anderson visited Driveline immediately before spring training to work on his swing, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Anderson got off to a scorching start in 2022 but faltered to only a .259 average and .257 wOBA across the second half of the season. That dip in production was at least in part due to a groin injury that prevented him being comfortable at the plate, though Anderson is confident he regained his form this offseason. Encouragingly, Anderson has hit well with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, maintaining a .364 average with two extra-base hits and a stolen base.

Camargo was scratched from the Royals' Cactus League lineup Thursday due to left side tightness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

It's terrible timing for Camargo, who appeared to have a good shot to make the Opening Day roster. Now, he might be dealing with an oblique injury which could sideline him for a while. Clay Dungan has replaced him at shortstop in Thursday's contest.

Mateo is hitting .217 (5-for-23) through nine Grapefruit League games.

Mateo's got two things going for him -- defense and speed, though he's yet to attempt a steal in spring training. The shortstop went 35-for-44 on the basepaths in 2022, but his .221/.267/.379 slash line didn't inspire much confidence. He opens 2023 atop the depth chart at shortstop, but a cold spell at the plate could see him slip into a short-side platoon role if Gunnar Henderson, Ramon Urias and Adam Frazier are all hitting well. Mateo should still get his looks for steals, but he's never posted an OPS higher than .670 in the majors, so he can't be counted on for a ton of category coverage.

Crawford (shoulder) hopes to return to playing shortstop on Sunday or Monday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Crawford is serving as the Mariners' designated hitter again Thursday in Cactus League play as he protects his achy right shoulder. He seems to be feeling better, though, and hopes to be able to play the field in a few days.

Franco entered spring training fully healthy, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Franco was limited to only 344 plate appearances in 2022 due to a combination of quadriceps and wrist injuries. Frustrated by being sidelined, Franco focused his offseason work on durability with the goal being to remain in the lineup more regularly. While he had a disappointing 2022 campaign, Franco still managed six home runs, eight stolen bases and a .745 OPS in the partial year.

Witt has a hit in his only at-bat through two games for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic.

Witt has been a bench bat for the USA, but he was fortunate to log plenty of time in spring training before leaving for the international tournament. Over seven Cactus League games, he hit .389 (7-for-18) with four RBI, a stolen base and six runs scored. Witt showed enticing speed (30 steals) and power (20 home runs, 31 doubles) over 150 games as a rookie last year, and he is penciled in as the Royals' starting shortstop this season after spending a large part of 2022 at third base.

The Angels reassigned Neto to minor-league camp Tuesday.

The 2022 first-round selection quickly rose to Double-A ball in 2022, slashing .320/.382/.492 over 136 plate appearances. Neto will likely return to Double-A to start the 2023 campaign, and at his current pace, he could find himself in Triple-A before the end of the season.

Bichette went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

The blasts didn't come against the stiffest competition, as Bichette took minor-leaguer Chris Murphy deep in the first inning before tagging Boston prospect Brandon Walter in the fourth, but it was still a strong performance from the shortstop. The homers were the first two of the spring for Bichette, but he's gone 11-for-28 (.393) overall with a 3:5 BB:K and appears more than ready for the games to begin to count.

Brito was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Although he went just 2-for-13 this spring, Brito showed off his excellent eye at the plate with 10 walks to just one strikeout. The 21-year-old was acquired from the Rockies for Nolan Jones in November.