MLB Player News

Mondesi (knee) took regular batting practice Monday for the first time since last May's ACL surgery, Chad Jennings of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi has been going through some baseball activities for a little while now but this is the first time he took some rounds of BP on the field in 10 months. He has yet to participate in team defensive drills or run at max effort. Opening Day is considered a long shot, but Mondesi should be able to get into some Grapefruit League games in March.

Volpe is hitting fifth and playing second base in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Volpe has played shortstop for the overwhelming majority of his professional career, but the Yankees want to see their top prospect at multiple positions this spring, and he'll get the start at second base Monday. The 21-year-old is very likely ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the 2023 season, but if Volpe is able to show the versatility to contribute at multiple positions, it could be a major boon to his chances of making an early contribution to the Yankees this spring.

Barger went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Getting the start at third base and hitting sixth behind Blue Jays regulars like Vladimir Guerrero, Daulton Varsho and Danny Jansen, Barger turned on a fastball from Pittsburgh closer David Bednar and crushed it deep to right field in the fourth inning. Barger had a breakout year in the minors in 2022, ascending from High-A to Triple-A and posting a combined .306/.375/.544 slash line with 25 homers in 126 games, and the 23-year-old appears poised to make his big-league debut sometime this season, potentially in the same kind of utility role currently filled by Cavan Biggio.

Velazquez (knee) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Sunday's spring game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Velazquez underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in September but is ready for Cactus League action. The 28-year-old had a .540 OPS in 125 games last season and should serve as a reserve shortstop for the Angels in 2023.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Smith will play all infield positions and left field during spring games, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. "I think he's comfortable moving around," Bochy said. "He's already done it, so that's always a good thing."

Smith came through the system as a shortstop, but he's blocked by Corey Seager in the majors. That means he'll have to make the team in a utility capacity. He debuted in the majors in 2022, playing 36 games at third base, 24 in left field, six at shortstop, five as the designated hitter and two at second base. Smith posted a line of .197/.307/.249 over 73 games.

Velazquez (knee) said Sunday that he intends to return to switch hitting this season, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez dropped switch hitting for a portion of last season to focus on batting right-handed, but he doesn't intend to continue that trend in 2023. He wasn't very effective from either side of the plate in 2022, though he did fare far better as a righty, batting .238 from that side of the plate versus .168 as a lefty. In any case, Velazquez could see fewer opportunities this season with Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher back healthy and new additions Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela further clogging up spots in the infield.

Baez can opt out of his contract after the upcoming season, and it's unclear if he'll remain in Detroit beyond 2023, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Baez had a disappointing first season in Detroit after signing a six-year, $140 million deal, posting just a .671 OPS and hitting only 17 home runs after recording 31 long balls in 2021. Entering his age-30 season, Baez will be looking to rebound, and if he does, he may want to test free agency again next offseason. The rebuilding Tigers may also look to trade him at some point in 2023, particularly if the shortstop plays well and Detroit can acquire solid prospects in return.

Mondesi (knee) has started baseball activities with hitting and fielding drills but is still ramping up his running progression, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi's rehab is expected to keep him out of the lineup when Opening Day rolls around, which means manager Alex Cora will deploy Enrique Hernandez at shortstop and Christian Arroyo at second base. Once Mondesi is healthy, there could be a rotation of the three players at the two positions until Trevor Story (elbow, 60-day IL) is ready to play.

Barger will spend some time in the outfield this spring, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The 2018 sixth-round pick broke out last season, slashing .305/.375/.544 across 125 games at the three highest levels of the minors. He only reached Triple-A for eight games at the tail end of the year, so an Opening Day debut seems unlikely, but if he looks good in the outfield, he'll increase his potential paths to the big-league roster.

The Red Sox placed Story (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster. Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on his UCL in January and is expected to be sidelined at least until the second half of the season. With Story out, Enrique Hernandez will handle shortstop and Christian Arroyo will cover second base, at least until Adalberto Mondesi (knee) is ready.