MLB Player News

Urena cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Urena was designated for assignment by Baltimore last week but will remain in the organization after going through waivers unclaimed. The 23-year-old will continue to work in the major-league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Lindor and manager Terry Francona might have a discussion this spring about possibly moving Lindor out of the leadoff spot, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Francona cautioned that nothing was imminent about a batting order change. "I'm not trying to move him out of that spot," said Francona. "I want to be open to what could be our best lineup. I don't think anybody knows that until you have a better idea of what your team is going to look like." If Lindor were to move down to second or third in the order, he would have more RBI opportunities, perhaps at the expense of fewer plate appearances along with fewer chances to run.

Manager Rick Renteria said he's leaning towards hitting Anderson first or second in the order, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Anderson and Yoan Moncada are tentatively expected to fill the top two spots in Chicago's lineup, in any order, though nothing is set in stone. The 26-year-old is coming off a career year in 2019 during which he hit .335/.357/.508 with 18 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 123 games.

Gordon (personal) is expected to report to the Mariners' camp Friday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Gordon's arrival to the Mariners' spring facility in Arizona has been delayed while he awaited the birth of his daughter, Demi. After taking the last few days off to spend time with his wife and the newborn, Gordon looks like he'll be ready to return to work over the weekend. The 31-year-old is expected to fill a super-utility role for Seattle in 2020 when the team is at full strength, though Mitch Haniger's (back/core muscle) expected absence for most of the first half of the season could open up regular reps for Gordon in the outfield.

Diaz will make $2.6 million this season after winning his arbitration case, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Diaz struggled to find a rhythm during his first season in Houston because of different trips to the injured list due to hamstring tightness and dizziness spells. The 29-year-old finished the year hitting .271/.356/.467 with 40 RBI and 36 runs scored throughout 247 plate appearances. Diaz is expected to open the season where he left off, namely, as a utility infielder who is a valuable pinch-hit option due to superior plate discipline that led to him drawing 26 walks while striking out just 28 times last season.

Urena was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Wednesday.

Urena was plucked off waivers from Toronto in late December but won't wind up making it to Opening Day on the Orioles' 40-man roster. Andrew Velazquez was claimed off waivers from Cleveland in a corresponding move.

Velazquez was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Wednesday.

In Baltimore, Velazquez seems to find himself in a situation where at-bats will be easier to come by than they were in Cleveland. That's not to say Velazquez is a favorite to play a significant role for his new club, or even to make the roster, as he's slashed .152/.222/.242 across just 36 big-league plate appearances to date. Richard Urena was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Mondesi (shoulder) will play in games this spring, but not in Friday's spring opener against the Rangers, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Mondesi underwent shoulder surgery at the end of last season, but he remains on track for Opening Day, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. If he suffers a setback, Nicky Lopez would likely start at shortstop to open the season.

Crawford spent the offseason working with strength and conditioning coach James Clifton and put on 10 pounds of muscle, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old frequently made a mockery of big-league pitching during a breakout June last season, slashing .338/.413/.569 with two home runs and 17 RBI across 16 games during the month. However, that surge was followed by a significant downturn over the last three months of the season, with Crawford hitting just .178 across his final 60 games and also missing some time due to a strained right hamstring. Both the extended slump and the injury pointed toward a need for Crawford to get stronger, hence his diligent offseason program aimed at achieving that goal. The promising shortstop, who flashed an improve glove last season, says he already feels the increased strength paying dividends in terms of both the exit velocity of his batted balls and his throws across the diamond.

Gordon won't join the Mariners on Tuesday for the team's first full-squad workout while he awaits the birth of his first child, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Expect Gordon to remain at home for most of the week to spend time with his expanding family. The 31-year-old shouldn't be too far behind his teammates once he eventually reports to camp, but his exact role for the upcoming season likely won't be fleshed out until closer to Opening Day. With Seattle eyeing Shed Long and J.P. Crawford for everyday jobs in the middle infield and a host of youngsters competing for regular reps in the outfield, Gordon could be in store for more of a utility gig in 2020.