MLB Player News

Lux started at third base and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's spring game against Seattle.

Lux poked his first Cactus League homer in the second inning and has an .858 OPS through 16 spring games. He's played a lot of third base (11 starts) and figures to see ample time there in the regular season along with starts at second base and in left field. However, it may take a while to determine a pattern of who plays and when. Jeimer Candelario is expected to share third base with Lux and first base with Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Corner infield will get muddier once Spencer Steer (shoulder) is ready to play the field.

The Nationals optioned Nunez to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

Nunez turned heads in Nationals camp with a .419/.486/.484 slash line through 35 plate appearances and seemed to be making a real push for the Opening Day roster. He'll instead begin the season in Triple-A, which will allow the 24-year-old infielder to continue developing while playing every day -- something he wouldn't have been able to do in Washington.

Nunez may be playing his way onto the Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

This was not part of the plan for the 24-year-old Nunez, a Rule 5 pick in 2024 who essentially lost a year of development while spending the whole season on the Washington bench and seeing just 78 plate appearances over 51 games. He's been one of the standouts in camp for the Nats, batting .419 (13-for-31) with a 3:4 BB:K and seven steals in nine attempts while playing excellent defense, and he is making a strong case for a utility spot on the 26-man roster. CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia are locked in at shortstop and second base however, so the most likely scenario is for Nunez to begin the year in a starting middle-infield role with Triple-A Rochester -- a level he has yet to play at after being plucked from Double-A in the Marlins' organization last year.

Hampson exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract Friday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Hampson remains in the running for a spot on the Diamondbacks' Opening Day bench, but triggering his opt-out clause now allows him to reach free agency if he does not make the team. The utility player is battling Ildemaro Vargas for Arizona's final bench spot.

Winn (wrist) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff in Friday's split-squad game against the Astros, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Winn has been sidelined the past few days due to wrist soreness, but he'll return to the lineup Friday on his 23rd birthday. He has a .098/.156/.098 slash line through 45 plate appearances in spring training but is expected to begin the campaign as St. Louis' leadoff man after posting a .730 OPS as a rookie last year.

De La Cruz went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's spring game against the Royals.

De La Cruz mashed a two-run, opposite-field home run in the first inning and followed it up with a five-pitch walk and a hard-hit single. The De La Cruz of previous years may have tried to take another bag after the ball trickled into short center field, but he stayed at first base and eventually came around to score on an Austin Hays double. The home run was De La Cruz's fourth this spring.

Williams cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Williams was battling for a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day bench, but he ultimately missed the cut after going 5-for-32 with three RBI and five runs scored in 16 spring games. He doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so his demotion to Triple-A will cost him his spot on the 40-man roster.

The Diamondbacks optioned Lawlar to Triple-A Reno on Wednesday.

Lawlar was given the chance to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster during camp, but after thumb surgery and a pair of hamstring injuries limited him to just 23 total games across three minor-league stops in 2024, the expectation all along has been that the 22-year-old infielder would begin the season at Triple-A. He remains the organization's top prospect and had previously seen big-league action in 2023, so a hot start to the season in Reno could quickly put Lawlar in the mix for a promotion to the big club. Arizona has been giving Lawlar equal exposure to both third base and shortstop this spring, giving him a couple of pathways to earning playing time in the big leagues once he's deemed ready.

The Nationals reassigned House to minor-league camp Wednesday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

House didn't get a ton of looks this spring but fared well when he played, going 7-for-21 with a 4:4 K:BB. The 21-year-old is highly thought of as a prospect but still needs seasoning in the minors after slashing just .241/.297/.402 with a 26.4 percent strikeout rate between Double-A Harrisburg and Rochester in 2024.

Berti went 3-for-4 with a run and a stolen base during Wednesday's 6-3 loss to the Dodgers in Tokyo.

The 35-year-old started the first two games of the season at second base with Nico Hoerner (forearm) unavailable. Chicago didn't provide much offense during the two-game set in Japan, but Berti was able to reach base four times and steal a pair of bases. He's expected to fill a utility role once Hoerner is healthy.