Ahmed is now ahead of Marco Luciano for the starting job at shortstop, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Ahmed has enjoyed a torrid start to the spring since signing a minor-league deal with the Giants on Feb. 26. He's gone 5-for-9 with two home runs, five RBI, five runs and two walks over four Cactus League games. That's far better than Luciano's 1-for-14 (.071) mark with nine strikeouts over six contests. Ahmed also provides veteran experience and solid defense, while Luciano has struggled in the field in spring games. Ahmed's chances of keeping up this pace are low -- he slashed .212/.257/.303 with just two home runs over 72 contests last season with the Diamondbacks before he was released in September.

Lawlar was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

The Diamondbacks already confirmed Geraldo Perdomo as their starting shortstop to begin the season, so it's not a surprise Lawlar will open in the minors since the organization wants him to see consistent at-bats. The 21-year-old struggled in his first taste of the majors last season with a .129 average in 34 plate appearances and has just 16 games under his belt at Triple-A, though he posted a 1.050 OPS while with Reno late last year. Lawlar could be up with the Diamondbacks before long to receive a starting chance if Perdomo falters.

McClain (oblique) is starting at second base and batting third in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians.

McClain suffered an oblique strain early in camp but is now ready to make his spring debut. The 24-year-old has plenty of time to ramp up his workload ahead of Opening Day, as he's poised to serve as Cincinnati's primary second baseman after he posted an .864 OPS in 89 games as a rookie in 2023.

Alexander started at designated hitter and went 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base in Saturday's spring game against Cincinnati.

Alexander has responded to a spring training challenge from Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who gave the shortstop areas on which to focus in camp, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. "Show us that you're versatile and can play more than one position. Control the at-bats, control the zone, don't worry about hitting home runs, [focus on] gap-to-gap," the manager said at the start of camp. Alexander has played shortstop, second base and third base in Cactus League action, hit to all fields, and compiled a 1.035 OPS over 29 plate appearances. Arizona general manager Mike Hazen, who was effusive about the prospect's spring performance, prefers that Alexander get regular at-bats in the minors, but the 24-year-old infielder could force decision-makers to rethink their plans.

Lindor went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 30-year-old shortstop drove a 2-2 pitch from Steven Matz deep to left-center field in the first inning, giving Lindor his first long ball of the spring. He had a bone spur removed from his elbow in October but came into camp healthy, and he's gone 5-for-22 so far in Grapefruit League action with two doubles in addition to Saturday's homer. Lindor put together his first career 30-30 campaign in 2023 despite the bone spur, and expectations are high for the four-time All-Star this season.

Swanson, who went 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in a Cactus League game against the Mariners on Friday, is now batting .357 this spring.

Swanson appears to be in midseason form with his bat, as he's gone 5-for-14 so far with four walks and only four strikeouts. The shortstop batted just .244 in his first season with the Cubs in 2023, though he batted .278 a year earlier with Atlanta, so there is room for improvement in that area. Swanson's other numbers were fairly similar last season, and he reached the 20-homer plateau for the third straight year.

Manager Dave Roberts said Lux will primarily play second base with Mookie Betts handling shortstop, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

That's the alignment for Friday's spring game against the Reds, and Roberts described the positioning as "permanent, for now." Lux experienced some troubles throwing the ball from shortstop during spring action, and the Dodgers decided they had seen enough. The 26-year-old should still see plenty of playing time at the keystone, though he may sit against some left-handed pitchers.

Kim (back) is starting at shortstop and batting fifth in Friday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

Kim has been sidelined by back spasms the past few days but is ready to retake the field for Friday's contest. The 28-year-old is shifting to shortstop this season after winning a Gold Glove at second base for the Padres in 2023.

The Rockies optioned Amador to Double-A Hartford on Friday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Amador received a late promotion to Hartford last season and will return to the affiliate to begin 2024. The 20-year-old spent most of the season at High-A Spokane, where he had a .905 OPS with nine home runs and 12 steals in 54 games.

The Cubs optioned Vazquez to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Vazquez was added to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from being selected during the Rule 5 Draft, but he was unable to carve out a place on Chicago's Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old had an .809 OPS in 66 games at Triple-A last season and is a likely bet to make his MLB debut at some point in 2024.