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  • Marco Luciano SS | NYY

    Giants' Marco Luciano: Coming back from hamstring issue

    Luciano has been dealing with a minor hamstring issue but is tentatively listed in the Giants' lineup for Saturday's Cactus League opener against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

    It's not clear how long Luciano's hamstring has been bothering him, but as long as he gets through a workout Friday with no issues he will be in Saturday's lineup. The youngster is projected to serve as the Giants' primary shortstop this season.

  • Tommy Troy SS | ARI

    Diamondbacks' Tommy Troy: Will get look early in camp

    Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that he's eager to see Troy (foot) against major-league pitching early in camp, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

    Lovullo discussed what's piquing his interest during Cactus League play and mentioned bringing prospects over from minor-league camp, including Troy and Druw Jones, to get at-bats and innings. While Troy's injury was not mentioned, that the manager was talking about him playing suggests last year's first-round pick is healthy and ready to go for spring ball. At the time of his September foot surgery, the expectation was that he'd have a full offseason to prepare for spring training. The 22-year-old shortstop batted .271 with an .843 OPS and stole nine bases over 27 combined games between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Hillsboro.

  • Masyn Winn SS | STL

    Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Dealing with tightness

    Winn didn't participate in batting practice Wednesday and Thursday due to tightness in his upper body, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatchreports.

    The 21-year-old still went through all other drills and could resume swinging as early as Friday, so the injury -- vague though it is -- doesn't appear to be a serious concern. Still, the Cardinals don't have much depth at shortstop with Winn and top backup Tommy Edman (wrist) banged up early in camp.

  • Jon Berti 3B | CHC

    Marlins' Jon Berti: Headed back to bench

    Berti will slot back into a utility role since Tim Anderson signing with the Marlins on Thursday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

    Adding a shortstop this offseason always seemed to be the plan for Miami, as Berti would be a poor fit as the starter even after playing a career-high 64 games at the position in 2023. The 34-year-old has topped 400 plate appearances in each of the last two seasons while seeing time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions, although in fantasy leagues with a 20-game threshold for qualification, he'll only be eligible at third and short to begin 2024. The bigger question for his value will be whether he can rebound on the basepaths -- after swiping 41 bags on 46 attempts in 2022, Berti failed to take advantage of the new rules last season and went just 16-for-22 on steal attempts despite maintaining an elite sprint speed (95th percentile).

  • Dodgers' Austin Gauthier: Ready for spring opener

    Gauthier is listed as an available bench player Thursday in the Dodgers' Cactus League opener versus the Padres, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

    Gauthier didn't appear in any minor-league games after Sept. 14 last season due to a broken pinkie finger, but he arrived at spring training with no restrictions and is attending Dodgers camp as a non-roster invitee. The 24-year-old isn't a serious candidate for the Dodgers' Opening Day roster and is likely to be assigned to Double-A Tulsa or Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin the 2024 campaign. After a mid-season promotion from High-A Great Lakes, Gauthier slashed .293/.411/.433 with six home runs and 15 stolen bases in 392 plate appearances for Tulsa last year before being shut down with the finger injury.

  • Tim Anderson 2B | LAA

    Marlins' Tim Anderson: Lands with Miami on one-year deal

    Anderson agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Marlins on Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

    The fit is sensible, as the Marlins desperately needed a shortstop and Anderson was in need of a starting opportunity, which he likely hopes will allow him to show his dreadful 2023 season was an aberration. Prior to delivering a disastrous .245/.286/.296 slash line last year, Anderson had slashed .318/.347/.474 over his prior four campaigns. The 30-year-old will settle in as Miami's everyday shortstop, pushing Jon Berti back to a utility role.

  • Oneil Cruz SS | PIT

    Pirates' Oneil Cruz: At full speed in camp

    Cruz is participating without restrictions in spring camp, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

    Cruz was able to play in only nine games before fracturing his left fibula in 2023. After suffering a few setbacks, he's been able to participate fully in all fielding and batting drills. Manager Derek Shelton has acknowledged that Cruz is battling some rust, so the team plans to get him more live reps as the spring progresses. He'll be locked in as the Pirates' starting shortstop so long as he remains healthy in 2024.

  • Matt McLain SS | CIN

    Reds' Matt McLain: Out 5-to-7 days after oblique tweak

    McLain will be sidelined for the next 5-to-7 days after tweaking his right oblique, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

    It's the same oblique which caused a premature end to McLain's rookie season. An MRI came back clean, and Reds manager David Bell expressed confidence that McLain should be ready by the time Opening Day rolls around. However, more clarity on the young infielder's condition should be available following the 5-to-7 day shutdown period.

  • Jordan Lawlar SS | ARI

    Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Needs consistent at-bats

    Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said Lawlar would need consistent at-bats if he were to make the Opening Day roster, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

    Lawlar was left off Gilbert's initial roster projection, which generated pushback from unhappy readers. Gilbert explained his projection was based on the language used by Hazen regarding the Diamondbacks' prospect. It's natural for the organization to give Lawlar a path to consistent playing time, but that's unlikely to happen if he's backing up Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop -- manager Torey Lovullo confirmed Perdomo would be the starter last week -- and Eugenio Suarez at third base. Given that scenario, it makes sense for the Diamondbacks to have Lawlar play everyday at Triple-A Reno, where he had just 80 plate appearances in 2023.

  • Jett Williams SS | MIL

    Mets' Jett Williams: Will get reps in center

    Williams will get work in big-league camp at both shortstop and center field, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

    With Francisco Lindor signed through 2031, Williams will likely have to move off shortstop when he gets to the majors. The Mets also indicated the 20-year-old top prospect would not get reps at second base this spring, so it looks as though center field will be his eventual defensive home. "I don't really care," Williams said Friday. "Whatever gets me to the big leagues the fastest." In his first full professional season after being selected with the 14th overall pick in 2022, Williams slashed .263/.425/.451 in 121 games across three levels last year with 13 homers and 45 steals, finishing the campaign at Double-A Binghamton. He'll likely spend most of 2024 in the high minors, but a late-season debut in the majors would set him up to replace Harrison Bader in center for the Mets in 2025.

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