MLB Player News

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.

Manager Dave Roberts wouldn't commit to naming Lux the Dodgers' Opening Day shortstop Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Dodgers entered camp fully expecting Lux to start at shortstop on Opening Day. However, recent throwing issues have raised concerns about whether or not Lux is the best option to have in the field. It's possible Lux is simply rusty from missing the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL, and Roberts stated the team is still confident in Lux's defensive abilities, but if Lux continues to struggle, his starting job may be given to Miguel Rojas instead.

Wendle (shoulder) is starting at second base for the Mets' spring training game against Washington on Thursday.

Shoulder soreness has kept Wendle out of Grapefruit League play this spring, but he is now set to make his spring debut. Wendle posted just a .610 OPS during his two seasons with Miami, and he will most likely compete for at-bats as a utility man with the Mets this year.