MLB Player News

DeJong has removed a high leg kick from his swing, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

DeJong has a tumultuous 2022, which saw him in and out of the mix for the starting shortstop job. He ended the campaign with a paltry .157/.245/.286 slash line across 77 games in the majors, which prompted him to work on his plate mechanics during the offseason. DeJong figures to be in competition for a spot on the major-league roster throughout spring training -- a number of moving parts in the infield, such as where Tommy Edman plays, will likely have an impact on DeJong's role.

Rojas (hand) was spotted taking part in fielding drills at shortstop Monday during the Dodgers' spring workout in Arizona, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Rojas underwent surgery in mid-January to remove a loose piece of bone between the thumb and index finger on his right hand, but his ability to field grounders and throw across the infield Monday suggests he's at full strength for his first spring training with the Dodgers. After being acquired from the Marlins in January and then signing a two-year extension less than a month later, the 33-year-old Rojas is clearly valued by the Dodgers, but he's still likely to be ticketed for a utility infield role when Los Angeles is at full strength. The Dodgers are giving top prospect Miguel Vargas (finger) a chance to lock down an everyday role at second base in spring training, while Gavin Lux is shifting from the keystone to shortstop in the wake of Trea Turner's move to Philadelphia this offseason. The presence of Vargas and Lux looks as though it'll block Rojas from seeing steady reps at either middle-infield spot.

Mondesi (knee) has started baseball activities with hitting and fielding drills but is still ramping up his running progression, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi's rehab is expected to keep him out of the lineup when Opening Day rolls around, which means manager Alex Cora will deploy Enrique Hernandez at shortstop and Christian Arroyo at second base. Once Mondesi is healthy, there could be a rotation of the three players at the two positions until Trevor Story (elbow, 60-day IL) is ready to play.

Barger will spend some time in the outfield this spring, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The 2018 sixth-round pick broke out last season, slashing .305/.375/.544 across 125 games at the three highest levels of the minors. He only reached Triple-A for eight games at the tail end of the year, so an Opening Day debut seems unlikely, but if he looks good in the outfield, he'll increase his potential paths to the big-league roster.

Lindor had been dealing with discomfort dating back to August of 2021, but he's feeling better after undergoing an appendectomy in October, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The discomfort evidently wasn't a major issue, though it reached a new level at the tail end of last season. Lindor's 125 wRC+ in September and October was a near match for his 128 mark over the rest of the year, so it doesn't look as though the pain showed up in his stats. It's possible that putting the problem behind him allows for even better numbers going forward, but it would probably be unwise to expect a significant difference.

Turner is likely to open the season as the Phillies' leadoff hitter, manager Rob Thomson said Thursday, per John Foley of 2008Philz.com.

Thomson indicated that things could change when Bryce Harper (elbow) returns around midseason, but initially Turner appears pegged for the top of the batting order. His RBI total could take a hit in the role after he drove in 100 runs for the first time in 2022 while batting primarily second and third for the Dodgers. However, Turner will score a ton of runs from the leadoff spot and might also be more aggressive as a base stealer after going 27-for-30 on stolen-base attempts last season.

Schmitt will likely start 2023 with Triple-A Sacramento, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Schmitt split 2022 between High-A and Double-A, logging a combined .299/.370/.500 slash line with 22 home runs and 80 RBI in 126 games. Some combination of David Villar, J.D. Davis and Wilmer Flores will likely man the hot corner for the Giants to begin this season. Schmitt has just a total of 33 contests in the upper minors, so he should be expected to see the bulk of his time this year with Sacramento.

The Red Sox placed Story (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster. Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on his UCL in January and is expected to be sidelined at least until the second half of the season. With Story out, Enrique Hernandez will handle shortstop and Christian Arroyo will cover second base, at least until Adalberto Mondesi (knee) is ready.

Chang signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox on Thursday.

The Red Sox non-tendered Chang earlier this offseason but have ultimately decided to bring him back as infield depth. With Trevor Story (elbow) out indefinitely and Adalberto Mondesi's (knee) timeline cloudy, it's a sensible move. Chang has a career .639 OPS over parts of four major-league seasons.

The Giants announced Wednesday that Luciano is taking part in a normal hitting and throwing progression in spring training after suffering a stress fracture in his lower back over the offseason, Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reports.

The injury explains why Luciano appeared in only five games for Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican Winter League before sitting out the rest of the schedule. The fact that Luciano is taking part in baseball activities suggests that he should be ready to play at some point during the Cactus League slate, putting him on track for the start of the minor-league season. The 21-year-old shortstop prospect posted an .817 OPS with 11 home runs in 65 games last summer between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Eugene.