MLB Player News

Atlanta optioned Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

With Shewmake as well as Vaughn Grissom being sent to Triple-A to start the year, Orlando Arcia has won Atlanta's starting shortstop job. Shewmake made a late charge for the starting gig, as he impressed both with his bat and glove during the Grapefruit League play. Shewmake and Grissom will serve as Gwinnett's everyday starters in the middle infield, with Shewmake expected to mostly play second base. Both have a good chance to help Atlanta before the end of 2023.

Atlanta optioned Grissom to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday,

Grissom was the presumed starter at shortstop for Atlanta to begin the 2023 campaign on the heels of his promising rookie season, but the 22-year-old will begin the season in Gwinnett after some shaky showings in the Grapefruit League, particularly on the defensive end. There's a good chance Grissom will see playing time with Atlanta before the season comes to a conclusion, but he should be dropped considerably down fantasy draft boards since there's no guarantee when he'll be playing in the majors this year. Orlando Arcia is expected to open the season as Atlanta's primary shortstop.

Barger was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays on Monday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Barger was attempting to win a spot on Toronto's bench to begin the season, but instead will start the year in Triple-A. With Barger heading to Buffalo, it appears that Otto Lopez has won a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster to begin 2023.

DeJong (back) said Monday that he expects to begin the season on the injured list, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

DeJong had been slated to return to Grapefruit League play in the designated hitter spot Tuesday, but he had a setback with his lower-back injury while fielding grounders Monday. He doesn't expect to be able to get into another spring game, so being ready for Opening Day isn't realistic. With DeJong out, the Cardinals could consider carrying Taylor Motter as a backup at shortstop behind Tommy Edman.

Chang is contending with visa issues and isn't scheduled to report back to Red Sox camp until Thursday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Chang is working to rejoin Boston after he recently took home MVP honors for Pool A of the World Baseball Classic following a four-game stint with Chinese Taipei in which he went 7-for-16 with four extra-base hits and eight RBI. Assuming his arrival at camp isn't delayed any further than the latter half this week, Chang should remain in the mix to win a spot on the Red Sox's Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder. Bobby Dalbec likely represents his main competition for the final roster berth.

Lopez (groin) could return to Grapefruit League play as soon as Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Lopez suffered a left groin injury while playing for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, but he was able to go through a full workout -- including running the bases -- Monday without issue. The utility player is aiming for a spot on Toronto's Opening Day roster.

Crawford (shoulder) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff for the Mariners in Monday's Cactus League game versus the Brewers.

Crawford has been limited to designated hitter duties for a few days while battling a sore shoulder, but he's ready to test things out from his familiar shortstop position. The 28-year-old is 5-for-23 with zero extra-base hits so far this spring.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that DeJong recently suffered a setback in his recovery from back soreness and is questionable to be ready to go for Opening Day, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

DeJong's back issue first cropped up March 14, but after he made some progress in the days that followed, the Cardinals had been earmarking Tuesday's game against the Nationals for his return to the Grapefruit League lineup. Those plans have now been scrapped in light of DeJong's setback, but Marmol said the Cardinals will put a plan together later Monday to see when or if a return to the lineup is possible for the shortstop before the end of the spring. If DeJong is forced to the injured list to begin the season, the move could pave the way for non-roster invitee Taylor Motter to make the Cardinals' Opening Day squad as a reserve infielder.

Although Diaz continues in a heated competition with Nick Allen for the starting shortstop role, the veteran's ability to play multiple positions should help him garner a near-everyday role irrespective of how the job battle shakes out, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports. "You could see Diaz at shortstop. That's kind of been a trend this Spring Training. That's not set in stone," manager Mark Kotsay said. "Aledmys can play in left, we have the opportunity to DH as well. So there's a ton of combinations that we can put together that we feel good about."

Diaz inked a two-year, $14.5 million deal this offseason, and he's wasted no time validating the investment with a strong spring that includes a .357 average across 33 Cactus League plate appearances. Diaz's career .266 average, .763 OPS and modest 14.7 percent strikeout rate should afford him plenty of job security regardless of whether Allen is declared the victor of their competition, considering Diaz's defensive versatility and the fact Kotsay has emphasized he'll be prioritizing offense this season after Oakland's struggles scoring runs throughout 2022.

Allen, who is hitting .375 across 11 Cactus League games, continues to be in a heated battle with Aledmys Diaz for the starting shortstop job, Steve Stockmar of MLB.com reports.

Allen got the start Sunday against the Dodgers, and Stockmar reports the 24-year-old helped his case with an RBI and two stellar defensive plays. However, Diaz is also enjoying a successful spring at the plate, and manager Mark Kotsay is going to emphasize offensive upside in his decision-making process with respect to the winner of the job battle. "You look at the production offensively last year, we evaluate that," Kotsay said. "Obviously, we evaluate our offense last year as a group. We didn't score enough runs, and that's a necessity this year."