MLB Player News

Mateo was removed in the fifth inning of Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays after being hit on the right hand by a pitch, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Midsection soreness prevented Mateo from playing Monday against the Pirates, but the infielder was cleared to start a day later after follow-up tests revealed nothing overly concerning. Mateo resumed his red-hot spring by doubling off Alek Manoah in his first at-bat, but the 26-year-old could be dealing with a new injury concern just three days before Opening Day. The Orioles will hope that Mateo is just dealing with bruising or soreness on his hand, but he could be sent in for a precautionary X-ray to ensure he didn't suffer any structural damage.

The Royals formally announced Tuesday that Witt has made their Opening Day roster.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network previously reported over the weekend that Witt would be included on the Royals' Opening Day roster, but the team waited a few days to make the matter official. Witt has seen the bulk of his minor-league action at shortstop, but he'll be installed as the Royals' everyday starter at third base after playing the position throughout the spring. The 21-year-old answered any questions about his readiness for the big leagues by mashing during Cactus League play, as he carries a .406/.441/.781 slash line into Tuesday's spring finale against the Brewers.

DeJong will be the Cardinals' Opening Day shortstop, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

DeJong lost his starting role to Edmundo Sosa last year amidst a down season which saw him hit .197/.284/.390. He had to win his job back this spring, but he's managed to do so, slashing .435/.536/.826 in 11 spring games. Sosa is still around and is ready to take the job back should DeJong stumble again, but DeJong should get the majority of the playing time to start the year.

Adrianza (quadriceps) will open the season on the 10-day injured list, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The 32-year-old suffered a quadriceps strain March 31 and it now appears it will keep him out of commission for the first couple series of the 2022 campaign. When healthy, Adrianza will likely operate as super-utility option in the infield off the bench for the Nationals this season. He will look to build upon his .247 batting average and 14 extra-base hits from 2021.

Mateo (stomach) will start at shortstop and bat fifth in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Though Orioles manager Brandon Hyde revealed Monday that Mateo was dealing with soreness in his stomach that resulted in him being sent in for additional testing, the 26-year-old apparently checked out fine and is good to go for Baltimore's penultimate game of spring training. Hyde hasn't tipped his hand regarding which players will open the season as Baltimore's regulars on the left side of the infield, but Mateo's big spring may put him in pole position for the top job at shortstop ahead of Ramon Urias. Heading into Monday, Mateo has slashed .350/.409/.800 with one stolen base across eight Grapefruit League games.

Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

Reyes was unable to earn a spot on Milwaukee's Opening Day roster, so he'll begin the season at the Triple-A level. He played in 53 games for the Brewers in 2021 and hit. 256/.333/.359 with one home run, three RBI and four stolen bases in 87 plate appearances.

Strange-Gordon went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The veteran infielder hasn't seen regular action in the majors since 2019 and spent all of last season bouncing between three different Triple-A affiliates, but Strange-Gordon is making a strong case for a bench spot with the Nationals by batting .448 (13-for-29) this spring. Aiding his push for a spot on the 40-man roster is the fact that both Alcides Escobar (neck) and Ehire Adrianza (quadriceps) are banged up right now and may not be ready for Opening Day, while the organization has already decided prospect Luis Garcia needs more seasoning at Triple-A. The Nats have a track record of rehabilitating the careers of players seemingly in the twilight of their careers, with Escobar, Josh Harrison and Howie Kendrick all providing recent examples, and Strange-Gordon did steal 22 bases for the Mariners during that 2019 campaign. If he does break camp with the club and Escobar is unavailable, the 33-year-old would likely be competing with Lucius Fox for playing time at shortstop out of the gate.

Pena slugged his first two spring homers in Sunday's game against the Nationals, raising his line to .389/.421/.778 through 19 plate appearances.

He was already locked into the starting shortstop role, but this is going to give him some extra helium heading into the season. After hitting .287/.346/.598 with 10 homers and five steals in just 30 Triple-A games last year, Pena looks primed for success at the big-league level. He could even lead off for the Astros, which would obviously be a boon for him fantasy-wise. Despite his potential, the hype arguably hasn't caught up, so you can still snag him off the wire or late in fantasy drafts in a lot of leagues.

Bichette went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

He swiped third base off Luis Gil in the third inning, forcing a wild throw from the right-hander that allowed Bichette to trot home. The 24-year-old shortstop hasn't seen great results at the plate this spring, going 5-for-27 (.185) with only one extra-base hit, but he's stolen two bags in two attempts and his 4:8 BB:K is solid. After recording 29 homers and 25 steals in 2021, Bichette has a 30/30 campaign firmly in his sights this season.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Monday that Mateo is battling stomach soreness, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Hyde noted that the Orioles don't believe Mateo is dealing with any sort of oblique injury, but the 26-year-old will be sent in for further testing before his availability for Opening Day is determined. Mateo looks set to feature frequently at shortstop this season, though his .236/.281/.364 slash line through his first 237 career MLB plate appearances means he's no lock to keep the job.