MLB Player News

Castillo will break camp on the Pirates' major-league roster, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

The Pirates won't be breaking camp with their most exciting middle infield prospect, Oneil Cruz, but Castillo is a fairly interesting prospect in his own right. He makes a ton of contact, striking out in just 10.7 percent of his plate appearances across his six minor-league seasons. He managed 19 homers and nine steals in 104 games split across the two highest levels of the minors last season while slashing .278/.355/.487 before erupting for five homers in 28 Grapefruit League at-bats this spring. His exact role this season is undetermined, but the Pirates don't have an inspiring group of alternatives in the middle infield, so there should be plenty of at-bats available.

Bogaerts (general soreness) will start at shortstop and bat third in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

He'll return to the lineup for the first time in four days after the Red Sox rested him while he dealt with general body soreness. The missed action shouldn't hinder Bogaerts too much from a readiness standpoint ahead of Opening Day; he's already logged 16 at-bats in Grapefruit League play heading into Monday's contest.

Perdomo's grip on the starting shortstop position improved after Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that Josh Rojas (oblique) will need weeks to recover.

Perdomo appeared to be solidifying a spot as the replacement for the injured Nick Ahmed (shoulder) at shortstop with the versatile Rojas seemingly the biggest threat. Rojas had been penciled in a third base but was also getting starts at shortstop since Ahmed's injury was revealed. Now, with the entire left side of the infield expected to miss the start of the season, it appears Perdomo will open on the Diamondbacks' roster.

Smith, who's been competing with Sheldon Neuse for the third base job, could still make the Opening Day roster alongside his teammate, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It's virtually inconceivable that Neuse doesn't break camp with the Athletics after yet another stellar day at the plate Sunday that included a grand slam and pushed his Cactus League average to .379. However, Smith hasn't exactly underwhelmed himself, hitting .333 (12-for-36) with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI across 15 exhibitions. Additionally, both he and Neuse can play multiple positions in the infield, which Gallegos notes certainly ups the chances of both making the Opening Day roster.

Fletcher will be out of the lineup for a third consecutive game Sunday due to hip tightness, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Although Fletcher has been forced to miss the last few days, manager Joe Maddon said that he expects the 27-year-old to be back in the lineup for Monday's spring game against the Dodgers. In spite of his absence, Fletcher is expected to be ready for Opening Day as he prepares to serve as the Angels' everyday shortstop in 2022.

Bogaerts hasn't played in a Grapefruit League game since Wednesday due to general body soreness, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

It's reportedly typical for Bogaerts to experience the issue late in spring training, and manager Alex Cora expects him to play in the final spring games Monday and Tuesday. There doesn't appear to much concern regarding the 29-year-old's availability for Opening Day, but with the opener only a few days away his status is worth monitoring.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Sunday that Martinez will likely open the upcoming season at Double-A New Hampshire, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Following his early-August call-up from Low-A Dunedin, Martinez produced at a roughly league-average level in his 27 games at High-A Vancouver last season with a .214/.282/.491 slash line (99 wRC+). A return to Vancouver to begin the 2022 campaign wouldn't have been unexpected for the 20-year-old, but the Blue Jays may have been encouraged enough with how he looked during his workouts at big-league camp earlier this spring to hand him the Double-A assignment. The Blue Jays haven't settled on a permanent defensive home for Martinez, but his prodigious power should play at nearly any spot.

Castillo is hitting .346 with five home runs in 26 at-bats this spring.

Castillo will get opportunities this season, and he may even break camp with the big-league club, as he is already on the 40-man roster and looks like he could be a better option than Hoy Park, Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker, although all of these middle infielders are having good springs statistically.

Adames (calf) will start at shortstop and bat second in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.

Adames was pulled early in Friday's game against the Cubs after experiencing some calf cramping, but after a day of rest Saturday, he'll check back into the lineup to close out the weekend. The 26-year-old is positioned to begin the season as Milwaukee's everyday shortstop and should occupy a prominent spot in the lineup against both left- and right-handed pitching.

Manager Dave Martinez said Sunday that Adrianza (quadriceps) hasn't made any notable progress in his recovery from injury and is "still the same," suggesting the infielder isn't on track to make the Nationals' Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Adrianza was expected to open the season as the Nationals' primary utility infielder, but his projected absence could pave the way for both Dee Strange-Gordon and another player to break camp as one of Washington's bench options. A timeline for Adrianza's potential season debut isn't likely to emerge until the 32-year-old advances to full baseball activities.