Neto (shoulder) has been throwing across the diamond in addition to participating in other defensive drills, Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Neto began throwing from shortstop to first base this week after being limited to shorter throws during the first half of March. The 24-year-old is also doing "just about every defensive drill that the rest of the team is doing" aside from throwing and was recently cleared to take swings off a hitting machine. It's not yet clear when he'll be able to face live pitching, and Neto remains likely to begin the season on the injured list, but he continues to be described as "ahead of schedule" in his rehab from the right shoulder surgery he underwent last November. Neto made it clear that he's pleased with his progress to this point, saying, "Honestly, I feel really great with my shoulder and where it's at. I'm feeling way stronger since when I first walked in here. I'm trusting our training staff and our coaches to get me in the right spot. I'm feeling great every day I walk in here."

The Nationals optioned Nunez to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

Nunez turned heads in Nationals camp with a .419/.486/.484 slash line through 35 plate appearances and seemed to be making a real push for the Opening Day roster. He'll instead begin the season in Triple-A, which will allow the 24-year-old infielder to continue developing while playing every day -- something he wouldn't have been able to do in Washington.

The Blue Jays optioned Jimenez to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Jimenez was in contention for a backup infielder spot but ultimately didn't make the cut. The 23-year-old will receive regular reps at Buffalo.

Story was scratched from Friday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Pirates due to lower-back tightness, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

It's the second time this month that Story has had to be scratched from the lineup because of a back problem, which is not ideal. He missed nearly a week of action the first time around, but it's not clear how long he might out this time. The Red Sox should have more on Story's condition later Friday.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Henderson (side) will take live batting practice Saturday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Hyde admitted Thursday that Henderson is "running out of time" to be ready for Opening Day, but he doesn't appear far off from being cleared for game action. Even if the 23-year-old begins the season on the injured list, he doesn't seem likely to miss much time given where he's at in his rehab program.

Nunez may be playing his way onto the Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

This was not part of the plan for the 24-year-old Nunez, a Rule 5 pick in 2024 who essentially lost a year of development while spending the whole season on the Washington bench and seeing just 78 plate appearances over 51 games. He's been one of the standouts in camp for the Nats, batting .419 (13-for-31) with a 3:4 BB:K and seven steals in nine attempts while playing excellent defense, and he is making a strong case for a utility spot on the 26-man roster. CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia are locked in at shortstop and second base however, so the most likely scenario is for Nunez to begin the year in a starting middle-infield role with Triple-A Rochester -- a level he has yet to play at after being plucked from Double-A in the Marlins' organization last year.

Hampson exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract Friday, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Hampson remains in the running for a spot on the Diamondbacks' Opening Day bench, but triggering his opt-out clause now allows him to reach free agency if he does not make the team. The utility player is battling Ildemaro Vargas for Arizona's final bench spot.

The Guardians optioned Martinez to Triple-A Columbus on Friday.

Martinez was competing for a utility job but managed just a .553 OPS this spring. He still figures to see plenty of action in the majors this season but will head to Columbus for now.

The Guardians optioned Brito to Triple-A Columbus on Friday.

The 23-year-old posted a .177/.222/.529 slash line with four homers over 13 games in spring training and was unable to earn a place on the Opening Day roster. Brito still has a strong chance to make his MLB debut at some point in 2025, especially if he can replicate or improve upon the .808 OPS he produced at Triple-A last year.

Bichette went 3-for-4 in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

While all three hits were singles, it was still another strong effort at the plate from the shortstop as he looks to put his shaky 2024 behind him. Bichette is batting a cool .400 (18-for-45) this spring with three doubles, four homers and a 4:6 BB:K, and the only blemish on his Grapefruit League performance has been a 1-for-3 showing on the basepaths.