MLB Player News
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Anthony Volpe SS | NYY
Yankees' Anthony Volpe: Swats third spring homer
Volpe went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League win over the Orioles.
Volpe went deep to left-center field in the sixth inning. The 23-year-old is tied for third on the Yankees with three long balls this spring and is tied for the team lead with three stolen bases. Volpe is batting just .200 in spring play, but he's locked in as New York's primary shortstop and appears slated to hit in the middle of the order on a near-everyday basis.
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David Hamilton SS | MIL
Red Sox's David Hamilton: Steals three bases Thursday
Hamilton started at second base and went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and one run scored in Thursday's spring game against Minnesota.
Hamilton now has eight stolen bases in 19 Grapefruit League games. Boston's decision to assign Vaughn Grissom to minor-league camp Wednesday leaves Hamilton and Kristian Campbell as the last two candidates standing for the starting gig at the keystone, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Chad Jennings of The Athletic that final roster decisions may not be made until 48 hours before Opening Day. "Maybe Monterrey," he said, referencing next week's pair of exhibition games in Mexico. "We're getting close, but we're not in a rush." Jennings' report also includes a roster projection that has Hamilton making the roster, either in a platoon at second base or as a utility player that gets a lot of playing time off the bench. Jennings also indicates that both the industry and the Red Sox seem to value Hamilton more than his fantasy profile suggests.
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Masyn Winn SS | STL
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Back in action Friday
Winn (wrist) is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff in Friday's split-squad game against the Astros, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Winn has been sidelined the past few days due to wrist soreness, but he'll return to the lineup Friday on his 23rd birthday. He has a .098/.156/.098 slash line through 45 plate appearances in spring training but is expected to begin the campaign as St. Louis' leadoff man after posting a .730 OPS as a rookie last year.
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Elly De La Cruz SS | CIN
Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Swats fourth spring homer
De La Cruz went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's spring game against the Royals.
De La Cruz mashed a two-run, opposite-field home run in the first inning and followed it up with a five-pitch walk and a hard-hit single. The De La Cruz of previous years may have tried to take another bag after the ball trickled into short center field, but he stayed at first base and eventually came around to score on an Austin Hays double. The home run was De La Cruz's fourth this spring.
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Luke Williams SS | ATL
Braves' Luke Williams: Outrighted to Triple-A
Williams cleared waivers Thursday and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Williams was battling for a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day bench, but he ultimately missed the cut after going 5-for-32 with three RBI and five runs scored in 16 spring games. He doesn't have any minor-league options remaining, so his demotion to Triple-A will cost him his spot on the 40-man roster.
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Orelvis Martinez 2B | WAS
Blue Jays' Orelvis Martinez: Sent to Triple-A
The Blue Jays optioned Martinez to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Martinez missed a few days of spring training after he was hit by a fastball on the hip Monday. He was able to return to action Thursday and log an at-bat. The infielder has been slashing .320/.393/.480 with a home run across 28 plate appearances in Grapefruit League play. At Triple-A Buffalo, the 23-year-old will play every day and wait for his next chance to prove himself in the big leagues.
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Gunnar Henderson 3B | BAL
Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: 'Running out of time' to be ready
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday that Henderson (intercostal) is "running out of time" to be ready for Opening Day, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
The skipper added that he remains "hopeful" Henderson can be available March 27 in Toronto, but the shortstop will have to play in some games before being cleared for Opening Day and he's running out of chances to do that. It truly seems like a coin flip at this point as to whether Henderson avoided the injured list. If Henderson does need time on the IL, the Orioles would shift Jackson Holliday to shortstop temporarily and install Ramon Urias or Jordan Westburg at second base, with the other occupying third base.
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Brooks Lee SS | MIN
Twins' Brooks Lee: Sitting with back tightness
Lee was scratched from the lineup ahead of Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Boston due to lower-back tightness, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Lee has been given the day-to-day label by the team, so there's no reason to believe his injury is anything serious. He'll take a day to recover Thursday; meanwhile, Jose Miranda will pick up some extra reps at the hot corner before the start of the season.
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Marcelo Mayer SS | BOS
Red Sox's Marcelo Mayer: Gets start at second base
Mayer started at second base and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a triple and a run scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.
Mayer, Boston's shortstop of the future, made his first Grapefruit League start at second base. Until Wednesday, he'd started at shortstop and third base this spring. This move is notable, because Red Sox manager Alex Cora hasn't named a starter at second base yet. One candidate, Vaughn Grissom, was removed from the calculus after he was assigned to minor-league camp Wednesday. It may be unlikely that Mayer, who has yet to take an at-bat at the Triple-A level, wins the job, but the manager insisted to Ian Browne of MLB.com that "everybody has a shot."
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Zach Dezenzo SS | HOU
Astros' Zach Dezenzo: Back in lineup Thursday
Dezenzo (jaw) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
After being struck in the face by a groundball Tuesday, Dezenzo was diagnosed with a TMJ sprain. However, he was cleared of a concussion and will be able to make a quick turnaround, continuing his bid for a roster spot. The 24-year-old is having a great spring, batting .378 with three doubles, two homers and six RBI across 15 exhibition games.