Story (back) is starting at shortstop and batting cleanup in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The veteran shortstop was scratched early in the week due to back tightness but is ready to return to game action this weekend. Injuries remain a concern for Story given that he's played in just 69 games across the past two seasons, but he's currently healthy and on track to serve as Boston's shortstop for Opening Day.

Perez (back) is starting in center field and batting leadoff in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

The 25-year-old has been dealing with lower-back tightness over the past week but will rejoin the starting nine Saturday after recently receiving a cortisone injection. Perez is expected to start in center or right field Opening Day for the Tigers since Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) will be unavailable to begin the season.

Perez received a cortisone injection in his back Friday but is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

The 25-year-old has been sidelined for the past week due to lower-back tightness, and he received the cortisone injection after a couple failed attempts to return to game action this week. Parker Meadows (arm) and Matt Vierling (shoulder) are poised to miss the start of the season, so Perez should play a significant role for the Tigers to begin the campaign, assuming he can avoid further complications.

Witt (forearm) increased his baseball activities, including hitting, Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Witt was hit by a pitch in the left forearm during Wednesday's game against the Mariners, but he managed to escape with just a bruise and is easing back into workouts. It's not clear when Witt might be ready to play in Cactus League games again, but it shouldn't be long.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Friday that Mateo (elbow) could make his Grapefruit League debut soon but remains doubtful for Opening Day, Danielle Allentuck of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Mateo had already essentially been ruled out for the opener, so an injured list stint wouldn't be a surprise. He's making nice progress from UCL reconstruction surgery on his left (non-throwing) elbow, though, and will continue his ramp up in games soon.

Amaya (hip) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Friday's spring game against the Reds.

Amaya suffered a hip injury early this week but is ready to retake the field Friday after getting a few days to rest up. The 26-year-old has gone 2-for-16 with eight strikeouts through nine games in spring training, as it appears he's fallen behind Chase Meidroth in the battle for the White Sox's starting shortstop job.

Allen's defense at shortstop makes him the likeliest choice for a bench spot on Atlanta's initial 26-man roster, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The team's starters rarely get a day or even an at-bat off, so Allen's lack of offense isn't a big impediment to him winning the job if manager Brian Snitker is purely looking for the best defensive option. Allen has shown stolen-base ability in the minors and posted some PCL-inflated slash line promise at Triple-A Las Vegas in the A's system, but his .209/.254/.283 career line over 760 big-league plate appearances offers an accurate portrait of his fantasy upside should the 26-year-old find his way into consistent playing time.

Johnson was removed from the Pirates' Spring Breakout game roster due to a bone bruise in his left foot, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's not clear how long the injury might keep Johnson sidelined. The 20-year-old finished last season at Double-A Altoona and is likely headed back there for the start of the 2025 campaign.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Lux and Jeimer Candelario could be part of a platoon at third base during the regular season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I think Lux and Candelario, you'll see [Santiago] Espinal there sometimes. It depends on who is pitching," the manager said.

While Lux has seen action at several positions this spring, he's made the majority of his 2025 Cactus League starts at third base. Francona likes the idea of getting a platoon edge without weakening the team's defense at the hot corner. Lux also has experience at second base and in left field. The job share may not be an issue early in the regular season, as Spencer Steer (shoulder) could land on the injured list and push Candelario to first base or DH, but eventually Francona will need to find at-bats for all three on a semi-regular basis.

Witt, who was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's game, has a left forearm contusion and will continue to be evaluated in the coming days, MLB.com reports. "It was scary in the moment," he said. "But any time that happens, it's always scary. You never know what the results are going to be. But if it was October or April or March 27, I'd be good."

X-rays on Witt's forearm did not show any broken bones, but the report adds if it doesn't improve he'll have more imaging. He'll have limited activity the next few days as a result. Still, given his comments there's currently no reason to think he'll miss Opening Day. Witt has had a great spring by hitting .276/.364/.586 with two homers, four RBI and five runs scored over 11 games.