MLB Player News

Sanoja appears ticketed for the Marlins' Opening Day roster with Jesus Sanchez (side) set to begin the season on the injured list, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 22-year-old made his big-league debut last season and saw action at four different spots (second base, shortstop, center field and left field) during his 15 appearances with the Marlins. Sanoja will have a similar role to begin the 2025 campaign, and he hasn't looked overmatched at the plate this spring either, batting .296 (8-for-27) with a 4:3 BB:K. Should he find his way into consistent playing time, the 5-foot-7 Sanoja isn't going to supply any power, but he might be a fantasy contributor in stolen bases -- he went 17-for-24 on the basepaths between Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, and he swiped 31 bags in 102 games at Single-A Jupiter the season before.

Shaw went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts during Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Dodgers in Tokyo.

The 23-year-old, who is the Cubs' top prospect, batted fifth in his MLB debut Tuesday but failed to make an impact at the plate. Shaw earned the Opening Day nod at third base after a strong showing in spring training, as he went 5-for-16 with a double while missing some time due to an oblique issue. His big-league debut may have fallen flat, but Shaw still has plenty of upside after he totaled 21 homers and 31 steals with an .867 OPS in 121 games across the Double-A and Triple-A levels last year.

Morrii will be developed as a two-way player after signing for $1,510,500 million - the largest signing bonus for a Japanese amateur to not play for Nippon Professional Baseball, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. He had an exit velocity of 110.1 mph of his bat in Friday's Spring Breakout game, where he served as the DH.

Morrii is an 18-year-old Japanese two-way phenom who skipped Japan's professional league (NPB) draft to come to MLB. He thows 95 mph as a pitcher as well. It's a curious and unique decision to develop him as a two-way player. He's expected to begin the season in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

Shaw is in the lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers for the first game of the 2025 Tokyo Series, manning third base and batting fifth.

Widely considered the Cubs' top prospect, Shaw missed time in spring training with an oblique injury but was still able to secure his spot in the lineup for the regular-season opener. He will slot in between Michael Busch and Dansby Swanson against right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his MLB debut, after slashing .284/.379/.488 with 21 homers and 31 steals in 121 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season.

Hernandez will start in left field and bat sixth in Tuesday's regular-season opener against the Cubs in Tokyo.

The beloved clubhouse presence and valued utility man returned to the Dodgers on a one-year deal in February, and he is in the lineup for the opener with lefty Shota Imanaga on the mound for Chicago. Hernandez has a career .789 OPS against left-handed pitching compared to a career .664 OPS against right-handed pitching. With that in mind, the 33-year-old should be expected to remain limited mostly to short-side duty throughout 2025.

The Cubs selected Shaw's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Monday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

The club announced nearly one week ago that Shaw would be traveling with the team for the Tokyo series, and Chicago has since signed him to the 40-man roster. This isn't an unexpected transaction, as the 23-year-old was penciled in as the starter at third base early in camp before suffering an oblique injury. Look for Shaw to be announced in the starting lineup at the hot corner for the first game of the Tokyo series against the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Baez is expected to open the season in a bench role with Trey Sweeney likely in line to serve as the Tigers' Opening Day starter at shortstop, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Sweeney hasn't been optioned to Triple-A Toledo yet, and if the 24-year-old sticks in the majors, the Tigers likely won't want him riding the pine instead of developing in the minors. Baez has seemingly kept himself prepared for the possibility of serving in more of a utility role this spring, as he's also been seeing time at third base in addition to his natural spot at shortstop. Baez has struggled mightily since signing a six-year, $140 million deal with Detroit in November 2021, but with three seasons still left on his contract, the Tigers may not be ready to write him off as a sunk cost just yet.

Grissom may be behind David Hamilton in the battle for the starting second base job, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora is expected to name his starter at second base soon, but it looks like both Grissom (.176 average, .535 OPS) and Kristian Campbell (15 strikeouts in 36 Cactus League at-bats) are losing out to Hamilton. The speedy Hamilton (.812 OPS, five steals) is out-hitting both competitors, and Cora's comments suggest he's more of a known commodity. The manager also noted Hamilton's improvement at the dish in 2024. The lone caveat here is if Rafael Devers eventually takes over at third base, which would likely mean Alex Bregman plays the keystone.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Vazquez is expected to be fine after exiting Monday's Grapefruit League contest against the Red Sox after being hit by a pitch on the right elbow, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Vazquez looked to be in ample pain after being struck by a pitch in the seventh inning, but it doesn't sound like he will need any testing. The infielder is projected to open the season at Triple-A Norfolk.

Martinez was removed from Monday's 4-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Phillies in the top of the seventh inning due to a left hip contusion, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Martinez is considered day-to-day after suffering the injury when he was hit by a 96-mile-per-hour fastball in his lone plate appearance of the day. The 23-year-old infielder is unlikely to be included on Toronto's Opening Day roster and is expected to begin the season as an everyday player at Triple-A Buffalo.