MLB Player News

Walcott (arm) went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Mariners.

Walcott experienced soreness in his arm earlier in the week but recovered enough to enter Thursday's game as the designated hitter. He went on to tally his first Cactus League homer and is expected to be able to return to defensive work in the next few days.

Montgomery was scratched from the lineup for Thursday's Cactus League game against the Guardians due to back spasms, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox are labeling Montgomery's removal as precautionary, so the young infielder doesn't seem to be dealing with anything too serious. He'll take Thursday off to rest and likely return to Cactus League play within a few days.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that Neto (shoulder) will not be ready for Opening Day but should make his season debut "soon after" in April, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The expectation has been that Neto would need a stint on the injured list to start the season, so Washington relaying that the shortstop is tracking toward a return in April is relatively good news. Neto underwent right shoulder surgery in November and began a throwing progression early last week. It's not clear when Neto might be cleared to play in games, but Washington's timeline suggests the 24-year-old could see some Cactus League action before the schedule runs out. Luis Rengifo, Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman and Scott Kingery are among those competing to fill in at shortstop for the Angels until Neto is ready to go.

Shaw (oblique) said Thursday that he expects to make his Cactus League debut within the next few days, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Shaw suffered an oblique injury back on Feb. 5 before camp began, but he's been working out with no issues lately and is not expected to have any restrictions once he's officially cleared for games. The Cubs' season-opening series in Tokyo versus the Dodgers is less than three weeks away, and it's not clear whether Shaw will have enough time to fully ramp up for that two-game set. Shaw is the favorite to serve as the Cubs' primary third baseman this season.

Muncy will start at shortstop and bat eighth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

Muncy didn't make any appearances after Aug. 22 last season due to an unspecified injury, but he looks to be back to full health for spring training. The 22-year-old shortstop prospect has gone hitless with one walk over five plate appearances through his first three Cactus League games. Muncy is expected to open the upcoming season at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Manager A.J. Hinch said that Baez (hip) will make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Blue Jays as the Tigers' designated hitter, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The hope is that he'll be ready to play the field next week. Baez underwent a right hip labral repair last September and has been a bit behind schedule early on in camp, but he is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day. The veteran infielder is likely in store for a reduced role this season with Trey Sweeney expected to serve as the Tigers' primary shortstop.

Holliday has been working on his footwork at second base with Orioles guest coach Brian Roberts, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Roberts and Holliday are both former shortstops who have made the move to second base, and the 21-year-old is still getting a handle on some of the intricacies of his footwork on the other side of the second-base bag. Holliday has referred to Roberts' tutelage as "very helpful," with his new setup helping the accuracy and quickness of his throws. Roberts has also helped Holliday with his baserunning as the young infielder looks to steal more bases in 2025. Holliday is the heavy favorite to open the season as the Orioles' primary second baseman.

Barger (hand) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

A hit-by-pitch Sunday prompted X-rays, which were negative. Barger is now ready to return to action and continue his bid for a spot on the Opening Day roster as a utility man. He split his time on the major-league roster last season between third base (36 games), right field (27 games) and left field (10 appearances).

McLain went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's spring game against the Angels.

McLain made his third Cactus League appearance, all coming as the second baseman. He's led off in two of those games, including Wednesday, and could be the leadoff batter against left-handers this season. The lefty-hitting TJ Friedl is expected to lead off against righties.

Witt said early in spring training that it was an offseason focus to get more efficient with his base stealing, and he remarked that he "shouldn't be getting thrown out the way [he was]" since he's one of the fastest players in MLB, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old finished second in AL MVP voting last year after he posted a .332/.389/.588 slash line with 32 homers, 31 steals, 109 RBI and 125 runs in 161 regular-season games, with the only real knock against him being that he was caught stealing 12 times. Witt also led the majors by being caught stealing 15 times in 2023, but that was accompanied by 49 successful thefts. The shortstop is already one of the top fantasy producers in the sport, and improving efficiency on the basepaths would only further boost his value.