MLB Player News

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Tuesday that Merrill will travel with the team to South Korea for the team's season-opening Seoul Series against the Dodgers on March 20 and 21, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

After Merrill slugged his second home run of Cactus League play Tuesday, Shildt announced that the 20-year-old will be part of the major-league squad to begin the season, at least for the two-game set in South Korea. The skipper stopped short of naming Merrill the Padres' starting center fielder, but he strongly hinted at the youngster having some runway to show what he can do. "He's earned his way on the plane [to Korea]," Shildt said. "He's earned what's coming after the plane." Merrill has yet to play above the Double-A level and will still need to be officially added to the 40-man roster.

Merrill went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

For the second day in a row, Merrill went yard, this time against Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen. The 20-year-old Merrill is now up to a .995 OPS this spring. While he has yet to play above the Double-A level, Merrill is very much in the running to make the Opening Day roster as the Padres' starting center fielder. Widely considered a top prospect in the organization, Merrill combined for 15 homers and 15 steals in 114 games between High-A and Double-A last season.

The Twins optioned Martin to Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.

Martin might have had a shot at a reserve role prior to the Manuel Margot trade, but not so much after it. He should still have a chance to debut in 2024 but will report to St. Paul for now.

The Blue Jays optioned Barger to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Barger didn't have a realistic chance of making Toronto's Opening Day roster, but he still put on a show while in big-league camp with a .929 OPS in 19 plate appearances. The 24-year-old saw a lot of action in right field this spring, potentially setting him up for a promotion if George Springer goes down with an injury at some point this season.

The Pirates optioned Cheng to Double-A Altoona on Tuesday.

Cheng earned a spot on the Pirates' 40-man roster earlier this offseason but was always destined to return to the minors to begin 2024. The 22-year-old is probably another year or so away from reaching the big leagues.

The Blue Jays optioned Martinez to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Martinez was never a likely bet to crack Toronto's Opening Day roster given the club's infield depth, but he certainly didn't help himself during spring training with a .566 OPS in 20 plate appearances. Barring any major changes late in camp, the 22-year-old is set to return to Buffalo to begin 2024, where he posted a .263/.340/.507 slash line in 55 games after being promoted from Double-A last July.

Diaz (groin) suffered a calf strain recently while running the bases, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Diaz has been rehabbing a groin strain and now has a new injury to deal with. He's played just two Cactus League games to this point and can now probably be ruled out for the rest of the spring, with a stint on the injured list to begin the season likely. Once healthy, Diaz is expected to be in the mix primarily at third base and shortstop.

Rojas (lower leg) is starting at third base and batting eighth for the Dodgers in his return to action Tuesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Rojas had to be scratched from Sunday's lineup with some lower leg soreness but is back out there a couple days later. The veteran infielder is prepping for a utility infielder role in 2024.

Anderson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting fifth, Anderson drove the first pitch he saw in the second inning from Tylor Megill the other way for his first long ball of the spring. The former White Sox shortstop saw his tenure in Chicago end with a whimper last season due in part to knee trouble, but the Marlins are hoping Anderson can re-discover the form that saw him win an American League batting title in 2019, when he slashed .335/.357/.508. Through seven Grapefruit League contests with Miami, the 30-year-old has gone 4-for-19 with a 0:6 BB:K.

Clement 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The 27-year-old launched a two-run homer off Zach Eflin in the second inning before singling home another run off the Tampa right-hander in the third. Clement came into camp with a decent chance of winning the final spot on the Toronto bench due to the fact that he was out of minor-league options, but he's backed that up with a scorching spring that's seen him hit .400 (10-for-25) through nine games with a triple and two homers. Perhaps more impressively, he hasn't struck out once in 26 plate appearances. The Blue Jays have unsettled situations at both second base and third base, and if Clement carries his hot stick into the regular season, he could push his way into playing time at both spots.