MLB Player News

McLain (oblique) took groundballs Thursday after passing a series of tests that showed he's no longer dealing with the soreness issue, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The update also mentions McLain was scheduled for light swinging, but there were no details provided. The plan calls for the infielder to work with a mobility coach to become more flexible in his core. To this point, all updates on McLain's condition have been positive and suggest he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Rocchio is competing with Gabriel Arias for the Guardians' starting shortstop job, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Both Rocchio and Arias are inexperienced options, and while Arias struggled at the plate in 2023, Rocchio wasn't much better. The 23-year-old batted .247 with a .600 OPS, eight RBI, nine runs scored and six doubles over 86 plate appearances. This is one of the more even battles for Cleveland, though Rocchio has a full season of Triple-A ball under his belt and will need to be tested in the majors in the near future.

Abrams went 2-for-2 with a solo homer, an RBI single and a stolen base in Friday's loss to Houston.

The young shortstop has impressed in spring games thus far, logging four hits and three steals without a strikeout over the course of four games. Abrams' impressive rookie campaign with Washington included him setting the single-season franchise record with 47 steals. The 23-year-old will consistently be hitting leadoff for a less-than-stellar lineup, and he will look to explode as perhaps one of the few bright spots on the Nationals.

Manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Chang was diagnosed with a severe oblique strain and is expected to be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 28-year-old signed with Tampa Bay as a non-roster invitee in February but suffered the oblique injury early in camp. Chang was a longshot to make the Rays' Opening Day roster and will likely report to Triple-A Durham once healthy.

Young went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in the Mariners' Cactus League loss to the White Sox on Thursday.

The precocious 20-year-old extended his spring hitting streak to three games with his fifth-inning solo shot. The fact Young is enjoying early success against big-league arms this spring isn't necessarily surprising, considering he's done nothing but hit over his first four minor-league stops in his first two professional seasons. Young has slashed .286/.402/.858 across stints ranging from Rookie ball to High-A, complementing those eye-catching figures with equally impressive 14.2 percent and 14.5 percent walk and strikeout rates, respectively. Young likely doesn't have much left to prove at High-A Everett after a productive 48-game stint there last season, so he's almost certainly ticketed to start the campaign at Double-A Arkansas.

Paris (thumb) is starting at second base and batting ninth in Friday's Cactus League game against the Padres.

Paris underwent thumb surgery late last season but is fully healthy heading into 2024. The 22-year-old went 4-for-40 in his first taste of the majors last year and is 1-for-8 through four games in spring training.

Anderson went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankeees.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting second behind Luis Arraez and ahead of Jazz Chisholm, Anderson didn't make an impact with his bat but looked healthy on defense, going deep in the hole to field a grounder in the second inning before firing the ball across the diamond to get the out at first base. The 30-year-old is coming off the worst season of his MLB career, but a knee injury that bothered him most of the year might have been the primary culprit for his decline. If Anderson is fully healthy in 2024, he could prove to be a draft-day steal for fantasy GMs, and a bargain for Miami on his one-year, $5 million contract.

Dezenzo is able to play the field but cannot hit in games due to a wrist injury, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It's not clear when he might be ready to swing the bat. Dezenzo, 23, finished last season at Double-A Corpus Christi and might be ready to move up to Triple-A Sugar Land to start 2024, if healthy. He had a breakout 2023 campaign, posting a .914 OPS with 18 homers and 22 steals between High- and Double-A.

Basabe (head) is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in Friday's spring game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 23-year-old suffered a head injury while making a headfirst slide during Tuesday's contest, and he'll return to action Friday after taking the past couple days to recover. Basabe had a .218/.277/.310 slash line over 31 games in his first taste of the majors last season and is likely to open 2024 at Triple-A Durham.

Tovar led off and went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and two runs scored in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Cubs.

Tovar hit atop the Rockies' order with lefty Drew Smyly on the mound for Chicago. He led off the game with a single and then began the third frame with his first home run of the spring. Tovar primarily hit second and ninth in the order last season, and he projects to have a prominent spot in the lineup in 2024.