MLB Player News

Velazquez (knee) said Sunday that he intends to return to switch hitting this season, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez dropped switch hitting for a portion of last season to focus on batting right-handed, but he doesn't intend to continue that trend in 2023. He wasn't very effective from either side of the plate in 2022, though he did fare far better as a righty, batting .238 from that side of the plate versus .168 as a lefty. In any case, Velazquez could see fewer opportunities this season with Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher back healthy and new additions Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela further clogging up spots in the infield.

Baez can opt out of his contract after the upcoming season, and it's unclear if he'll remain in Detroit beyond 2023, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Baez had a disappointing first season in Detroit after signing a six-year, $140 million deal, posting just a .671 OPS and hitting only 17 home runs after recording 31 long balls in 2021. Entering his age-30 season, Baez will be looking to rebound, and if he does, he may want to test free agency again next offseason. The rebuilding Tigers may also look to trade him at some point in 2023, particularly if the shortstop plays well and Detroit can acquire solid prospects in return.

The Pirates announced Wednesday that Cruz (ankle) is a "full go" for spring training, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Though Cruz sustained what was reported to be a minor ankle injury in December while he played in the Dominican Winter League, his availability for the start of spring training was never believed to be in much question. It's reassuring nonetheless that the Pirates have cleared him for full activity for the first week of camp, ensuring that the 24-year-old can continue to hone his craft in the field and at the plate during the Grapefruit League slate. Last week, Cruz told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic that he expects to turn in a "30/30 or 40/40" season, and while that type of lofty production probably isn't realistic, a 20/20 season is certainly attainable for the toolsy shortstop if health prevails and he shows some growth as a hitter. In 361 plate appearances with the big club as a rookie last season, Cruz notched 17 home runs and 10 stolen bases, but a bloated 34.9 percent strikeout rate weighed down his batting average (.233).

Luciano (back) is ramping up his hitting progression and fielding grounders Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Luciano is still recovering from a back injury sustained in the Dominican Winter League. It doesn't appear this injury will impact the start of his season, where he's expected to make the jump to Double-A Richmond to begin the year. Barring setbacks, Luciano should have a chance to get into at least a couple of spring games.

DeJong has removed a high leg kick from his swing, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

DeJong has a tumultuous 2022, which saw him in and out of the mix for the starting shortstop job. He ended the campaign with a paltry .157/.245/.286 slash line across 77 games in the majors, which prompted him to work on his plate mechanics during the offseason. DeJong figures to be in competition for a spot on the major-league roster throughout spring training -- a number of moving parts in the infield, such as where Tommy Edman plays, will likely have an impact on DeJong's role.

Rojas (hand) was spotted taking part in fielding drills at shortstop Monday during the Dodgers' spring workout in Arizona, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Rojas underwent surgery in mid-January to remove a loose piece of bone between the thumb and index finger on his right hand, but his ability to field grounders and throw across the infield Monday suggests he's at full strength for his first spring training with the Dodgers. After being acquired from the Marlins in January and then signing a two-year extension less than a month later, the 33-year-old Rojas is clearly valued by the Dodgers, but he's still likely to be ticketed for a utility infield role when Los Angeles is at full strength. The Dodgers are giving top prospect Miguel Vargas (finger) a chance to lock down an everyday role at second base in spring training, while Gavin Lux is shifting from the keystone to shortstop in the wake of Trea Turner's move to Philadelphia this offseason. The presence of Vargas and Lux looks as though it'll block Rojas from seeing steady reps at either middle-infield spot.

Mondesi (knee) has started baseball activities with hitting and fielding drills but is still ramping up his running progression, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Mondesi's rehab is expected to keep him out of the lineup when Opening Day rolls around, which means manager Alex Cora will deploy Enrique Hernandez at shortstop and Christian Arroyo at second base. Once Mondesi is healthy, there could be a rotation of the three players at the two positions until Trevor Story (elbow, 60-day IL) is ready to play.

Barger will spend some time in the outfield this spring, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The 2018 sixth-round pick broke out last season, slashing .305/.375/.544 across 125 games at the three highest levels of the minors. He only reached Triple-A for eight games at the tail end of the year, so an Opening Day debut seems unlikely, but if he looks good in the outfield, he'll increase his potential paths to the big-league roster.

Lindor had been dealing with discomfort dating back to August of 2021, but he's feeling better after undergoing an appendectomy in October, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

The discomfort evidently wasn't a major issue, though it reached a new level at the tail end of last season. Lindor's 125 wRC+ in September and October was a near match for his 128 mark over the rest of the year, so it doesn't look as though the pain showed up in his stats. It's possible that putting the problem behind him allows for even better numbers going forward, but it would probably be unwise to expect a significant difference.

Turner is likely to open the season as the Phillies' leadoff hitter, manager Rob Thomson said Thursday, per John Foley of 2008Philz.com.

Thomson indicated that things could change when Bryce Harper (elbow) returns around midseason, but initially Turner appears pegged for the top of the batting order. His RBI total could take a hit in the role after he drove in 100 runs for the first time in 2022 while batting primarily second and third for the Dodgers. However, Turner will score a ton of runs from the leadoff spot and might also be more aggressive as a base stealer after going 27-for-30 on stolen-base attempts last season.