MLB Player News

Schmitt will likely start 2023 with Triple-A Sacramento, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Schmitt split 2022 between High-A and Double-A, logging a combined .299/.370/.500 slash line with 22 home runs and 80 RBI in 126 games. Some combination of David Villar, J.D. Davis and Wilmer Flores will likely man the hot corner for the Giants to begin this season. Schmitt has just a total of 33 contests in the upper minors, so he should be expected to see the bulk of his time this year with Sacramento.

The Red Sox placed Story (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster. Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on his UCL in January and is expected to be sidelined at least until the second half of the season. With Story out, Enrique Hernandez will handle shortstop and Christian Arroyo will cover second base, at least until Adalberto Mondesi (knee) is ready.

Chang signed a one-year contract with the Red Sox on Thursday.

The Red Sox non-tendered Chang earlier this offseason but have ultimately decided to bring him back as infield depth. With Trevor Story (elbow) out indefinitely and Adalberto Mondesi's (knee) timeline cloudy, it's a sensible move. Chang has a career .639 OPS over parts of four major-league seasons.

The Giants announced Wednesday that Luciano is taking part in a normal hitting and throwing progression in spring training after suffering a stress fracture in his lower back over the offseason, Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reports.

The injury explains why Luciano appeared in only five games for Estrellas de Oriente of the Dominican Winter League before sitting out the rest of the schedule. The fact that Luciano is taking part in baseball activities suggests that he should be ready to play at some point during the Cactus League slate, putting him on track for the start of the minor-league season. The 21-year-old shortstop prospect posted an .817 OPS with 11 home runs in 65 games last summer between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Eugene.

Perez will be limited to rehab work in the early stages of camp after experiencing some mild inflammation in his back during offseason workouts, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Perez will be part of the Tigers' big-league camp after he was added to the 40-man roster over the winter, but the switch-hitting infielder looks as though he could miss out on some action during the Grapefruit League slate while he continues to receive treatment and takes part in a core-stabilization program early in camp. Assuming he's made a full recovery from the injury before the start of the regular season, Perez will likely report to either Triple-A Toledo or Double-A Erie.

Story (elbow) acknowledged Wednesday that he won't be realistically ready to play until the second half of the season in a "best-case scenario," Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

After Story underwent an internal bracing procedure on the UCL of his right elbow in January, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com relayed that the infielder was looking at a 4-to-6-month recovery timeline, based on previous examples of players who have opted for the modified version of Tommy John surgery. Based on comments from Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Story himself, the 30-year-old looks as though he'll need the full six months to recover, and he could be in store for additional missed time beyond that. Story admitted that there's a possibility he doesn't play at all during the 2023 season, though at this early stage of his rehab, he remains "right on track," according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Story has currently been going through range-of-motion work at his offseason home, but he remains undecided about whether he'll continue his rehab program at the Red Sox's spring training facility in Florida or back in Boston once the season gets underway.

Mondesi (knee) being ready for Opening Day would be a best-case scenario, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe on Tuesday.

Manager Alex Cora expressed optimism about Mondesi's recovery from ACL surgery earlier Tuesday, but Bloom doesn't appear confident the infielder will be ready to play by Opening Day. Mondesi is expected to see playing time at both second base and shortstop once he's healthy, but for now those positions will be manned by Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez, respectively.

Mondesi (knee) looks good at the start of camp, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe on Tuesday.

Mondesi is behind others at the beginning of spring training as he works his way back from ACL surgery, but his skipper is encouraged by how the infielder looks. Cora noted Tuesday that Christian Arroyo is the team's second baseman "as of now," but the door would appear to be open for Mondesi to take that job if he can show he's healthy. Mondesi was acquired from the Royals via trade last month.

Amaya (undisclosed) was spotted taking part in defensive drills during the Marlins' team workout Monday at big-league spring training, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 24-year-old infielder is attending his first camp with the Marlins after Miami acquired him from the Dodgers in January in the deal that sent veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas to Los Angeles. Amaya closed the 2022 campaign on Triple-A Oklahoma City's 60-day injured list due to an unspecified injury, but his participation in the early stages of spring training suggests he'll enter the 2023 season at full health. Look for him to open his time in the Miami organization at Triple-A Jacksonville.

Bichette plans to be more aggressive on the bases in 2023, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters on Monday that the team wants to be more aggressive on the bases in 2023, and the shortstop echoed those sentiments. The larger bases and new pickoff rules could see a rise in stolen bases in the coming years, but Bichette says that he was intending to run more even before the rule changes. The 24-year-old swiped 25 bases in 26 attempts in 2021, but went just 13-for-21 in 2022 in what was a disappointing season for Bichette until his sensational September (.406/.444/.662) saw him finish the year with an .802 OPS. A rise to his previous level in steals could see Bichette finish as one of the very best players -- not just shortstops -- in 2023.