MLB Player News

Crawford (knee) is set to return to Cactus League action this week, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford received a cortisone injection in his troublesome left knee early last week, but he was able to resume baseball activities over the weekend and is aiming to be ready for Opening Day. The veteran shortstop has logged only 13 plate appearances this spring and has recorded just one hit.

Grissom will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Atlanta wants Grissom to keep working on his defense at shortstop but also wants Braden Shewmake to show that his improved hitting in camp wasn't a small-sample fluke, so the solution will be for both to start every day at Gwinnett but rotate where they play out in the field. Orlando Arcia's starting assignment at shortstop in the majors seems fairly tenuous, so if either prospect gets off to a hot start at Triple-A and seems ready to handle a full-time gig in the majors, a quick promotion remains very possible. Grissom did display progress with his glove in camp under the tutelage of Ron Washington and went 13-for-35 (.371) at the plate with a 2:4 BB:K, and he remains the most likely long-term solution for the club at shortstop.

Shewmake will see action at both shortstop and second base for Triple-A Gwinnett, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Atlanta wants Shewmake to keep working on his hitting but also wants Vaughn Grissom to keep working on his defense at shortstop, so the solution will be for both to start every day at Gwinnett but rotate where they play out in the field. Orlando Arcia's starting assignment at shortstop in the majors seems fairly tenuous, so if either prospect gets off to a hot start at Triple-A and seems ready to handle a full-time gig in the majors, a quick promotion remains very possible. Shewmake opened some eyes in spring training by going 10-for-31 (.323) during Grapefruit League play while flashing strong glovework at short, but his career numbers at the plate coming into 2023 suggest his ceiling might be that of a big-league utility player.

Adrianza will begin the season as Atlanta's primary utility infielder.

The decision to send both Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett was in part prompted by the team's desire to have maximum middle infield depth, which means (eventually) adding Adrianza to the 40-man roster and keeping him on the big-league bench rather than letting him go. The 33-year-old switch hitter saw time at second base, third base, shortstop and left field in 2022, but his .470 OPS over 110 plate appearances between Atlanta and the Nationals -- the second time in the last three seasons he's posted a sub-.600 OPS -- doesn't exactly suggest he would have been hard to replace. If Orlando Arcia gets replaced as the starting shortstop by either Shewmake or Grissom, he would presumably take Adrianza's utility role and bump him to the waiver wire.

Crawford (shoulder) started at shortstop in Monday's Cactus League win over the Brewers and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before being replaced by Mason McCoy in the top of the sixth inning.

Crawford had last seen Cactus League action Thursday and most recently played shortstop March 10, as a "soggy" right shoulder had limited him to designated hitter duties since then. Crawford's ability to slot back in on defense Monday was in accordance with an aforementioned timeline, and it seems the veteran is on track to be at full strength for Opening Day.

Arcia is in line to open the season as Atlanta's starting shortstop, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Barring an addition at the position via trade in the days leading up to Opening Day, Arcia has won the shortstop gig over Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake, both of whom were optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. Arcia received the appointment atop the depth chart despite mediocre results at the plate in Grapefruit League play (.247/.367/.360 slash line over 30 plate appearances), but he impressed with his glove. Shewmake and Grissom both have a great chance of taking the job from Arcia if the 28-year-old struggles once the season gets underway.

Atlanta optioned Shewmake to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

With Shewmake as well as Vaughn Grissom being sent to Triple-A to start the year, Orlando Arcia has won Atlanta's starting shortstop job. Shewmake made a late charge for the starting gig, as he impressed both with his bat and glove during the Grapefruit League play. Shewmake and Grissom will serve as Gwinnett's everyday starters in the middle infield, with Shewmake expected to mostly play second base. Both have a good chance to help Atlanta before the end of 2023.

Atlanta optioned Grissom to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday,

Grissom was the presumed starter at shortstop for Atlanta to begin the 2023 campaign on the heels of his promising rookie season, but the 22-year-old will begin the season in Gwinnett after some shaky showings in the Grapefruit League, particularly on the defensive end. There's a good chance Grissom will see playing time with Atlanta before the season comes to a conclusion, but he should be dropped considerably down fantasy draft boards since there's no guarantee when he'll be playing in the majors this year. Orlando Arcia is expected to open the season as Atlanta's primary shortstop.

Barger was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays on Monday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Barger was attempting to win a spot on Toronto's bench to begin the season, but instead will start the year in Triple-A. With Barger heading to Buffalo, it appears that Otto Lopez has won a spot on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster to begin 2023.

DeJong (back) said Monday that he expects to begin the season on the injured list, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

DeJong had been slated to return to Grapefruit League play in the designated hitter spot Tuesday, but he had a setback with his lower-back injury while fielding grounders Monday. He doesn't expect to be able to get into another spring game, so being ready for Opening Day isn't realistic. With DeJong out, the Cardinals could consider carrying Taylor Motter as a backup at shortstop behind Tommy Edman.