Oakland A's infielder Nick Allen is dealing with a minor back strain as he enjoys a hot start to his spring. It's unclear how much, if any, time the 25-year-old will miss due to the ailment, although he is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels. Allen has enjoyed a nice start to his spring as he is 3-for-9 with a pair of triples, two walks, and zero strikeouts across 11 trips to the plate so far in Cactus League action. Allen has appeared in each of the last two seasons for the A's but has struggled mightily at the plate, hitting just .214 with eight home runs, eight stolen bases, and a .549 OPS in that time, production that grades out 42% below the league average, as per his 58 wRC+. He is not guaranteed the starting shortstop role and remains well off the fantasy radar entering the 2024 season.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Alek Thomas came to spring training this year with a retooled swing. In his two years in the big leagues, Thomas has been a below-average hitter, and his biggest problem has been loading his weight awkwardly over the outside of his back foot. From a closed position, he had to pull his upper body awkwardly towards first base to reach inside pitches. Thomas and his new hitting coach worked this offseason to create separation in his load and also to give him more balance to stay under control at the plate. In his two major-league seasons, Thomas hasn't hit a ball harder than 111.3 mph, but in an at-bat before spring training against a minor-league pitcher, he hit one 116 mph. The 23-year-old former top prospect is already a strong defender, but cleaning up his hitting mechanics could take him to the next level in 2024 as an all-around player in Arizona.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes (back) is returning to Cactus League action on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. Barnes will do the catching and hit eighth in the batting order. A back injury caused the Dodgers to scratch Barnes from the spring lineup on Tuesday, but it obviously wasn't a serious issue and he's back in there a day later. The 34-year-old veteran backstop will enter the 2024 regular season as the primary backup to All-Star Will Smith this year, leaving him almost no fantasy appeal. He hasn't played in 100 games in a season since 2018 and hit a weak .180/.256/.242 with two home runs, 11 RBI and 15 runs scored in 59 games played for the Blue in 2023. Barnes is a career .219 hitter in nine big-league seasons with only 34 homers and 149 RBI in 545 games played.

Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith says not to rule out Toronto Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement for the team's Opening Day roster. Clement is out of minor-league options, and rival teams have been eyeing him, while some pro scouts have been impressed with what they've seen. "They like him," a scout from another team said. "He doesn't hit for power, but he runs and he'll put the ball in play. I think they'll keep him just in case something happens to Bo (Bichette) but I'll put him down as someone to go after if they try to pass him through (waivers)." Clement is currently competing with Daniel Vogelbach, Spencer Horwitz, Eduardo Escobar and Davis Schneider for a bench spot to open the 2024 season. The 27-year-old didn't see many big-league chances in 2023, but when he did, he was impressive with a .380/.385/.500 slash line in 52 plate appearances.

Los Angeles Angels infielder Michael Stefanic (quadriceps) is running outdoors and taking live batting practice in camp on Wednesday. He is making progress, but there remains no timetable for his return to Cactus League games. Stefanic is working his way back from a left-quadriceps strain that he suffered on Feb. 24, but he appears to be recovering nicely and could still be ready for Opening Day on March 28. The 28-year-old right-handed-hitting infielder has appeared in 50 games for the Angels the last two seasons and has hit .244/.331/.293 with no home runs and six RBI in 140 plate appearances. He'll be hoping to win a backup infield role out of camp. Stefanic's only path to regular playing time in 2024 will probably be from an injury to Luis Rengifo.