Houston Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido (hip) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip to address an impingement and a labral injury, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Loperfido's "availability for spring training will be delayed," according to the team. The 27-year-old former seventh-round pick in 2021 from Duke University only appeared in 40 games for the Astros in his first full season with the team in 2026 and hit just .214 (22-for-103) with a homer, 12 RBI, 13 runs scored, one stolen base, 14 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 121 plate appearances. Since Loperfido will not be ready for the start of spring training in 2027, there is a chance that he will also not be ready for Opening Day, but that remains to be seen. When healthy next year, the left-handed-hitting outfielder will compete for a platoon role against right-handed pitchers in Houston. He has appeared in 162 games in his three major-league seasons with Houston and the Toronto Blue Jays, slashing .240/.300/.378 with a .678 OPS, only nine home runs, 51 RBI, 49 runs scored, and six stolen bases in 487 plate appearances.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has won the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award, MLB announced on Monday. The Roberto Clemente Award is given to a player who shows on-field excellence while devoting themselves to excellence off the field in community service and philanthropic efforts. Among Lindor's many philanthropic efforts, he donated more than $1 million to his alma mater, Montverde Academy, to build Lindor Hall, a building at the middle school with state-of-the-art science and technology labs. At Montverde Academy, Lindor also established the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund.

Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic speculates that Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story may not be guaranteed to hold the team's starting shortstop job in 2027. Story had a rough year in 2026, hitting .235 with five home runs, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 266 plate appearances. He's also dealt with myriad injury issues since signing with Boston ahead of the 2022 season, reaching 400 plate appearances just once in five years with the Red Sox. Story has one year and $25 million remaining on his current contract with Boston, which makes it unlikely that the team will be able to move on from him without taking on significant dead money. However, the Red Sox have top shortstop prospect Franklin Arias, who hit .331 across 188 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2026, waiting in the wings. If Story gets off to a slow start in 2027 or suffers another injury, his role in Boston could be in danger.

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski described outfielder Brandon Marsh as a "platoon-type guy (who) hits right-handed pitching and he hasn't done very well versus left-handed pitching," per Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Marsh set career highs by appearing in 155 games and logging 568 plate appearances in 2026, slashing .260/.304/.408 with 18 home runs, 62 RBI, 71 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. Marsh got off to an excellent start to the year, but he hit just .184 with three home runs across 205 plate appearances after the All-Star break. The 28-year-old has struggled to hit left-handed pitching throughout his time in the big leagues, posting a .588 OPS with a 38.1% strikeout rate across 603 career plate appearances against southpaws. While his combination of power and speed gives him some appeal in deeper fantasy leagues, Marsh's upside is limited if he does not see everyday playing time.