Devers (shoulders) said Thursday that he is OK with being a designated hitter if that's where the Red Sox choose to use him, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Devers was speaking publicly for the first time since telling reporters in mid-February that he was a third baseman and was unwilling to be a DH. The 28-year-old has spoken with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow since then, and while he wanted to keep the details of that conversation to himself, he now appears amendable to serving as the team's DH. The Red Sox have not yet announced a decision on where Devers or Alex Bregman will play, but all signs point to Devers indeed being the DH while Bregman handles third base. Devers homered during a simulated game Thursday and is expected to finally make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday against Atlanta.

Walls (quadriceps) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Walls will return to action for the first time since March 8, having turned the page on the quad issue. Known more for his glove than his bat, Walls is expected to serve as the Rays' primary shortstop until offseason addition Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) is ready to return. Kim is said to be targeting late May for his 2025 debut.

Smith will start in right field and bat cleanup in Thursday's split-squad game against the Cardinals, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

After acclimating himself to the position on the back fields, Smith will play right for the first time in a Grapefruit League game while running with the rest of Houston's "A" lineup. Acquired from the Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade, Smith is widely considered his new organization's top prospect, and he appears to have a real chance to make the Opening Day roster despite limited experience in the minors. The 22-year-old is 9-for-20 with a pair of homers and seven RBI so far this spring.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he expects Devers (shoulders) to take at-bats during a simulated game Thursday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

If all goes well in the sim game, Devers could be cleared to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday versus Atlanta. Devers appears to be further away from taking part in full defensive drills at third base, making it likelier by the day that he'll be limited to a designated-hitter duties to begin the 2025 campaign. If that's the case, Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) would presumably open the season on the injured list, as he's been making starts at DH this spring but has yet to complete his throwing progression and could be weeks away from being ready to play the corner outfield.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he plans to have Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers (shoulders) and Bregman as the top three in his batting order this season, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

They will be followed by Triston Casas and Trevor Story in the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, at least against right-handers. Bregman has had a terrific spring at the plate with his new club, slashing .391/.467/.826 with a couple home runs.

Alexander (undisclosed) will start at third base and bat eighth in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

Alexander exited Monday's game against the White Sox due to an unspecified issue, but his return to the lineup two days later implies he was dealing with just a minor health concern. The 28-year-old is battling for a utility role with the Athletics in spring training.

Smith will play five innings in right field in a game on the back fields Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Astros manager Joe Espada said earlier Tuesday that Smith would play right field in a Grapefruit League game soon, and apparently he'll be eased into things in the outfield in a lower-profile contest right away. Whether Smith is being truly considered as an option to open the season in right field for the Astros is very much up in the air, but the third-base prospect adding to his versatility would give him an additional path to playing time with the big club.

Henderson (intercostal) hit in the batting cage Tuesday and is slated to take grounders Wednesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's the start of Henderson's progression as he returns to baseball activities following a mild right intercostal muscle strain. The 23-year-old does not have much runway to get ramped up in time for Opening Day, but the Orioles are not ruling out his availability for March 27 in Toronto. If Henderson needs a little time on the injured list, Baltimore could shift Jackson Holliday to shortstop temporarily and install Ramon Urias or Jordan Westburg at second base, with the other occupying third base.

Devers (shoulders) is "increasingly likely" to open the season as Boston's designated hitter, with Alex Bregman playing third base, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Devers hasn't made his Grapefruit League debut yet and all of Bregman's action this spring has come at third base. So, while manager Alex Cora has declined to address the situation, it's pretty clear where this is headed. Devers is currently slated to make his spring debut Saturday, although his debut has already been pushed back multiple times as he works on his swing mechanics that were thrown off by last year's shoulder problems.

Bregman is "increasingly likely" to open the season as the Red Sox's starting third baseman, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Bregman has yet to play an inning at second base this spring and Rafael Devers (shoulders) has yet to play an inning anywhere, so Bregman handling third base and Devers being used at designated hitter on Opening Day looks to be a safe bet at this point. It would leave Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton and Kristian Campbell fighting for reps at second base.