MLB Player News

Abreu (personal) won't return to White Sox camp until Friday, CSN Chicago's Dan Hayes reports.

He is currently testifying in court regarding a Cuban ballplayer smuggling operation, but is a witness, not a suspect, and will be back with his team this weekend. Abreu is currently going at a discount in drafts (NFBC ADP: 62), considering he has logged three straight seasons with 25-plus home runs, 100-plus RBI and a batting average north of .290.

Cron went 2-for-3 with his first home run of the spring in Tuesday's win over the Cubs.

In most cases, spring training stats do not matter; Cron, however, is an exception to the rule when you consider that he is locked in a position battle with the newly-acquired Luis Valbuena. Both players offer plus power and sub-par defense at first base, so how they perform -- both with the bat and the glove -- will determine who ends up with the lion's share of starts. Even with the less-preferred handedness, Cron will be given a fair shot to win the job after slashing a career-best .278/.325/.467 in 443 plate appearances last year.

Kirilloff will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery next Wednesday to address a lingering elbow injury, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reports.

Kirilloff, who was drafted 15th overall by the Twins last June, first hurt his elbow in late August while playing in the Appalachian League, and while it was expected that a full offseason of recovery would be all the outfielder needed before returning to the field, the injury proved to be more serious than the organization realized. The 19-year-old won't be able to resume baseball activity for five months, and is expected to endure a nine-month rehab process in total, which could prevent him from playing in winter ball, in addition to the entire minor-league season. While Kirilloff is expected to make a full recovery from the procedure and more or less maintain his skills, he's nonetheless in store for a slower climb through the Twins' minor-league system. He slashed .306/.341/.454 with seven homers and 33 RBI across 232 plate appearances with rookie-level Elizabethton upon signing with the Twins last summer.

Tellez was touted by manager John Gibbons as the team's prospect who is closest to being ready for the majors, Paul Hagen of MLB.com reports.

Gibbons' remarks mirror the consensus among scouts and a majority of prospect rankings. "The guy can hit," Gibbons said of Tellez. "He's not going to steal a lot of bases, but he'll surprise you at times. It's kind of interesting. I was talking to [Tim Raines] the other day and asked him what kind of baserunner Rowdy was. And he said he might be the best in the system. I mean, he's not a fast guy. But that tells you something about him. He's a complete player. He's a talented kid." Even though the 21-year-old first baseman (an unstable position for the Jays) is slated to begin the year in the minors, it wouldn't be irrational for owners in extremely deep leagues to take a risk on draft day and stash Tellez on the bench in hopes of a mid-season call-up. Regardless of where he begins the 2017 campaign, he should be rostered in the vast majority of dynasty formats.

Diaz is scheduled to get work in right field this spring, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Diaz, who made the All-Star Futures Game last summer, packed the stat sheet in 2016 over 121 games combined between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. Manager Terry Francona acknowledged that Diaz appears MLB ready from an offensive standpoint, but the prospect isn't quite there defensively. Transitioning Diaz to the outfield will shorten his track to the majors, making him a viable pick in deeper leagues.

Calhoun (abdomen) went 1-for-2 with an RBI single in his spring debut Monday.

The 29-year-old outfielder had previously been held out of game action following core muscle surgery back in October, but he picked up right where he left off at the end of the 2016 campaign with his third inning hit to drive in Andrelton Simmons. Calhoun didn't seem to show any ill effects from the surgery during his first game action, so he should be able to slot back into the Angels lineup moving forward with the hope of building off the career-best .786 OPS he posted last season.

McBride (lat) will partake in a game against Team Italy in minor league camp Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports.

He had been unable to throw due to a mild lat strain, but it sounds like things are improving to the point that he can play in what essentially amounts to a rehab game.

Gillaspie, the Rays' 2014 first-round pick, went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI double in Monday's 7-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies.

Gillaspie's line-drive two-bagger to center in the third snapped a 1-1 tie and brought home Dayron Varona and Nick Franklin. The 24-year-old, who's enjoyed a fairly rapid ascension through the Rays organization, slashed an impressive .307/.389/.520 with 13 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 23 RBI over 203 plate appearances at Triple-A Durham in 2016. Gillaspie is currently the organization's seventh-ranked prospect and could certainly lay the groundwork for a call-up later in 2017 with a strong spring and continued improvement at the minor league level.

Abreu will head to Miami following Monday's game to tend to personal matters and expects to be back in camp on Wednesday, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Abreu's brief absence will in all likelihood not heavily factor into his preparation for the season. The 30-year-old first baseman went 2-for-3 on Monday against the Cubs, which included hitting a long, "no-doubter" home run. He'll look to stay hot when he returns from his absence, presumably on Wednesday.

Calhoun (abdomen) will make his Cactus League debut Monday, according to the Orange County Register.

Calhoun underwent offseason surgery to repair a bilateral core muscle injury and the plan was for him to be ready by spring training. It appears that he has met that timetable and will make his debut -- with several other everyday players -- on Monday. Calhoun is one of the more dependable mid-tier outfielders in fantasy, seeing at least 672 plate appearances over the past two seasons while providing some pop and run production.