MLB Player News

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores will get the start at shortstop Tuesday, according to ESPN.

Flores hasn't played the position since 2011, but the team wants to give him a shot during camp. While there's a chance he could displace Ruben Tejada at the position, Flores will likely begin the year in the minors. Flores has played short in the late innings during the spring, but this will be his first start at the position.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt returned to action as a designated hitter on Saturday against the Angels.

Goldschmidt, who had been dealing with leg tightness, doubled in a run in the third inning for his only hit of the day. He finished 1 for 4 in a 5-2 win. He is hitting .238/.360/.333 with four RBI over his first 21 at-bats.

Indians manager Terry Francona has been impressed with the work of catcher Carlos Santana at third base this spring, and the team will move forward with his transition to the hot corner, MLB.com reports.

"Carlos looks fine," Francona said Friday. "If he is the third baseman, you're not going to know how he handles it until he's asked to handle it. How many balls have been hit to him? Four? That's just not a fair sample size. You almost hope people hit balls to him. But then, if he makes an error in Goodyear, do you say, 'Oh, he can't be our third baseman?' I think we go more on his daily work and things like that. That's all been really good."

Francona will have to figure out how to properly divide playing time at the position between Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall moving forward. The manager left the door open for Santana playing both positions on a regular basis during the season.

"I would say in the next three or four days, we're going to sit down and talk through it," Francona said. "It's a little bit of uncharted waters. You don't see anybody playing third and catching in the big leagues, but if he's able to do it, it opens up a lot of different things. The first thing we're going to do is sit and talk."

Santana is just 2 for 11 at the plate this spring.

Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt should be ready to play Saturday, according to azcentral.com.

Goldschmidt has been dealing with leg tightness. He did not play Thursday, and is not in the lineup for Friday's game due to the issue. Manager Kirk Gibson said Goldschmidt would return to the lineup Saturday.

Goldschmidt hit .302/.401/.551 in 602 at-bats last year.

The struggles of Carlos Santana at third base could be good news for incumbent Lonnie Chisenhall. Santana has already made one error and blew a double play possibility with a bobble on Thursday as he tries to make the switch from catcher.

Reports out of winter ball were positive about the transition, but Santana has looked stiff and uncomfortable at third throughout spring training, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chisenhall enters this season with a reputation for mediocrity at that position. He has also been a disappointment at the plate, particularly against left-handers.

One likely scenario is a platoon in which Santana plays against southpaws if he proves himself acceptable defensively. The Indians cleanup hitter would serve as the full-time designated hitter against right-handers.

Mets infielder Wilmer Flores is expected to start at short soon, according to ESPN.

Flores hasn't played the position in a game since 2011. The team is looking for a way to get him into the lineup, and have been open to him moving to short again. Flores hit .211 in 95 at-bats last year.

Reds slugger Joey Votto answered critics who have complained he wasn't aggressive enough at the plate in 2013, stating that he will not change his approach.

"If I wasn't producing and having a satisfying result in my overall game I could understand the complants," he told Fox Sports. "I think I had a successful year, despite the lack of one number (RBI). I like getting lost in an at-bat and getting the most out of every at-bat."

The result of that approach was a .305 average, 24 home runs and 73 RBI. He led the league with 135 walks and .435 on-base percentage.

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is hitting in the four spot Friday, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Abreu signed with the club during the offseason, and is expected to play a big role this year. If he can perform well during spring training, Abreu will likely open the season as a middle of the order hitter for Chicago. The White Sox aren't expected to be a great offensive team, but Abreu should pick up a fair share of RBI in that role.

Indians catcher/first baseman Carlos Santana will start at third base during the team's spring game Thursday.

Santana is slated to hit fourth and gets his first shot at playing third. Santana spent most of the offseason preparing to play the position, but it's still unclear how serious the team is about using him there during the regular season. Santana hit .268/.377/.455 in 541 at-bats last year.

The Indians are throwing Carlos Santana into the fire at third base. He will start there Thursday against Cincinnati. His playing time at the hot corner will be dependent on how often he catches.

Santana has ceded the starting catcher job to 2013 surprise Yan Gomes, but will serve as his backup. He performed well at third base in winter league play, but the team is curious about how well he can play there in exhibition games.

He will compete with disappointing prospect Lonnie Chisenhall, but also could platoon there against left-handers and work mostly as designated hitter. Chisenhall has been particularly weak against southpaws.