MLB Player News

Urias (wrist) was cleared to resume some baseball activity Saturday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Urias underwent surgery on his left wrist in late January that carries an eight-week recovery timeline, but he was able to begin some activity Saturday. It's still unclear whether the 22-year-old will be able to open the season on the active roster, but Saturday's update could be a step in the right direction.

Frazier is healthy heading into the 2020 campaign after playing through a pair of undisclosed injuries during the early part of last season, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

The second baseman fractured his right index finger during the first spring training workout a year ago and then slightly sprained his right shoulder in the first regular season game. Still, he played in a team-high 152 contests, slashing .278/.336/.417 with 10 homers and five steals. The 28-year-old also finished with the 37th highest defensive WAR (4.9) among all qualified major leaguers. Frazier is set to serve as the team's everyday starter at second but has drawn considerable interest in trade discussions.

Hoerner could begin the year with Triple-A Iowa, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs recently signed veteran Jason Kipnis, which further crowds a middle infield group that includes Javier Baez, David Bote and Daniel Descalso. The 22-year-old Hoerner performed well in 20 games at the MLB level last season, slashing .282/.305/.436, but the team could decide to give him more time at Triple-A with a number of experienced options on the roster. It should only be a matter of time, however, before Hoerner is raking at Wrigley Field.

Manager Bud Black said that Rodgers (shoulder) could get some at-bats as a designated hitter in Cactus League games this spring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Rodgers is still recovering from the season-ending procedure he required last July to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. While the fact that he's apparently close to being able to hit against live pitching is a positive sign, Rodgers remains further behind in his throwing program. Per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, Rodgers has advanced to throwing long toss from 120 feet, but he'll need more time to build up his arm before he's cleared to throw at maximum velocity in the infield. As a result, the Rockies don't anticipate that he'll be ready to take part in game action at the big-league level until May at the soonest.

Garcia will join the Nationals' big-league spring training camp.

Garcia will get to work with Washington's major-league coaches at the start of camp, but he probably won't be pushing to join them for good until next season. He struggled in an aggressive assignment to Double-A Harrisburg last season, slashing .257/.280/.337 while serving as the youngest hitter at the Double-A level by a range of 15 months.

Urias's cast on his wrist was removed Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Urias was given an eight-week recovery timeline when he underwent wrist surgery in late January, a time period which will end just days before Opening Day. It's quite a tight timetable, but the infielder remains optimistic about his chances of opening the season on the active roster.

Rodgers is slightly behind schedule in his recovery from July shoulder surgery, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

The news contrasts with reports from early in the offseason, when Rodgers said that he was ahead of schedule. It remains to be seen exactly when he'll be back on the field, though it may make sense for him to open the year at the Triple-A level as he works his way back from his long absence, as he struggled to a .224/.272/.250 line in his 25-game debut last season. Per Thomas Harding of MLB.com, Rodgers isn't expected to return to the majors until May.

Beckham agreed Monday with the Padres on a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Beckham will get a chance to audition for a utility infield job with the Padres after filling that role for Detroit for much of the 2019 campaign. Though Beckham supplied a .643 OPS last season -- his best mark since 2013 -- he sacrificed contact as a consequence of tapping into more power, striking out in a career-worst 28.3 percent of his plate appearances.

Rengifo (wrist) was traded from the Angels to the Dodgers in exchange for Joc Pederson on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. Prospect Andy Pages was also sent to the Angels in the deal.

The 22-year-old broke through to the majors in 2019 and had a .238/.321/.364 slash line with seven home runs and 33 RBI in 108 games before requiring wrist surgery in mid-September. Rengifo will have a difficult time finding a role in the Dodgers' middle infield with Corey Seager starting at shortstop and Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez competing for time at the keystone. Rengifo likely will be limited to a bench role with his new team, assuming he doesn't begin the season in the minors.

McNeil said Saturday that he expects to man third base on a full-time basis in 2020, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports. "I think I'll be playing a lot of third. I've gone through my normal offseason routine," McNeil said, referencing the wrist surgery he required in early October. "It was a good two-month rehab, then back to a normal offseason."

The 27-year-old headed into spring training in 2019 as a utility man, but injuries soon opened up an everyday role that McNeil wouldn't relinquish. McNeil put together a .318/.384/.531 slash line across 567 plate appearances and picked up his first All-Star nod along the way, with his poor defense in either corner outfield spot seemingly representing the only blemish on his season. He was far more capable at third base, so he shouldn't lose out on any at-bats for defensive-related reasons while Jed Lowrie fills McNeil's old utility role. In addition to third base, McNeil should have eligibility at second base and in the outfield in the majority of fantasy leagues to begin 2020.