MLB Player News

Forsythe is starting at second base and leading off in Saturday's Cactus League opener against the White Sox, according to SB Nation.

Manager Dave Roberts has wavered on his initial thinking of using Forsythe as his primary leadoff hitter, claiming he will use his new second baseman as a "top-of-the-order hitter." While one spring training game doesn't reveal all, it gives Forsythe a head start in the race to become the Dodgers' leadoff man. Other candidates to top the lineup this season are Andrew Toles, Andre Ethier and Joc Pederson.

Drury focused on improving his agility in the offseason in hopes of being the Diamondbacks' everyday second baseman, and he said dropped more than 10 pounds while adding muscle, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

After playing the outfield for most of 2016, he's the likely choice to man the keystone heading into 2017. The work the 24-year-old performed on his side-to-side movement could help him lock down second base for the long term, despite the fact he may face competition at times from Ketel Marte. Drury popped 16 home runs and a .786 OPS last season and could take a bigger step forward in the power department, especially if he occupies close to a full-time role. He still carries sleeper appeal late in mixed fantasy drafts.

Herrera will not play in the World Baseball Classic due to his recent right shoulder inflammation, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The shoulder injury will keep Herrera from representing Colombia, but he can still work on hitting during spring action as he tries to lock down a roster spot out of camp. He'll help his cause more when he gets back to manning the field, though. During his age-23 season, he likely will serve a utility role and start a couple of games per week, though the once heralded prospect could play his way into more duties for this rebuilding club.

Reds manager Bryan Price said Herrera is suffering from right shoulder inflammation, and while he can't throw yet, he will see action at designated hitter during Saturday's Cactus League game, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Herrera likely won't be limited at the plate, but his inability to get out in the field may work against him proving his worth as a utility player. Still, he's a favorite for an Opening Day bench role, and his progress is worth monitoring, especially for those in NL-only fantasy leagues.

Drury is hitting second and starting at second base for the D-backs in their spring exhibition against Grand Canyon University on Wednesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

In a lineup that has the look of one that manager Torey Lovullo might use on Opening Day (with the exception of David Peralta yielding the start in right field to Oswaldo Arcia due to visa issues), Drury is in a prime spot ahead of Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb on the lineup card. Drury's greatest competition for playing time at second base may come from Ketel Marte, but it appears as though Drury has the inside track for the starting job at the keystone to begin spring games.

Rosario, who added about 10 pounds of muscle to his frame this offseason, launched a ball off the top of the batter's eye in straightaway center field during a batting practice session Monday, The New York Daily News reports.

Although he's been added to the 40-man roster, Rosario is a long shot to see significant action in the majors this year, as the Mets would prefer he gets a full season's worth of at-bats at Triple-A before competing for the starting role at shortstop in 2018. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old blossomed as an elite prospect last season when his bat began to catch up to his glove, and further improvements in that area could accelerate the organization's timetable for him. After hitting .341/.392/.481 in 54 games at Double-A last season, don't be surprised if Rosario puts up some huge numbers in the desert for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2017.

Urias will see extended reps at shortstop during spring training, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

A well-regarded prospect for San Diego, Urias has mostly played at second base while only occasionally spending some time shortstop. However, it appears San Diego would like to see if he can play at shortstop at least semi-regularly, which would increase his positional value. At 19 years old, Urias is still has a ways to go before making his big league debut, but the Padres are hoping he can continue to develop into a starting-caliber infielder.

Hernandez is slated for a bench role after the acquisition of Logan Forsythe from Tampa Bay.

He seemingly had a chance to to start at second base prior to the move, but it was widely anticipated that the Dodgers would upgrade that position, and that indeed happened. Hernandez will have to earn a utility role this spring and will face competition in the outfield (Franklin Gutierrez, Andrew Toles, Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke, Trayce Thompson) and to a lesser extent in the infield (Chase Utley, Rob Segedin, Chris Taylor). The Dodgers will likely keep both Utley and Hernandez as utility infielders with the latter getting occasional starts in the outfield against left-handed pitching.

With several veterans competing for the backup third base role, Arroyo will see less at-bats this spring and is destined to start the year in the minors, CSN Bay Area reports.

The Giants brought in Jimmy Rollins and Aaron Hill to compete with Conor Gillaspie for the primary backup third base role this spring. General manager Bobby Evans already acknowledged that Arroyo will lose playing time this spring because of the competition, but he also mentioned that organization "knows he can hit at this level." While that is a positive comment to hear from the GM, it also means the club has already determined that Arroyo won't be competing for a 25-man roster spot. A strong start in the minors would go a long way in forcing the Giants' hand should a spot open up in the majors at some point this season.

Manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Forsythe is a top-of-the-order batter but not necessarily the Dodgers' leadoff hitter, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Late last month, Roberts said he expected Forsythe to lead off in 2017, but it seems he's backtracking on that idea. Perhaps Roberts is thinking about installing a lefty atop the order and then plugging Forsythe into the two-hole ahead of Corey Seager to go lefty-righty-lefty. Andrew Toles may be an option to set the table for Los Angeles.