MLB Player News

Garcia (illness) is starting Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Garcia dealt with a stomach bug for several days after being removed from Monday's lineup against the Cardinals. His brief absence shouldn't impact his availability for Opening Day as he competes for a roster spot during camp.

Donovan is making a case to be a utility man on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol has noticed Donovan not just for his bat (3-for-12 with two walks in spring training) but also his defensive versatility. The 25-year-old is a natural second baseman, but he can also play first and third base in addition to all three outfield spots. He also saw 86 innings at shortstop in the minors last season, where he enjoyed a meteoric rise through the Cardinals' farm system. Donovan played in 108 minor-league games in 2021 at the High-A (25), Double-A (50) and Triple-A (33) levels, posting a combined slash line of .304/.399/.455 with 12 home runs, 66 RBI, 73 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. It's too soon to tell if he'll get his first look at the major-league level this year, but he's got the tools to get his foot in the door.

Estrada (forearm) will start at shortstop and bat cleanup Thursday in the Giants' Cactus League game against the White Sox, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Estrada is back in the lineup for the first time since getting hurt in his spring debut Saturday, when he was hit in the right forearm by a pitch. Since he missed less than a week of action, Estrada shouldn't be too disadvantaged as he looks to break camp with the Giants as a utility man. He performed reasonably well over a sample of 132 plate appearances with San Francisco in 2021, reaching base at a .333 clip while slugging 11 extra-base hits, including seven home runs.

Marte is expected to make his on-field debut in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Irritation in Marte's left eye limited him at the start of camp, and his lone game appearance thus far in the Cactus League has been as a designated hitter. When Marte does hit the field, he is expected to line up at second base.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he expects Arroyo (hand) to be out for only a couple of days, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Arroyo was scratched ahead of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins with a sore right hand, but the injury looks to be only a minor concern. Assuming Cora's prediction comes to pass and Arroyo checks back into the lineup in the near future, the 26-year-old should be ready to fill a utility role on Boston's Opening Day roster.

Arroyo was scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup due to right hand soreness, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

It's not believed to be a serious injury, but the hand soreness was enough to prevent Arroyo from starting at second base Wednesday. Assuming the 26-year-old has no further issues, he could return to the lineup within the next couple days.

Arraez started at second base and went 1-for-2 in Monday's spring training loss to Atlanta. With the Twins signing Carlos Correa, Arraez will split time at third base with Gio Urshela and also get time at second base and DH, manager Rocco Baldelli told MLB.com.

Despite the addition of Correa, Baldelli continued to say Arraez will not play in the outfield. Arraez could platoon with Urshela at third base, but it sounds like he may play most every day but at different positions, similar to how he was used at the start of last season.

Castro agreed to a one-year, $1.275 million contract with the Tigers on Tuesday to avoid arbitration, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.

Castro is in his first year of arbitration eligibility after appearing in 106 games for the Tigers in 2021. He hit .283 with 37 RBI in 339 plate appearances, but he didn't provide much fantasy value with three homers and one stolen base. Castro should work in a utility role again in 2022.

Marte went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Tuesday's spring training game against the Rangers.

Marte made his spring debut after dealing with eye irritation that prevented him from working out the first few days of camp. He served as the designated hitter Tuesday but should soon line up at second base, where he's expected to be the Diamondbacks' starter.

Barreto (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Astros on Tuesday that includes an invite to big-league camp, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Barreto elected free agency after being outrighted off the Angels' 40-man roster in October, but he's now latched on with a new team. Once a highly-regarded prospect, the 26-year-old has been unable to make much of an impact since making his big-league debut in 2017, and he went 2-for-27 during his brief stint in the majors last season.