MLB Player News

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.

Polanco (ankle) ran near 100 percent Saturday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Polanco is still awaiting clearance before fully going 100 percent, but he appears to be in the final stages of his recovery from the right ankle surgery he underwent in November. The 26-year-old seems likely to be able to be ready for Opening Day if cleared relatively soon, though it's worth keeping an eye on his status as spring training progresses.

Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said Sunday that he envisions Biggio serving as the team's No. 2 hitter this season, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

The lefty-hitting Biggio could eventually move down in the order against southpaws, but he'll likely be given a full-time look out of the two hole -- in between Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr. -- at least to begin the season after he slashed a credible .237/.368/.373 (104 wRC+) in 145 plate appearances versus same-handed pitching in 2019. Biggio supplied 16 home runs and 14 steals in just 100 games with Toronto as a rookie and could push for a 20-20 season if he gets 600 plate appearances in 2020.

Lowe said Saturday that he feels fully healthy entering spring training after he missed much of the second half of the 2019 season while battling a quadriceps injury, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The Rays initially ruled Lowe out for the season in late August after he strained his left quad while rehabbing a bone bruise in his right shin, but the 25-year-old was surprisingly able to make it back in action in the final week of the campaign to earn his spot on the postseason roster. Lowe wasn't especially productive following his return from the lengthy layoff, but after he resumed rehabbing the quad over the winter, he feels confident he'll be able to regain the strong form he displayed early last season. Lowe slashed .270/.336/.514 with 17 home runs and five steals across 327 plate appearances en route to earning an All-Star nod in 2019, but his 34.6 percent strikeout rate suggests some regression could be headed his way even if health prevails.

Chavis (oblique) will split time between first and second base this season, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Red Sox interim manager Ron Roenicke clarified Chavis' role for the upcoming season. "When he's swinging the bat well, he's going to get more playing time whether it's at first or second," Roenicke said. "But he's going to be out there. When he's performing the way he can, like when he first came up last year and was so hot, you want him in the lineup." Chavis did not hit well against lefties in 2019 (.226 batting average) and needs to lay off high fastballs. Roenicke acknowledged Chavis' need to lay off high heat but believes his performance against lefties was the product of a limited sample size.

Polanco (ankle) was in the batting cage Wednesday and did not appear to have any limitations, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Polanco underwent surgery Nov. 22 to address a right ankle impingement. It's thought he'll be ready for Opening Day, but monitor his progress early in spring training.

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.