MLB Player News

Polanco (arm) isn't included in the lineup for the Twins' exhibition finale Tuesday versus the Rockies.

Ehire Adrianza will step in at shortstop while Polanco tends to arm fatigue. Polanco was at least able to take at-bats as a designated hitter in a minor-league game Monday, which should be taken as a positive sign with regards to his status for Thursday's regular-season opener versus the Indians. The Twins may want to see how Polanco's arm responds to fielding and throwing drills first before clearing him to rejoin the lineup.

Kemp started in center field and went 1-for-1 with a double and two walks in Monday's game against the Pirates.

With Josh Reddick (back) unavailable, manager AJ Hinch had George Springer move to right field and Kemp took Springer's spot in center. Reddick returned to action Tuesday, so it appears Kemp is ticketed for a reserve role to begin the regular season.

Polanco is dealing with some arm fatigue, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Specifics regarding the issue are not yet known, though Polanco is still scheduled to DH in a minor-league intrasquad game Monday, suggesting he may not be dealing with anything overly serious. More should be known after Monday's minor-league contest; It will be worth keeping an eye on the shortstop's status with Opening Day just a few days away.

Barreto is slated to occasionally fill in at second base when Jurickson Profar shifts over to first during Matt Olson's (hand) absence, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.

Barreto logged time at second base, shortstop and designated hitter in 2018, but the keystone is where he spent the most time. Therefore, he's a natural fill-in for Profar on occasions the latter mans the corner infield spot, although manager Bob Melvin also indicated Saturday that Chad Pinder would slot in at second base periodically during Olson's projected multi-week absence.

Adames was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Adames was in contention for an Opening Day roster spot with Daniel Descalso battling a shoulder injury but will instead make his way to minor-league camp. The 27-year-old joined the Cubs on a minor-league deal in February after slashing .269/.324/.370 at Triple-A in 2018.

The Giants informed Solarte on Friday that he won a spot on the team's Opening Day roster, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Solarte is likely earmarked for a utility role after he received time at all four infield spots with the Blue Jays in 2018 and saw action at left field during spring training. The 31-year-old switch-hitter has slugged double-digit home runs in each of his five seasons in the majors, but he received more than 400 plate appearances in each of those years. He could struggle to see that level of playing time in 2019 and will be further hurt by the Giants' home park, one of the more pitcher-friendly environments in baseball.

Hernandez is expected to be the Dodgers' starting second baseman, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Hernandez is tremendously versatile, having started everywhere except pitcher and catcher last season. That utility role got him 462 plate appearances last season, but he could be in line for even more this year after hitting .256/.336/.470 with 21 homers in 2018. Chris Taylor will start less frequently at second base but will still get starts around the diamond, particularly in left field.

Drury went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The homer was his third of the spring, bolstering a .340/.392/.638 slash line, but the more important development is that Jays manager Charlie Montoyo continues to give Drury a look in the leadoff spot. If he can hang onto that assignment, the team's Opening Day third baseman could be a bit of a steal in the late rounds of fantasy drafts this weekend.

Guillorme appears to have won a bench spot to begin the season, Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News reports.

His main competition for the job, Adeiny Hechavarria, was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday. Guillorme managed only a .523 OPS in 74 plate appearances during his big-league debut last year, and this stint in the bigs could be a brief one, as both Jed Lowrie (knee) and Todd Frazier (oblique) will need roster spots when they get healthy.

The Tigers selected Beckham's contract and officially added him the 40-man roster Saturday.

The transaction coupled with Ronny Rodriguez's demotion to Triple-A Toledo means that Beckham will break camp with the big club as the Tigers' top utility infielder. The 32-year-old enjoyed a strong spring at the plate and showcased solid defense at both middle-infield spots, allowing him to beat out Rodriguez for the reserve job. With Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer expected to handle everyday roles for Detroit, Beckham likely won't be asked to make more than a start or two per week, effectively keeping him off the radar for fantasy purposes.