MLB Player News

Rosario went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The young shortstop has been joined at the hip all spring with Robinson Cano, and Rosario seems to have picked up a few pointers at the plate from his Hall of Fame-caliber teammate. The 23-year-old now sports a .400/.478/.800 slash line with two homers and two steals in 20 at-bats, and given Rosario's outstanding athleticism, any skill growth could result in a breakout 2019.

Dubon (illness) is expected to be ready for the start of the Triple-A season, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

An intestinal illness cost Dubon much of the spring, and he has been working on putting back on all the weight he lost via the illness. The San Antonio Missions begin the season April 4 in Oklahoma City. He will likely join the Brewers at some point this season as a bench option if he stays healthy.

The Brewers optioned Dubon (illness) to their minor-league camp Wednesday.

Dubon was never a likely candidate to break camp with the Brewers after playing only 27 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2018 before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. The shortstop reported to camp fully healthy but saw minimal action before succumbing to an intestinal illness that required a brief stay in the hospital. Dubon has since resumed baseball activities and is expected to be ready to handle a full-time role when the Brewers' new Triple-A affiliate in San Antonio begins its season.

The Nationals reassigned Garcia to their minor-league camp Wednesday, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports.

Despite being one of the younger players in any big-league camp during spring training, Garcia looked advanced beyond his age. The 18-year-old went 6-for-19 with seven runs and two RBI, with his 3-for-3 effort over the weekend against the Astros standing out as his most eye-opening performance. The young shortstop only saw a half season of action at High-A Potomac in 2018, but his success in the Carolina League coupled with his stellar spring could prompt the Nationals to assign him to Double-A Harrisburg to begin the upcoming campaign.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Marte's playing time will not be impacted by the arrival of Adam Jones, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The manager further clarified comments made by general manager Mike Hazen on Monday. Lovullo envisions Marte rotating among center field, second base and shortstop on a near-daily basis as dictated by need or matchup. "I'm not necessarily looking at total games played at each spot," Lovullo said. "It's that particular matchup on that day. Ketel's versatility is going to allow somebody to get into the game who could be a hired sniper or could be somebody who is going to go out there and have a great game because of the matchup." Marte, an infielder prior to 2019, had opened spring training as the team's primary center fielder. The bottom line is that Marte, who had 580 plate appearances over 153 games in 2018, will not see a noticeable reduction in playing time.

Altuve (side) completed running drills Tuesday and could appear in a game this weekend, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports.

Manager AJ Hinch said Altuve, who has not appeared in a Grapefruit League game since March 6, will likely begin baseball activities Wednesday.

Estrada was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

Estrada played in 11 games with the Yankees this spring and went 5-for-18 (.278) with five strikeouts. The 23-year-old missed the bulk of the 2018 season due to a back injury, making only eight appearances with the RailRiders.

The Red Sox optioned Chavis to Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

With four home runs during Grapefruit League action, Chavis bolstered his claim for being the top prospect in the organization, albeit in a Red Sox system that ranks as one of baseball's weakest. According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, Chavis' main focus at this point is improving his defense while showcasing more of an ability to play multiple positions. Chavis will see most of his action at first and third base in Pawtucket but will also get some exposure to the keystone as he looks to improve his chances of earning a callup at some point in 2019.

Herrera was assigned to the Mets' minor-league camp Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Once held in high esteem as a lower-level prospect, Herrera's mediocre numbers at Triple-A over the past four seasons in addition to his middling production in brief stints in the majors in 2014, 2015 and 2018 have significantly dimmed his luster. Considering he isn't a member of the 40-man roster, Herrera won't have a clear path to joining the Mets even if he thrives at Triple-A Syracuse in the early going.

The Mets assigned Gimenez to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The 20-year-old shortstop acquitted himself well while attending camp as a non-roster player, recording four hits (including a home run) in 16 at-bats while striking out only twice. Gimenez has displayed some strong bat-to-ball skills and an ability to rack up steals in the minors, but his below-average power profile may lower his overall ceiling once he matriculates to the big leagues. Regardless, Gimenez should have a good shot at emerging as a fixture in the middle infield for the Mets down the road, perhaps as soon as 2020.