MLB Player News

Albies went 2-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 8-3 win over the Rockies.

The 21-year-old has just seven hits in 34 at-bats to begin the season, but five of them have gone for extra bases -- two doubles, two homers and a triple. Expect Albies' batting average to rise as the weather warms up, giving him five-category upside if his current power display carries forward.

Chavis (oblique) was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

The top prospect in Boston's organization will miss a large chunk of the 2018 season due to a positive test for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone. He has also been battling an oblique injury since late Feburary, which forced the 22-year-old to the 7-day minor-league disabled list earlier this week. Upon his return, Chavis will begin his season at Double-A Portland.

Wall went 2-for-5 with two runs, two strikeouts and one stolen base Thursday in his first game in almost a year for High-A Lancaster against Modesto.

He missed most of 2017 with a dislocated shoulder and returned to High-A -- a level where he has now played 145 games. Wall will likely have to wait things out at Lancaster until Brendan Rodgers or Garrett Hampson gets promoted from Double-A to Triple-A, as there is a bit of an organizational logjam at second base right now. Considering he has so much experience at High-A, is 22 and will get to play half his games in the extreme hitter's park in Lancaster, Wall should have no problem posting impressive numbers for as long as he calls the California League home.

Semien went 1-for-5 with a run scored in Thursday's loss to the Rangers.

Semien extended his hit streak to four games and he appears to be locked in as the Athletics' leadoff hitter. The San Francisco native's 12 strikeouts in 34 at-bats is concerning, as this sample size, albeit small, suggests Semien hasn't improved on his 22 percent strikeout rate from 2017. Still, the 27-year-old bats first for a team that has the most aggregate hits across the league so far in 2018, meaning Semien should be a solid source for runs and RBI.

Drury is out of the lineup against the Orioles on Thursday.

Drury will head to the bench for a standard day off as Miguel Andujar gets a start at the hot corner. Through six games, Drury is hitting .250 with an .825 OPS. Expect to see him back in the lineup for Friday's game.

Estrada (hip) will open the season on the disabled list at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, MLB.com's Jim Callis reports.

He is still recovering from a gunshot wound in his right hip from a robbery attempt this winter in Venezuela. It's noteworthy that he will open the year at Triple-A, as he had previously never played above Double-A. Estrada is a great real life depth piece, as he is a quality infield defender who excels at making contact. Unfortunately, his power and speed tools are a little light for him to realistically project as a decent fantasy option, unless he ends up being a .300 hitter in the big leagues. He is also blocked by better young players at every position in New York, so a trade would help his value in deep leagues.

Gimenez has been assigned to High-A St. Lucie to begin the 2018 season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

The Mets' No. 2 fantasy prospect held his own in his full-season debut last year, slashing .265/.346/.349 with four homers and 14 steals in 92 games for Low-A Columbia. Gimenez's glove is still ahead of his bat, but the 19-year-old shortstop could still develop into a reliable top-of-the-order hitter in the majors.

Rosario is out of the lineup Thursday against the Nationals, Tim Britton of The Athletic New York reports.

With a 5-for-15 mark at the plate and five RBI on the season, Rosario has thus far proven worthy of a regular role, but he'll nonetheless find himself on the bench for the second time in three games as Mets manager Mickey Callaway gives Jose Reyes another whirl at shortstop. The lineup choice doesn't appear to be a result of any dissatisfaction with Rosario's performance to date, but rather an attempt to keep Reyes sharp as the veteran prepares for a utility gig in 2018 after playing on a near-everyday basis a season ago. It's thus expected that Rosario will still be in store for the overwhelming share of starts at shortstop, though his likely assignment as the No. 9 hitter in most games will limit his run-scoring and stolen-base opportunities more than some may have expected heading into the season.

Rosario went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Phillies.

He was also caught stealing, but 22-year-olds are bound to make the occasional mistake. Rosario is off to a quick start to the season, going 5-for-15 with five RBI in five games, but hitting ninth on a regular basis won't allow him to maintain that run production pace for much longer.

Garcia will begin the season with Low-A Hagerstown, Mike Rosenbaum of MLB.com reports.

The Nats' No. 5 fantasy prospect put together a strong performance last season as a 17-year-old in rookie ball, slashing .302/.330/.387 with 11 steals in 13 attempts. Garcia will be paired with Yasel Antuna at Hagerstown, and the duo will likely stick together through the lower levels of the minors as the club's double-play combo of the future.