MLB Player News

Rodgers was re-assigned to minor-league camp Tuesday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Rodgers had a strong showing this spring, hitting .286/.352/.490 in 23 games. He was never a real candidate to break camp with Colorado, though, as he's played just 38 games at the Double-A level. He hit an unremarkable .260/.323/.413 for Hartford last season and will likely return there to start the 2018 campaign.

The Pirates optioned Bostick to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Bostick was vying for a spot on the Pirates' Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder, but never gained much momentum with those efforts after going 6-for-35 (.171 average) at the dish during Grapefruit League action. The 24-year-old should handle a full-time role at Indianapolis to begin the season and could earn another look with the big club later on in 2018 when injuries hit the infield. His lack of standout tools makes him a rather uninteresting prospect.

Following the loss of Justin Turner during Monday's game against the A's, manager Dave Roberts stated that Forsythe might play third base while Turner is out, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Although this isn't set in stone, it's something to keep an eye on as Opening Day approaches. If Forsythe does transition to third until Turner's return, look for Chase Utley, Kike Hernandez and Austin Barnes to share starts at second.

Polanco was suspended 80 games Sunday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

With Polanco suspended for 80 games, Eduardo Escobar will likely be in line to serve as the Twins' starting shortstop when Opening Day arrives. Polanco has played in 13 games for the Twins this spring, over which he's gone 9-for-34 (.265) with a home run and a triple at the dish. Polanco will be eligible to return at the latter end of June after his suspension concludes.

Torres will spend an equal amount of time playing shortstop and second base at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Although the Yankees acquired Neil Walker and Brandon Drury during spring training, Torres could make his way up to the Show this season. The Yankees' prized prospect didn't have his best showing during his time in the Grapefruit League this year, as he went just 4-for-25 (.160) over 11 games. He'll look to find his groove with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he hit .309/.406/.457 over 23 games last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Albies went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

While all eyes have understandably been on Ronald Acuna this spring, Albies has been no slouch in camp either. He homered from both sides of the plate Friday, taking Jameson Taillon deep to right field in the fourth inning and then yanking a Josh Smoker offering down the left-field line in the eighth. Albies showed surprising power last season, hitting 15 combined homers between Triple-A Gwinnett and Atlanta after popping only seven total in his first three seasons in the minors, and if he continues displaying it in his first full big-league campaign, he could begin to draw Jose Altuve comparisons for reasons beyond his short stature.

Espinosa signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays on Saturday that includes an invite to spring training, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Wilner expects Espinosa to make the big-league club out of camp as the 25th man, meaning Espinosa would act as insurance for Devon Travis, who has a lengthy injury history, and Troy Tulowitzki, who is already dealing with a heel injury that will sideline him for the start of the season. Espinosa hit .173 in 295 plate appearances last year and hit .209 in a full season in 2016, so while he has some power and is a quality defender, it is unlikely that he will hit for a high enough average to not be a net negative in most fantasy formats.

Fontana (shoulder) returned from injury by playing in a Triple-A game against the Brewers on Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

Fontana had missed the majority of spring training up until this point dealing with shoulder inflammation. With the Angels restocking their infield this offseason, there was little chance the 26-year-old would have made the Opening Day roster, even as a backup. It would likely take an injury to open up a spot for the utility infielder.

The White Sox reassigned Elmore to minor-league camp Friday.

Elmore signed a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training in February and saw only nine official at-bats. The 30-year-old seems likely to start the season with Triple-A Charlotte as organizational infield depth, assuming he remains with the White Sox.

Altuve and the Astros agreed to a five-year, $151 million extension Friday, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

The extension will cover the years from 2020 to 2024, taking Altuve through his age-34 campaign. The 27-year-old second baseman has been one of the best players in the game for the past four seasons and should remain at that level for a long time, though his productivity on the basepaths will more than likely tail off toward the back end of the deal. The contract will keep Altuve in Houston for the next seven seasons, and while there are certainly more hitter-friendly parks out there, any negative effects on that front are outweighed by the quality of the lineup that surrounds him.