MLB Player News

Diaz (ankle) will start at second base and bat seventh in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Diaz isn't scheduled to play a full nine innings with Riley Mahan on track to replace him at some point mid-game, but Diaz's presence in the field a day after tweaking his left ankle in a collision suggests the Marlins aren't concerned about his health. One of four prospects the Marlins acquired in January in the trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Brewers, Diaz is expected to open the 2018 campaign at either High-A Jupiter or Double-A Jacksonville.

Kemp went 0-for-2 in Wednesday's game against the Marlins and is hitting .148 (4-for-27) through 11 spring games.

Kemp, normally an infielder, got the start in left field as the Astros are trying to get him comfortable to the outfield. Yulieski Gurriel's hand injury has created an opportunity for several of Houston's Triple-A crowd. Along with Kemp, that includes Derek Fisher, Tyler White, Colin Moran, A.J. Reed and J.D. Davis. The winner of this battle will have a small role and is expected to have a short stay with Houston. Gurriel is due back from the injury mid-April and then will have to serve a five-game suspension.

Herrera returned to action Wednesday after missing a few days with tightness in his shoulder and had three hits against the White Sox, the Dayton Daily News's Hal McCoy reports.

Previously the Reds suggested that the tightness that Herrera was dealing with was normal in the recovery process, and Wednesday's results seem to buttress that assertion. Herrera is trying to show that he can remain healthy enough to play and then play well enough to win a roster spot with the Reds.

Diaz left Wednesday's game against the Astros with an apparent left ankle injury, Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Diaz collided with Isaac Galloway while the pair chased a flyball. The young infielder exited the game limping. The seriousness of his injury is not yet clear.

The Mets revealed Wednesday that Rosario, who was previously diagnosed with left knee soreness, is instead nursing a sore groin, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Rosario underwent an MRI on the knee Tuesday that returned negative, and it appears the scans detected the true source of the shortstop's discomfort in the process. The Mets are labeling Rosario as day-to-day, so he doesn't look to be in any real danger of missing Opening Day at this time. That being said, the 22-year-old is missing out on meaningful at-bats during Grapefruit League play, which may result in the Mets restricting his workload more than they had originally intended once the regular season begins.

Rosario's MRI revealed no serious issues Tuesday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Rosario has been out for a few days with knee soreness, though the MRI was apparently on his groin and hamstring. His knee is reportedly feeling better. It seems as though he's dealing with multiple minor leg ailments, but apparently none are that serious.

Rosario had an MRI on his sore left knee Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Rosario was originally removed from Saturday's game due to knee irritation. He had an MRI after his discomfort increased while jogging Monday. If Rosario ends up missing extended time, Jose Reyes, Gavin Cecchini and Wilmer Flores would be the leading candidates to start at shortstop.

Marte appears to be in line to open the year as the Diamondbacks' primary second baseman and backup shortstop, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks appear inclined to favor defense to offense, which is why Nick Ahmed is the frontrunner to be the primary shortstop, while Chris Owings and Daniel Descalso appear poised to serve as utility options. Marte was a plus defender at shortstop last season, so he figures to be one of the game's best defensive second basemen. He has the speed to be more of a threat on the bases than he was last year (13 stolen-base attempts between Triple-A and MLB), and a lot of his fantasy value hinges on him being more aggressive in that regard. Marte is a good bet to improve on the .260 average he posted last season -- most projection systems have him hitting above .280. While he posted a .514 slugging percentage in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, it's unlikely that he reaches double-digit home runs, even with a full season's worth of MLB at-bats.

Chavis (oblique) took grounders and a few dry swings Tuesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Chavis is working his way back from an oblique injury suffered in late February and is out indefinitely. He's now at least back on the field but has yet to take proper batting practice, so he is still a ways away from returning to game action.

Forsythe is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Forsythe had been out since Wednesday with an illness. He'll have plenty of time to get his at-bats in before Opening Day and is expected to be the Dodgers' primary second baseman.