MLB Player News

Albies got the start at second base and hit leadoff in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, going 1-for-2 with a walk and his first stolen base of the spring.

His late start to the exhibition schedule while he recovered from last season's broken elbow hasn't phased him at all, as Albies is hitting .364 with a .533 OBP in 11 at-bats, walking three times without striking out, and Friday's hit came off 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel. Albies just turned 20 in January and will begin the season with Triple-A Gwinnett, but given his talent and advanced feel for hitting, don't expect him to end it there.

Motter went 2-for-3 with an RBI on a fielder's choice and another on a double in Thursday's 9-2 Cactus League victory over the Royals. He also scored once and walked.

Motter raised his spring average to .321 with the performance, which also marked his second two-RBI game over the last three. The versatile 27-year-old is standing out with his efforts at the plate in recent games, and his offense, if it endures, could help him gain separation from Shawn O'Malley and Mike Freeman, fellow candidates for a utility role.

Barreto was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Friday.

Barreto is still the best of Oakland's prospects, but he wasn't able to do enough to convince the Athletics to forego an extra year of control and bring him up with the big club. The Athletics will stick with Marcus Semien and Jed Lowrie up the middle for now, but expect Barreto to be the man at one of those two positions for the A's in the very near future.

Semien left Friday's Cactus League game after being hit by a pitch on the left elbow, Joe Stiglich of CSN California reports.

The report noted that while Semien left the game, he stayed in the dugout, which would suggest his removal was largely precautionary. There's a chance the A's could send Semien for an X-ray in the coming days if there's some lingering soreness, but the fact that they didn't send him for one immediately is encouraging.

Polanco went 1-for-3 with his third home run of the spring in Friday's win over Tampa Bay.

Poloanco is hitting .226 (7-for-31) this spring but has six extra-base hits. He made three errors early in the spring at shortstop, but has been steadier in the field. He looks set to begin the season as the starting shortstop as there's been no talk of Eduardo Escobar challenging for the job.

Bostick was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 23-year-old was acquired from the Phillies last year after he was designated for assignment. He's hitting well in spring, slashing .304/.467/.478 in 23 at-bats so far, but the Pirates are too deep at second base for Bostick to threaten the lineup, so he'll likely spend the year at Triple-A.

Young was reassigned to minor league camp Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Young has continued to impress with his bat this spring, slashing .364/.391/.500 in 30 at-bats so far, but with the likes of Addison Russell and Javier Baez blocking him at the major league level, it seems he'll likely spend the year at Triple-A Iowa.

Herrera (shoulder) will be sent to the Reds' minor league camp, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The move signals that the second baseman is still unable to throw and will continue to be limited to a DH role moving forward. Pitchers begin seeing at-bats this coming weekend, so he would likely see more playing opportunities at a lower level. Despite the early setback, look for Herrera to be in the running for major league action at some point later this season.

Kemp has gone 9-for-28 with two doubles, three RBI and one stolen base (three attempts) through 15 spring games.

He's been filling in at second base frequently with Jose Altuve away competing in the WBC, making 14 appearances at the keystone compared to just three in the outfield. Kemp primarily played left field with the Astros last season, but the team decided to have Kemp focus his efforts in the infield this spring with the additions of Josh Reddick, Carlos Beltran and Nori Aoki over the winter. Kemp is expected to open the season at Triple-A Fresno.

Manager Dave Roberts said that Hernandez's participation in the World Baseball Classic will not affect his chances to make the Dodgers Opening Day roster, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

Hernandez left Dodgers camp last week to join Team Puerto Rico in the 2017 WBC. His time away may actually help his case to make the roster after he went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in Sunday's win over Team Italy. Hernandez is currently competing for one of the Dodgers final utility spots. His ability to play both the infield and the outfield makes him a favorite to make the club.