MLB Player News

Andrus (groin) faced live batting practice on practice fields of Rangers camp Thursday, Stefan Stevenson of the Star-Telegram reports.

Stevenson posted a video of Andrus taking hacks. It coincides with reports that the shortstop would be turning up the dial on his preseason exercises, and the speedster should return to game action this weekend. Of course, considering he's drafted mainly for stolen bases, his showing on the basepaths will go a long way to confirm the veteran's safety for mixed fantasy drafts.

Andrus (groin) is expected to increase his baseball activities and play in a spring game this weekend, Stefan Stevenson of the Star-Telegram reports.

The shortstop has only built up his work gradually this spring after November surgery to repair a sports hernia. How he responds in his first March games should go a long way to revealing how safely fantasy owners can buy him as a source of steals in mixed league drafts.

Marte was scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to illness, the Arizona Republic reports.

All signs point to Marte beginning the season as a backup to Chris Owings and Brandon Drury at the two middle-infield spots. Through seven games this spring, Marte is 4-for-18 (.222) with a homer, four RBI and a 3:1 BB:K mark. If he can show signs of getting on base at a clip closer to his 2015 level in Seattle, Marte can become a threat to overtake Owings for the starting job at short at some point this season.

Herrera (shoulder) has resumed throwing activities but is still limited to being the designated hitter, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Herrera was held back from throwing early in camp due to soreness in his right shoulder, but he has since resumed his throwing program. He has DH'd in eight games so far, which is promising for the once-heralded Mets prospect, but manager Bryan Price noted "It'll probably still be a little while. I couldn't even put a timetable on it." It could be another couple weeks before he is back at second base, which could eventually hurt his chances at making the roster out of camp.

Albies (elbow) has been cleared by doctors and will start at second base in Thursday's exhibition, 680 The Fan's Kevin McAlpin reports.

He missed the start of Grapefruit League play as he was still working his way back from elbow surgery, but will be able to return in time to make a strong impression on the big league coaching staff. Albies is a uniquely advanced hitter for a 20-year-old, and should make his big league debut later this season. He has the speed to steal 20-plus bases annually, but is unlikely to ever hit double-digit homers in a season.

Forsythe led off and went 2-for-3 with an RBI in Tuesday's spring training loss to the Giants.

Forsythe led off against the left-handed Matt Moore, a role he is likely to serve in during the regular season. It is unclear if manager Dave Roberts will bat Forsythe atop the order against righties, but the veteran second baseman is making his case with four hits in nine plate appearances against righties this spring. We should get a better idea of what Roberts' batting orders will look like as we get closer to the regular season, but Forsythe will have value wherever he bats in what looks to be a loaded Dodgers lineup.

Semien went 3-for-3 with a pair of run-scoring singles, an RBI double, a run and a stolen base in Tuesday's 21-13 Cactus League win over the Diamondbacks.

Semien now has a team-high seven RBI and is slashing .333/.333/.611 over 18 at-bats. Based on early returns, the 26-year-old appears primed to build on a 2016 campaign in which he posted a career-high 27 homers and 75 RBI while boasting a personal-best .611 slugging percentage and .197 ISO.

Albies (elbow) is expected to make his first appearance of the spring sometime this week, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Although Albies was originally slated to return to action Tuesday, his spring debut was pushed back due to a scheduling issue with his doctor, and not due to any lingering issues with the prospect's elbow. "I was going to play him (Tuesday)," manager Brian Snitker said. "He's ready. He's doing good. It's just that in the protocol of how they do things, they want to see you one more time before they turn you loose." The 20-year-old should be cleared by a doctor and ready to see his first action of spring within the week.

Solarte went 2-for-4 with a double, a pair of RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Monday's spring training win over the White Sox.

Solarte's bat finally woke up after starting Cactus League action in a 1-for-15 slump. He has already locked down an everyday role with the club, so there isn't much for him to prove during exhibition play. The 28-year-old put up career numbers as the Padres starting third baseman last year, slashing .286/.341/.467 with 15 homers and 71 RBI in 443 plate appearances. He could have sneaky mixed-league value if he can repeat last year's success while receiving north of 550 plate appearances.

Motter went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs and a walk in Monday's 9-0 Cactus League victory over the Rangers.

Motter went deep for the first time this spring with a third-inning blast to center off A.J. Griffin. In his initial exposure to major league pitching last season with the Rays, the 27-year-old utlity man slashed just .188/.290./300 with three doubles, two homers and nine RBI. However, he barely registered a blip on the bases, a notable development considering Motter had swiped 127 bags over five-plus minor league seasons. Motter is currently battling Shawn O'Malley and Mike Freeman for a utility role, with his considerable versatility -- he played every position except catcher and center field last season -- enhancing his appeal. He'll presumably need to demonstrate improvement at the plate to ultimately prevail in the three-man race, and O'Malley (.333/.400./333 over 18 at-bats) has jumped out to an early advantage in that respect. Nevertheless, the Mariners see upside in Motter's past body of work, which includes 27 homers over 215 games at the Triple-A level. "You see it in batting practice," manager Scott Servais said of Motter's punch. "Sometimes with Taylor, it's working into good counts and getting good pitches to hit. He does have sneaky power. You look at him and don't really think it's there, but he can drive the ball."