MLB Player News

Rosario got the start at shortstop during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, going 2-for-3.

He's hitting a tidy .364 (4-for-11) to begin the spring, as Rosario looks to build on his breakout 2016 minor league campaign. The Mets' top prospect, and the No. 14 overall fantasy prospect in RotoWire's rankings, will begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas and could easily make his big league debut as a 21-year-old at some point this year.

Elmore, a non-roster invitee, is a legitimate contender for an Opening Day roster spot, Corey Long of MLB.com reports.

Elmore's ability to play several different positions has been attractive to the Blue Jays' coaching staff this spring. Manager John Gibbons said there's a lot of value in players like Elmore, who can sit for extended periods and be ready to fill holes in the lineup on short notice. Over his five MLB seasons, Elmore has played all nine defensive positions and logged at-bats from every spot in the order. The versatile 29-year-old has tallied 257 plate appearances over his last two campaigns with Tampa and Milwaukee, but his offensive numbers are brutal. If added to the 25-man roster, Elmore will be a defensive choice and therefore lack fantasy value -- regardless of format.

Semien went 1-for-3 with two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-4 Cactus League victory over the Indians.

The slugging shortstop took a Mike Clevinger pitch deep to right field with Jed Lowrie aboard in the first, his first homer of the spring. Despite a drop in batting average and OBP over the previous year, Semien exploded for a career-high 27 doubles, 27 homers and 75 RBI last season, which led to .435 slugging and .735 OPS figures that also represented high-water marks. His homer Tuesday served as his second hit over three spring contests, while also generating his first pair of RBI.

Franklin went 2-for-2 with a double, walk and run in Monday's 7-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies.

The Rays' utility man extraordinaire was on base in all three of his plate appearances while hitting out of the two-hole Monday. Franklin backed up every infield position except third and also saw time at both corner outfield spots and DH last season, essentially rendering him indispensable. He'll look to build on his 2016 career-best line of .270/.328/.443 in the coming campaign, although the extent of his opportunity is difficult to gauge this early.

Altuve went 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's game against the Mets.

Altuve slotted in at third in the batting order and made the type of offensive impact we've come to expect from the perennial All Star. Last season's third-place finisher in the MVP vote shifted from his customary leadoff role to third in the order mid-season, leading to a career-high 96 RBI. Whether last year's power stroke (.531 slugging percentage, 24 homers) is here to stay, Altuve should reach 100 RBI while batting third in a lineup that will be much more potent offensively than its 2016 version.

Herrera (shoulder) resumed his throwing program Monday by playing light catch, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The shoulder inflammation has kept Herrera from being able to play the field, but the soon-to-be 23-year-old has DH'd twice in four games this spring for Cincinnati, which is reassuring. It still remains unclear when he'll return to the field, but the Reds seem to be playing it safe with Herrera, who is sitting out the WBC because of the issue. "I'm going to keep DHing him, and we're going to make sure that when he's throwing, he's throwing at 100 percent before I put him at second base," manager Bryan Price said.

Motter (back) will play second base and bat seventh in the lineup in Monday's Cactus League game against the Royals, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Motter was sidelined for a few days of camp with a sore back, but his return to the lineup Monday suggests it was only a minor issue. The 27-year-old is expected to vie for a utility role with the Mariners during spring training, primarily competing with Shawn O'Malley for those duties.

Young put together a strong performance in the Dominican Winter League during the offseason, MLB.com reports.

Young, a top-20 prospect for the Cubs, batted .351 in 22 regular-season games, then hit .314 in the DWL playoffs. The 24-year-old middle infielder has been solid with the bat since being drafted in 2014 and he should begin the year at Triple-A, but the likes of Addison Russell and Javier Baez are blocking him at the MLB level.

Frazier was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles due to left thumb discomfort, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

It's likely only a minor issue for Frazier, who is projected to serve this season in the utility role that Sean Rodriguez filled for the Pirates in 2016. Frazier slashed .301/.356/.411 across 160 plate appearances as a rookie.

Frazier is taking reps at shortstop as the primary backup for starter Jordy Mercer, DKPittsburghSports reports.

With Jung Ho Kang's status questionable for the start of 2017, Frazier is breaking out his old shortstop glove. He came up through the minors at that position until 2015. Frazier is also the team's fourth outfielder and backup at second base and third. In other words, the second-year player is expected to see plenty of time all over the diamond. He slashed .301/.356/.411 in 160 plate appearances as a rookie and batted .299 in parts of four minor league seasons. Unfortunately, he only played 20-plus games in the outfield for Pittsburgh last season but will increase that versatility soon after the year begins.