MLB Player News

General manager Mike Hazen suggested Drury is very much in the team's plans for 2017 but he may not have a set defensive position to begin the year, the Arizona Republic reports. "I think more than anything else when you have a hitter of that caliber you want to find him at-bats," Hazen said. "It's a similar situation to what we had with Brock Holt in Boston. You find a way to get him on the field. That's of the most critical importance, getting him in the lineup. The defensive position becomes secondary."

Drury saw time at first base, second base, third, left field and right field in 2016, and it sounds like he could fill a similar super-utility role to begin 2017. After a strong first two months of the season, Drury struggled in June and July but bounced back and finished with a very strong .282/.329/.458 batting line and 16 homers in 461 total at-bats. Hazen said improving his outfield defense will be a priority for the 24-year-old Drury this winter.

Andrus underwent surgery for a sports hernia Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The timeframe for Andrus' recovery is expected to be approximately six weeks, so there's no reason to believe that he won't be ready once spring training rolls around. This comes as fantastic news due to the fact that Andrus had a standout 2016 season that culminated in a .302/.362/.439 line to go with a career-high 69 RBI.

Elmore was outrighted to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Friday.

The Brewers' 40-man roster now stands at 37 after several players were bumped Friday, including Elmore. He got on base at a strong .371 clip in 59 games with Milwaukee in 2016 and is a versatile defender, but Elmore turns 30 next year and seems destined to play out his career as organizational depth.

Dubon is making his outfield debut in the Arizona Fall League, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

All of Dubon's 123 minor-league games this past year were at shortstop, but the Red Sox, understanding the infield logjam with Xander Bogaerts at that position in Boston, are looking for Dubon to learn a new position. He's considered one of Boston's top prospects after hitting a combined .323/.379/.461/.840 in stops at High-A Salem and Double-A Portland.

Hernandez will be added to the Dodgers' roster for the NLCS, and is expected to start Saturday in Game 1 versus the Cubs, Buster Onley of ESPN reports.

Although Hernandez made frequent starts during the regular season, he did not make the Dodgers' NLDS roster. He will face off against Cubs' starter Jon Lester on Saturday. The Dodgers are likely looking to put a right-handed batter at the plate to matchup with the shouthpaw. Hernandez slashed just .189/.308/.361 versus lefties this season. He's also gone 3-for-12 with a home run, triple, and three RBI against Lester in his career.

Merrifield is among the candidates being considered for the Royals' second base job in 2017, the Kansas City Star reports.

The Royals will likely face significant financial restrictions in their bid to upgrade the roster this winter, leaving second base as a position where internal options may have an open competition for the starting job in spring training. In addition to Merrifield, the Royals are considering Cheslor Cuthbert, Christian Colon, and Raul Mondesi for the job. Merrifield hit .283/.323/.392 with two homers and eight steals in 81 games, but he seems better suited for a part-time role as he'll turn 28 in January.

Hernandez did not make the Dodgers' NLDS roster, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

Hernandez made frequent starts for the Dodgers during the regular season, especially against left-handed pitchers. However, his numbers were terribly underwhelming. Over 109 games, he posted a bleak line of .190/.283/.324 and struck out in 26 percent of his at-bats. While the Dodgers play their series against the Nationals, Hernandez will participate in workouts in Arizona and remain an option for the NLCS, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Drury went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Padres.

Drury's third and final hit was a game-tying homer with two outs in the eighth, setting Arizona up for a walkoff win in the ninth. Drury was excellent over the season's final month, batting .357/.417/.633 with six home runs and 19 RBI from Sept. 2 onward. The 24-year-old finishes his rookie season with a solid .282/.329/.458 slash line to go along with 31 doubles, 16 homers and 53 RBI in 499 plate appearances.

Franklin is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers.

The versatile Franklin has kept himself in the lineup for much of the final month of the season because of his ability to play multiple positions. However, he'll hit the bench in Game 162 after falling into a 3-for-20 slump at the plate dating back to Sept. 15.

Marte is not in Sunday's lineup against Oakland, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Over the last two games, Marte has gone 0-for-6 with two strikeouts. Shawn O'Malley will start at shortstop for Seattle's final game of the season while Marte heads to the bench.