MLB Player News

Arroyo was asked if the Giants approached him regarding playing in the outfield to shorten his path to the majors, and he said that they have not, CSN Bay Area reports.

This was a move that the Giants were considering making last year in an effort to open up a path to majors for their top hitting prospect. It never came to fruition then, and it doesn't sound like the club is considering it now either. Arroyo is currently blocked from an everyday role in the majors with Eduardo Nunez manning third and Brandon Crawford at short. The best shot at cracking the 25-man roster this year would be in left field, but the Giants would certainly feel more comfortable starting one of the two natural outfielders (Jarrett Parker or Mac Williamson) in left, rather than rush Arroyo into a role he hasn't had much experience in. Injuries could always open up a spot for the young infielder, but assuming good health, a 2018 debut seems more likely.

Manager Andy Green said Solarte will get work as a second baseman when he returns from the World Baseball Classic, adding that he is considering starting him there to begin the regular season, The San Diego Union Tribune reports.

It was initially thought that Solarte would start the season at third base, the position at which he played the majority of his games last season (89 of 104 starts at third in 2016). Green's comments show that he is thinking otherwise. He added that Solarte is going to be a starter this season, but he may play defensively at the keystone with the winner of the Cory Spangenberg and Ryan Schimpf battle starting at the hot corner. If Green moves forward with the aforementioned defensive layout, Solarte would stand to gain value in formats where he doesn't already have second base eligibility. His 15 homers, 71 RBI and .286 batting average met the requirements for a corner infielder in fantasy last season, but those stats at second base would inflate the 29-year-old's value, especially considering those numbers came in just 443 plate appearances.

Espinosa went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Saturday's loss to the Dodgers, bringing his Cactus League batting average down to .105 in 19 at-bats.

The Angels brought Espinosa in from Washington to help alleviate their weakness at the keystone, but he has struggled to find his groove with his new club. The 29-year-old has never been a great contact hitter, striking out at least 25 percent of the time in all seven of his major league seasons. Despite his struggles, Espinosa will start the year as the Angels' everyday second baseman. He will undoubtedly be a drag on batting average, but the switch-hitting infielder has 20-plus home run potential over the course of a whole season.

Rosario will remain in major league camp for the time being, The New York Post reports.

There's basically no chance the Mets will have their top prospect break camp on the 25-man roster, but with David Wright (shoulder) out of commission and Jose Reyes away at the WBC, the organization is using the available reps on the left side of the infield to accelerate Rosario's learning curve. "He's shown me everything that needs to be seen," manager Terry Collins said. "He hasn't hit for power in camp, but you know he's got it. He's got great hands, he's got great poise on the field and he loves to play, got great energy. He's going to be a good player." The 21-year-old is hitting .296 (8-for-27) this spring and seems poised to put up big numbers for Triple-A Las Vegas this season.

Andrus went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Saturday's game against the White Sox.

The Rangers have been taking it slow with Andrus, who underwent surgery for a sports hernia last November and hadn't been on a field until Saturday's game. He'll continue to work on his timing and build toward Opening Day.

Marte went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his first game back from an illness Saturday.

The 23-year-old returned from a four-day absence and dropped his average below the Mendoza Line on the spring. Marte's struggling bat isn't helping his case for either of the two middle-infield spots, which currently belong to Chris Owings and Brandon Drury. If he is able to get on base closer to his 2015 clip with Seattle (.351 OBP), he could start to challenge Owings for the starting job at some point this season.

Manager Terry Francona said Mathias suffered a dislocated left shoulder in Saturday's game, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

This doesn't come as too much of a surprise for Mathias, who was carted off the field with an arm injury. No timetable has been set for his return, but it's expected that the 22-year-old will miss extended time with the injury.

Mathias was carted off the field Saturday with an injury he sustained while diving to make a catch, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

Hoynes also noted the trainers were keeping his arm stable as they were carting him off, so it seems likely that is where he sustained the injury. The severity still isn't known, but his status will be updated when the Indians release more about his injury.

Andrus will start at shortstop and bat second in Saturday's Cactus League game, his first of the spring.

Andrus has been easing back into action this spring after undergoing sports hernia surgery during the offseason, but his long-awaited return appears to have arrived. Nonetheless, with less than a month until Opening Day, fantasy owners would be wise to monitor how he responds in his first action of the spring. Andrus is looking to build off a stellar 2016 campaign in which he posted career highs in both batting average (.302) and RBI (69).

Diaz will spend time at both second base and shortstop this season, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Although he was signed as a shortstop, the 20-year-old split time between second base and shortstop last season as well. In 587 plate appearances with Low-A Wisconsin last year, Diaz slashed .264/.358/.469. while hitting 20 home runs. He'll look to showcase that same power potential with High-A Carolina, where he is expected to start the season.