MLB Player News

Estrada has gone 3-for-12 over four Cactus League games.

While the Giants' infield is getting crowded after Friday's signing of Matt Chapman, there's little reason to think Estrada is in danger of losing his starting job at the keystone. Estrada hit .271 with a .731 OPS, 14 home runs, 23 stolen bases, 49 RBI and 63 runs scored over 120 contests last year. With a little more pop in the Giants' lineup, his counting stats could rise if he stays in the top half of the order.

Julien worked in the offseason to limit his front shoulder from flying open during swings against lefties, the Bobby Nightingale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "I changed a couple of things in my swing to adjust to the slider and be able to hit the fastball against lefties," he said earlier this week. He's 6-for-10 with a walk in four games this spring and 2-for-5 against left-handed pitching. He went 2-for-3 with a home run in Friday's Grapefruit League win over Boston.

Julien had an outstanding rookie season with a .381 OBP and drew walks at a near league-leading 15.7 percent clip. However, he hit just .195 with a .447 OPS against left-handed pitching. Julien will become the primary starter at second base after the trade of Jorge Polanco but will likely be platooned with Kyle Farmer. If Julien can show improvement against left-handed pitching, he could take over everyday duties.

Gonzales went 2-for-3, hitting one double and scoring once in Pittsburgh's 9-8 loss to Baltimore on Thursday.

Gonzalez is in a fierce competition for one of the final spots on the Opening Day roster, as the 2020 first-round pick is battling with Liover Peguero and Ji Hwan Bae for a utility infield job. Through a handful of spring-training at-bats, he's hitting .300, but he'll need to consistently maintain success after hitting just .209 last season across 35 games.

Turang went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in Milwaukee's 7-5 loss against Texas on Thursday.

Turang is slated to be the Opening Day second baseman, though it's possible Milwaukee could go with other options depending on if his bat remains an issue (.218 batting average across 404 plate appearances in 2023). That the 24-year-old is hitting .375 on an admittedly small three-game spring training sample size is encouraging, however. Turang's plus glove will likely afford him ample leeway, but it's possible Joey Ortiz, Owen Miller or Andruw Monasterio could play more if the hitting woes really drag into the new season.

Fermin went 3-for-3 in Friday's Grapefruit League win over the Mets.

Fermin's big game has him hitting .385 (5-for-13) over six spring games. The 24-year-old projects as a utility infielder if he makes the Cardinals' big-league roster out of camp. Fermin had limited success last year, batting .235 with a .594 OPS across 61 plate appearances. With established options at most, if not all, of the infield positions, Fermin's playing time is unlikely to be significant barring injuries to other players.

Castro signed a contract with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican Baseball League on Wednesday.

The six-year major-league veteran spent last season with the Rockies, slashing just .252/.275/.314. Castro, 30, is a career .278 hitter and can play all over the field, but that evidently wasn't enough to garner much interest from big-league clubs.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Friday that Norby (side) is 3-to-4 days away from his Grapefruit League debut, Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Norby had previously expressed optimism that he would be ready for game action this weekend, but he's not quite ready for that yet. The 23-year-old could still have time to get ramped up for Opening Day, but he's expected to begin the season back at Triple-A Norfolk.

Urias (shoulder) will do some throwing in infield drills Friday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

He will still be somewhat limited, but it's a step forward as he works his way back from right shoulder inflammation. Urias is still serving as a designated hitter in Cactus League games -- he went 1-for-2 with a triple and a run against the White Sox in that capacity Thursday -- but he will probably require an injured list stint if he's not able to play the field by Opening Day.

Bote went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Rockies.

Bote now has two home runs, four RBI and a 1.317 OPS across six Cactus League games. The veteran utility man spent last season with Triple-A Iowa, where he clubbed 14 long balls and posted an .811 OPS across 99 contests. With the Cubs adding depth to the infield in recent years, Bote seems to be on the outside looking in for a roster spot, though he does give the team an experienced depth option.

Villar will play in his fifth Cactus League game of the spring Thursday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Villar is getting plenty of playing time so far, and he's gone 2-for-7 with a pair of doubles and a run scored over his first four spring games. The 27-year-old is projected for a utility role if he makes the major-league roster out of camp. That said, he has no clear path to playing time with more established options at both corner infield spots and second base, his three most likely positions. Villar also bats right-handed, as are all but two (LaMonte Wade and Brett Wisely) of the Giants' infield options, so there's not much chance of Villar earning a favorable platoon situation.