MLB Player News

Polanco (knee) will begin the 2023 season on the injured list, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

It seemed to be pointing in this direction, but it's now official that Polanco won't be ready for the start of the 2023 season. The 29-year-old missed the final month of 2022 with a knee injury, and his progress stalled in the Grapefruit League. Polanco will miss at least the first few weeks of the season, and he will likely return to a regular role with the club at some point in April.

Donovan will spent time in the leadoff spot for the Cardinals this season, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol on Wednesday wouldn't commit to any lineup spots beyond Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras as his 3-4-5 hitters, but it's expected that Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman will get looks at the top of the order. It could be Donovan and Nootbaar in the top two spots against right-handers, although Tyler O'Neill also seems to be in the mix for the No. 2 spot. Donovan's on-base skills make him a natural fit at leadoff, and he's shown more pop this spring after re-tooling his stance.

The Astros announced Altuve underwent right thumb surgery Wednesday in Houston and general manager Dana Brown confirmed the second baseman won't be able to resume baseball activities for two months, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve fractured the thumb after he was hit by a pitch Saturday while playing for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. With the infielder likely out through the end of May and possibly the early part of June while he rehabs from surgery, David Hensley and Mauricio Dubon are expected to serve as the Astros' primary options at second base.

Westburg is batting .308 with a home run, four RBI and seven runs scored through 16 Grapefruit League games.

Westburg has also posted a 2:12 BB:K, but his five extra-base hits in 39 at-bats have made him stand out in camp. The 24-year-old split last year between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a combined .261/.353/.491 slash line with 27 home runs, 105 RBI, 95 runs scored and 12 stolen bases across 138 games. Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports that teammates and coaches consider Westburg a consistent player. If he can continue to show that trait at Triple-A this season, he could be in line for his major-league debut some time this summer.

Drury (calf) is back in the Angels' Cactus League lineup Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Drury hasn't played since last Friday due to a sore calf as a result of fouling a ball off the area, but he's fine. The 30-year-old is at first base and batting second against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Urias hit a three-run homer during Monday's 6-5 loss for Team Mexico to Team Japan in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.

Urias swatted the homer with two runners aboard off an otherwise impressive Roki Sasaki to give Mexico a 3-0 lead in the fourth. The infielder played well in the tournament with a .278/.381/.444 slash with a homer and four RBI. With Mexico now eliminated, he'll head back to Arizona. He's expected to be a regular for the Brewers during the 2023 campaign.

Clement was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Monday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Clement was signed to a minor-league deal last week, and the former Cleveland and Oakland infielder will provide organizational depth for the Blue Jays; likely at the Triple-A level.

The Mariners reassigned Wong to minor-league camp Monday.

Despite offering multi-position versatility in addition to possessing 39 games' worth of prior MLB experience, Wong never looked to be a serious threat to make the Mariners' Opening Day roster. Wong stole 41 bases in 47 attempts at Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization in 2022, but he otherwise struggled at the dish (.670 OPS over 565 plate appearances) while playing in hitter-friendly parks in the Pacific Coast League. He'll likely head to Triple-A Tacoma to begin his time in the Seattle organization.

Donovan is hitting .325 (13-for-40) with a team-leading four home runs over 14 Grapefruit League games.

Donovan's value to the Cardinals comes as a utility man, but his spring play should serve to get him an everyday role in the lineup to begin the season. He's the projected starter at second base, especially with Tommy Edman needed at shortstop to cover for the injured Paul DeJong (back). Donovan hit well as a rookie last year, slashing .281/.394/.379 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 64 runs scored and two stolen bases over 126 contests. With his versatility, he should remain in the mix for a starting role even if his hitting drops a bit.

Marte went 1-for-4 with a double in Sunday's spring game against Kansas City.

This was Marte's first game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, where he played for Team Dominican Republic. He had a couple of hard-hit balls, including the double and a 105.8 mph lineout to center field, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Marte had been slumping prior to playing in the WBC, so perhaps the hard-hit balls are a sign his swing has come around.