MLB Player News

Robinson has earned a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Robinson slashed .250/.360/.484 with four home runs and 12 RBI across 64 at-bats this spring, earning himself a season-opening bench spot with the Rangers. The 24-year-old has never appeared in the majors but has shown solid power potential in the minors, launching 20 homers and posting a .480 slugging percentage at Triple-A Round Rock in 2016.

Plouffe (groin) went 0-for-3 against the Giants on Friday.

Plouffe was swinging a hot bat before a minor groin strain forced him to miss a week of action, as the 30-year-old was 8-for-11 in the four games leading up to Friday. He's back in the lineup again Saturday, so barring any setbacks it appears Plouffe will be ready to go for Opening Day.

Asche has made the White Sox's Opening Day roster, Colleen Kane of The Chicago Tribune reports.

The move may come as little surprise considering Asche's torrid spring performance. The 26-year-old slashed .289/.429/.667 with four homers and nine RBI. His versatility as both a third baseman and left fielder will earn him some playing time as a backup.

Manager Kevin Cash announced that Longoria (neck) will be in the Rays' Opening Day lineup against the Yankees on Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Longoria has dealt with some neck stiffness at different stages of spring training this year and was given the day off Friday to rest. However, the issue is not severe enough to put Longoria's status for Opening Day in jeopardy. Look for Longoria to draw into the third spot in the order for Sunday's opener against Masahiro Tanaka and the Yankees.

Asche appears to have a good chance to crack the White Sox's Opening Day roster following the removal of Giovanni Soto and Rymer Liriano from the 40-man roster, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

The 27-year-old has done everything possible to claim a spot on the South Side, posting a 1.167 OPS with four home runs to go with his nice positional versatility. Now that Liriano is out of the picture, Asche seems like the clear choice to act as the backup to Melky Cabrera in left field and Todd Frazier at the hot corner. Nothing is official yet, but things are looking up for the former Phillies prospect.

Longoria has a stiff neck and will get Friday off, though he's still set to start on Opening Day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The third baseman dealt with a similar issue when he was scratched from Grapefruit League action March 19, but while the recurrence may make fantasy owners take note, it seems to be a minor hurdle. Watch for further news on Longoria in the coming week, and perhaps he deserves a slight decrease in his draft-day price.

Urshela was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Urshela's performance this spring was fine, but wasn't deemed deserving of a spot on the 25-man roster. Over 20 games he went 11-for-41 (.268) and hit two home runs. Although he may appear in the majors throughout the upcoming season, Urshela's fantasy value will remain limited unless those ahead of him in the organization face injuries.

Alvarez will begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk, Roch Kubatko of MASN reports.

The 30-year-old slugger was a late addition to Orioles camp after signing an NRI deal earlier in March, but he certainly did his best to prove his worth by posting a .900 OPS with two home runs in eight spring games. Even though this assignment isn't the news he was looking for, Alvarez will likely find his way back to the majors if he continues to mash while proving to be a somewhat competent outfield defender during his time at Triple-A.

Manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Wednesday that he would use Bregman as his No. 2 hitter to begin the season, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman has occupied that slot in the batting order for much of the spring, so Hinch's announcement doesn't come as a major surprise. The third baseman, who will turn 23 years old Thursday, struggled out of the gate in his first exposure to big-league pitching last summer, but closed the season out on a high note, delivering a .264/.313/.478 slash line over 217 plate appearances. Bregman flashed some burgeoning pop between the minors and big leagues last season to go with his impressive hit tool, and a cushy spot in the lineup between George Springer and Jose Altuve should allow him to rack up runs in his sophomore campaign.

Chapman hit a solo home run in three at-bats during Monday's 10-3 Cactus League loss to the Royals.

On what was a disappointing day overall for the A's, Chapman provided a highlight with his third homer of spring. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a solid exhibition slate while seeing plenty of reps against big-league pitching. He'll start the 2017 season in Triple-A Nashville, where he has plenty to provide after hitting just .197 over 85 plate appearances in 2016, despite smacking seven round trippers.