MLB Player News

Longoria (illness) missed a second straight day of workouts Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Although he made an appearance in the clubhouse, Longoria was subsequently sent home due to the high fever he still was saddled with. He remains firmly day-to-day, and his availability for Friday's Grapefuit League opener would get murkier with each additional day he's sidelined.

Moustakas (knee) has been participating in spring training workouts.

Heading into spring training, Moustakas said that he felt as though he was nearing full health after tearing his ACL early in the 2016 campaign. He'd indicated that the club was going to gradually ease him back over the course of their early workouts, but all signs point to the 28-year-old third baseman being ready for action once Opening Day rolls around.

Duffy (heel), who is being brought along slowly after September surgery, tracked pitches Monday and may participate in his first batting practice session Tuesday, Marc Topkin of Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash has already declared that he may hold Duffy out of early spring training games, and the recovering shortstop is also being brought along slowly in workouts. Batting practice would represent another notable step in Duffy's progress towards being fully prepared for the rigors of manning shortstop on an everyday basis in the coming season.

Longoria (illness) missed Monday's workout, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Longoria, who'd attended a season-ticket holder event in Tampa on Sunday, communicated to manager Kevin Cash that he had been ill throughout the night with a fever. All details point to the third baseman being back in action in the near future, although it's possible his absence could extend into Tuesday.

Duffy (heel) could be held out of early spring training games according to manager Kevin Cash, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 26-year-old shortstop will be a pivotal piece of the Rays infield in the coming season, so the team may unsurprisingly tread carefully with him early on. Duffy appeared in 21 games for Tampa last season after coming over at the trade deadline from San Francisco, slashing .258/.310/.357 with 14 doubles, two triples, five homers and 28 RBI over a combined 366 plate appearances.

Donaldson (calf) announced on Sunday that he expects to miss two or three weeks of spring training due to his recent calf strain, John Lott of The Athletic reports.

Donaldson tweaked his calf while running on Friday, but the general perception around camp was that the injury wasn't too serious. The Blue Jays will likely take a very cautious approach to the injury, and that could explain the two to three week timetable. It appears that Donaldson expects to be ready for Opening Day, but the situation is worth monitoring.

Moncada is expected to start the 2017 season at Triple-A Charlotte, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

Moncada got a taste of the major leagues last season for Boston, an eight-game stint that proved he needs more seasoning, so Triple-A is the most likely landing spot for the organization's top prospect. The 21-year-old second baseman learned from his brief stint with the Red Sox, in which he struck out in his final nine at-bats. "I learned that you have to be open to making adjustments because this is the best baseball in the world and you're going to face the best of the best," Moncada said through a translator. "You have to be open to get some advice and to apply it. That was the most important thing that I learned in my time in the majors." It looks like Moncada will practicing those adjustments for the Knights to start the 2017 season.

Longoria, who hit a career-high 36 homers in 2016, did a lot less hitting this offseason than in years past, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Instead, the veteran third baseman opted for a heavy dose of pilates alongside his wife, and feels the reduced workload this offseason was natural byproduct of him shortening his swing last season. Considering the standout campaign he enjoyed, that adjustment paid considerable dividends. Longoria remarked that his swing "has probably felt as good as it's ever felt coming into spring" and is excited about the upcoming season, despite the fact he'll no longer have close friend and former teammate Logan Forsythe in the clubhouse. "I think we were all a little bit upset by the loss of Logan, I was about as vocal as I've ever been on any given topic or move that we've made, but that being said some of the additions we did make are really good.''

Donaldson was diagnosed with a strained right calf Saturday.

He felt a small tweak in his calf earlier Saturday, and although the Blue Jays were never really worried, he was sent for a precautionary MRI. He dealt with a similar injury at the beginning of last year and didn't miss any time due to it, and it seems the same will be true this time around. He'll be treated and evaluated daily, but he's expected to be ready to start the season.

Donaldson was sent to have an MRI after he felt something in his calf Saturday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

He skipped his first workout Saturday after he felt "a small tweak" in his calf while running, prompting Toronto to send him for an MRI. We won't know how serious it is until the results are back, but general manager Ross Atkins felt positive about it. Donaldson strained his calf in the Blue Jays' fourth game last year, but didn't miss any games with the injury, playing in 155 total contests for the year.