MLB Player News

Robinson's roster spot may be in jeopardy, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

After presumed everyday left fielder Willie Calhoun was sent to the minors, the assumption was that Robinson would platoon with Ryan Rua at the position, with Robinson, the left-hander, receiving the bulk of the playing time. It now appears that the Rangers are considering giving Ryan Rua an everyday role. With the team also deciding to keep Rule 5 pick Carlos Tocci on the roster, Robinson could open the year in the minors. The 25-year-old has spent parts of the past four years at the Triple-A level and had a 123 wRC+ there last year, so he would seem to have little left to prove.

Segura is expected to play in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Segura has been dealing with a sore thumb recently, but the issue was never thought to be anything that would keep him sidelined for an extended period. He's expected to hit in the cage Thursday, and if everything goes as planned, he'll be cleared to return to exhibition play over the weekend. Barring any setbacks, Segura should be ready to go by the start of the season.

Valencia (calf) entered Thursday's game at third base in the second inning, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

The Orioles didn't seem to be too concerned over Valencia's status after he missed a couple games earlier this week due to calf soreness, and it appears as though he should be at 100 percent prior to Opening Day. Over 130 games with the Mariners last season, Valencia hit .256/.314/.411 with 15 home runs and 66 RBI.

Urshela (hamstring) will likely begin the season on the major-league disabled list, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

News broke Wednesday that the infielder would likely need to miss almost two weeks of action, so it comes as little surprise that he'll start the season on the disabled list. This move does keep the door open for a major-league roster spot once he's healthy, though. In his absence, Erik Gonzalez is expected to open the season in the majors.

Davis and Tyler White will accompany the Astros back home to Houston next week for two exhibition games against the Brewers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Davis and White are locked in a battle for the final roster spot, and a decision will be rendered following the conclusion of those two games. The spot is available because first baseman Yulieski Gurriel is recovering from a hand injury and will serve a five-game suspension upon his return. From a pure numbers standpoint, Davis (three HR, 1.019 OPS) has had the better spring, but White has more MLB experience on his resume. Either way, fantasy owners should understand this will be a temporary assignment, likely ending mid-to-late April, and the eventual winner will get limited plate appearances.

Urshela is expected to miss 10-to-14 days after being diagnosed with a right hamstring strain, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.

It's good to hear that Urshela isn't expected to miss an extended period of time, but it means that he likely won't be ready for the start of the regular season. The injury comes at a bad time for Urshela, as he produced a 1.369 OPS in 18 games this spring. Erik Gonzalez figures to grab the reserve infielder role.

Segura will not play Wednesday due to a sore thumb, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Manager Scott Servais said that he expects Segura to be back in the lineup within the next couple days. Barring any sort of setback, the shortstop should be fully healthy by the time Opening Day rolls around against Cleveland.

Plouffe will not make the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Plouffe is expected to mull over his options in the coming days, which include requesting a release from the organization in order to pursue a major-league spot with another club. Earlier this spring, Plouffe said that he wouldn't accept a minor-league assignment. The 31-year-old was also removed from Wednesday's Cactus League lineup after news of his exclusion from the Opening Day roster broke. Expect a decision on his part in the coming days.

Devers went 2-for-2 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's game against the Pirates.

There's no doubting Devers will hit in the majors. He's mashed spring pitching, slugging .735 with three homers, three doubles, a triple and eight RBI over 43 at-bats. The long-term question about Devers is his defense, and if he can prevent a move to designated hitter or first base. He showed off his improving skills a couple of times Tuesday, something manager Alex Cora attributed to him being in better position before the ball is hit. "Well, [last season] the ball was getting to the hitting zone and he was in the air," Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "You have to have your feet on the ground. Just like a sprinter. You have to be on the ground and you go. It got to the point that he was late, reacting late and he was always getting that in-between hop."

Alvarez's chances of cracking the Orioles' Opening Day roster improved with Mark Trumbo (quadriceps) expected to open the season on the disabled list, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Trumbo is projected to serve as the Orioles' primary designated hitter this season, so if the team is looking for another power-minded bat to fill in while he's likely sidelined through early-to-mid April, Alvarez may make for a more attractive alternative than Danny Valencia, Craig Gentry or Alex Presley, who are also jockeying for bench roles. Alvarez's defensive shortcomings are well known, so if he opens the season with the big club, it's difficult to envision him sticking around for long once Trumbo returns. Alvarez, who spent the bulk of the 2017 campaign at Triple-A Norfolk and slugged 26 home runs and 31 doubles across 595 plate appearances, has gone 10-for-42 at the dish with three extra-base knocks this spring.