MLB Player News

Plouffe (left intercostal) is making progress and could play Friday, Dave Sessions of MLB.com reports.

Plouffe was signed to a minor-league deal after a rough 2017 when he posted a .590 OPS over 100 games with Tampa Bay and Oakland. The 31-year-old infielder has fallen off pretty drastically since he hit 22 home runs and knocked in 86 runs for the Twins in 2015. At best, he hooks on as a reserve infielder with Texas.

Manager Bob Melvin said Chapman (hand) is expected to take batting practice Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman was able to resume swinging Thursday for the first time since injuring his right hand earlier in camp. The 24-year-old hit soft toss while also hitting off a tee, and apparently everything went off without a hitch. If Saturday's batting practice session goes as planned, Chapman could make his Cactus League debut shortly thereafter.

Manager Kevin Cash said that Duffy (back) could be cleared to resume working out Friday, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Duffy was scratched from the Rays' Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Orioles due to what was later revealed as a back spasm, but it doesn't sound like the team is concerned it will morph into a long-term issue for the infielder. After resting Wednesday and Thursday, Duffy will see how he feels Friday before the Rays determine whether he needs an additional day or two to recuperate or if he's able to get back on the field. Duffy is expected to open the regular season as the Rays' primary option at third base.

Burger will undergo season-ending surgery Thursday to repair a ruptured left Achilles' tendon, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox announced the diagnosis Tuesday after Burger suffered the injury while running out a grounder a day earlier in a Cactus League game against the Athletics. The 11th overall pick in last June's first-year player draft, Burger was likely looking at a deployment at Low-A Kannapolis or High-A Winston-Salem to begin the campaign, but the serious injury represents a dramatic setback to his developmental timeline.

Davis is in the mix for playing time at first base while Yulieski Gurriel (hand) is sidelined, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

The hitting prospect advanced all the way from Double-A to the majors last season and already has two homers in four games this spring. This kind of news would normally be exciting for a guy like Davis, but Gurriel isn't expected to miss more than a couple weeks of the regular season due to the timing of his surgery. Davis could see extra at-bats in the beginning of the season if he can outperform A.J. Reed and Tyler White during spring training, but his fantasy value doesn't change much unless the injury outlook for Gurriel or the any of the other Astros changes.

Candelario (knee) will play third base and bat cleanup in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

Candelario suffered a bruised left knee after colliding with Orioles pitcher Kevin Gausman in a game Monday, but the 24-year-old's presence in the lineup two days later suggests the Tigers were never too concerned about the injury. Look for Candelario to fill a full-time role at third base for the Tigers in 2018 after showing excellent plate discipline and burgeoning power during his time with the big club upon coming over from the Cubs in a trade-deadline deal last July.

Chapman (hand) has been cleared to resume swinging Thursday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Chapman continues to work his way back from an injured right hand. It's likely that the club will keep him out of spring games for a while longer until he's able to show significant progress, but this is obviously a positive development for the third baseman. Chad Pinder will receive more time at the hot corner in Chapman's absence.

Duffy said Wednesday that he's recovering from a back spasm and expects to be sidelined for "a couple days," Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy reiterated that the injury wasn't related to the heel issues that have derailed him both of the past two seasons and noted that he expects to back in the Rays' Grapefruit League lineup before long. Despite his poor track record on the health front, Duffy projects to open the season as the team's everyday third baseman, with his strong contact skills perhaps garnering him a spot near the top of the batting order.

Duffy was scratched from Tuesday's game against the Orioles due to back tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays noted Duffy's heel had nothing to do with his removal from the lineup, which is certainly encouraging seeing as a recurring heel injury kept him on the shelf all of last season. The team will likely still choose to play it safe with him given how early it is in spring training.

Duffy has been scratched from Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Christian Arroyo will step in to play third in place of Duffy, who was a late removal from the lineup for an undisclosed reason. The 27-year-old missed all of last season with a nagging heel injury, so the Rays could simply be playing it safe with him given how early on it is in camp. More specifics regarding why Duffy was scratched should become available following Tuesday's spring contest.