MLB Player News

Rendon went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

He's now hitting a snappy .438 (7-for-16) to begin the spring. Rendon was able to stay healthy in 2016 and put together a solid campaign that included a career-high 85 RBI, and if the 26-year-old has put his injury woes behind him, he has the talent -- and the lineup around him -- to take a big step forward in 2017.

Wisdom went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-2 Grapefruit League win over the Marlins.

The versatile rookie now has three homers overall after blasting a seventh-ining solo shot. Wisdom is enjoying an excellent spring, hitting .357 with a double, three RBI, two walks and six runs in 14 at-bats across 10 games. The 25-year-old slashed .233/.303/.374 with 20 doubles, one triple, five homers, 30 RBI and five stolen bases in 294 plate appearances at Triple-A Memphis last season, where he appears ticketed to begin the 2017 campaign.

Candelario was forced to leave the game Sunday after being hit by a pitch on his ankle, resulting in a bruise, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Candelario seemed to go down in pain after being hit, but the fact that the Cubs are not currently planning on having him undergo X-rays means it's likely just a bruise. The 23-year-old had been off to a hot start this spring, hitting .333 so far while putting together some impressive at-bats. Although Candelario is heavily blocked from a path to the big leagues due to Chicago's immense infield depth, he could end up forcing his way onto the Cubs' roster if he has an especially strong spring.

Riley replaced Adonis Garcia in Saturday's split-squad game against the Marlins and went 2-for-2 with a double.

The No. 6 prospect in a deep Braves farm system, the 19-year-old Riley popped 20 home runs in Low-A Rome last year and has a huge ceiling if he can get his strikeouts under control. He'll head back to minor league camp when it begins next week and is years away from his major league debut, but he's made a good first impression on the big club.

Rendon went 2-for-3 with a double in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Coming off his second career 20-home run season, the 26-year-old could be just entering his prime as a hitter. Rendon will need to stay healthy, something he's struggled with in the past, but if he stays on the field he could be poised to top the .824 OPS he recorded in 2014.

Rockies manager Bud Black said he'll likely keep LeMahieu near the top of the lineup, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

In this case, the 2016 NL batting champion again will occupy the two-hole most often behind Charlie Blackmon. LeMahieu crossed the plate 104 times last year, which fueled his fantasy value just as much as the .348 batting average, and keeping a spot near the top increases the odds he'll come close to scoring that much again in this lethal lineup. This news doesn't make Trevor Story owners happy. He'd likely bat seventh with LeMahieu at No. 2.

Peterson will compete with Chase d'Arnaud for the primary utility spot on the Braves' bench, Zak Kerr of MLB.com reports.

For a rebuilding club, the Braves actually have a fairly set starting lineup following the acquisition of Brandon Phillips, so playing time could be tough to come by for the team's bench. Peterson's better offensive resume could make him manager Brian Snitker's preferred option when someone needs a rest, but the team also lacks any depth in the outfield -- starters Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis are currently the only outfielders on the 40-man roster -- so if d'Arnaud or Peterson show they can handle center field on a semi-regular basis, they could see enough at-bats to become a viable option in deep NL-only leagues.

Anderson will continue playing third base in the minor leagues this season rather than beginning a transition into a utility role, The Sun-Sentinel reports. "We want to make sure we don't screw up his development by putting him in different spots," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said over the weekend. "We really like him at third. We don't want to back that up. We want to let him develop at third base."

The 23-year-old hit .302/.377/.440 in 49 games at High-A last year before stumbling after a promotion to Double-A, but he bounced back in the Arizona Fall League, leading the circuit with five home runs in just 22 games. Anderson isn't likely to dislodge Martin Prado from third base anytime soon, meaning his best chance at cracking the major league roster down the road will probably come via a bench role; for now, the Marlins are content to let him work on his defense at third and develop as a hitter.

With a crowded infield, Asuaje may find it hard to make the Opening Day roster.

Asuaje participated in winter ball in hopes of competing for a utility role with the club. After the Padres added Erick Aybar to their spring training roster, it appears that Asuaje may be out of luck of the veteran shortstop makes the Opening Day roster. Even if Aybar doesn't make the cut, Allen Cordoba's ability to play shortstop and Rule 5 label would make him the preferred option over the 25-year-old second baseman. Starting the 2017 season in the minors seems like the likely outcome for Asuaje.

Peterson will begin the season on the Braves' bench following the acquisition of Brandon Phillips, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

He was already going to have to compete with Sean Rodriguez for playing time at second base, but after Rodriguez's shoulder injury led to the trade for Phillips, the depth chart at the keystone got shaken up. Peterson saw brief action last season in the outfield and one game at third base, but should transition into a utility role on a full-time basis in 2017.