MLB Player News

Moncada entered Saturday's game in the fifth inning and went 0-for-2 with a groundout and strikeout.

Amid the many spring storylines occupying watchers of the White Sox is the development of Moncada who is not only considered to be the organization's top prospect but one of the top ones in all of baseball. He should get ample opportunities for at-bats during the spring and possibly more than expected due to the leg injury that prevented putative starting second baseman Brett Lawrie from playing Saturday.

Donaldson (calf) played catch and took batting practice in a cage Friday, John Lott of The Athletic reports.

Donaldson reportedly still has a hitch in his gait, but says he "feels good." The three-time All-Star has been steadily progressing since straining his calf while running the bases last week. Expect him to return to game action in early-to-mid March, barring any unforeseen setbacks.

Donaldson is progressing as expected in his recovery from a strained calf, Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.

Donaldson will still need some time to get back to 100 percent, but he has not encountered any setbacks on his road to recovery, so his 2-to-3 week return timetable remains as-is. It has been nearly a week since Donaldson injured his calf, so as long as his health continues to improve, he should be ready to make his spring debut at some point in early-to-mid March.

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.

Longoria (illness) was feeling better and returned to workouts Wednesday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The veteran third baseman had been dealing with a high fever recently, forcing him to miss the past two days of camp. Although he didn't miss much, he missed some conditioning and him and manager Kevin Cash will have to figure out when he's physically ready to make his Grapefruit League debut.

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.

Valencia, who's primarily expected to platoon at first base with rookie Dan Vogelbach this season, got in work at third base Tuesday, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The veteran has played third base more than any other position in his career, but that role is fully in Kyle Seager's possession in Seattle. While manager Scott Servais wants to give Valencia some work at his previous position as a contigency plan-- and perhaps in anticipation of some spot starts when Seager rests during the coming season -- the main priority remains getting him acclimated at first. "He'll probably be mostly at first throughout the spring," Servais said. "He will play a day or two at third and get some time in the outfield, but we want to get him comfortable there at first."

Duffy reported that his surgically repaired left heel felt good after his first batting practice session of the spring, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy had tracked pitches in Monday's workout, and as expected, was a full participant in Tuesday's batting practice session. The Rays' shortstop's workload will continue to be carefully managed, but progressively ramped up as the spring unfolds.

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.