MLB Player News

Volpe has been taking part in hitting and defensive drills at his home in New Jersey during MLB's hiatus, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Volpe, the Yankees' first-round draft choice last season, spent much of March in self-quarantine after two fellow minor leaguers tested positive for COVID-19 in spring camp. He has since taken to hitting into a net and lifting weights at his home, as well as working on his defensive mechanics with what he describes as "a ton of drills...that take up literally no space." The 19-year-old will look to bounce back from a difficult first season in rookie ball during which he batted .219 and came down with a bout of mononucleosis that ended his campaign early.

Mateo's chances of garnering a spot on the Opening Day roster are uncertain following his spring training battle with Vimael Machin for a backup job at second base, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

When spring training was suspended, Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp were projected to platoon at second base, with Mateo and Machin seemingly battling for what could have been the 26th and final spot on the roster. The 24-year-old Mateo was outpaced by Machin at the plate during Cactus League play, with the latter's .333 average markedly better than Mateo's .231 figure. Gallegos notes Mateo is a more "electric" player than Machin because of his lightning speed -- which manifested itself this spring in the form of four steals -- and is also out of minor-league options. Machin counters with the ability to play all four infield positions and is a Rule 5 draft pick, so he would return to his original organization (the Cubs) if he doesn't stick with the Athletics. Ultimately, even though Machin arguably had a leg up in their battle when play was paused, Mateo could well be the beneficiary of a possible expansion of rosters beyond 26 players that's been discussed as one of the contingency plans for a delayed regular season.

Wendle worked on his arm strength this offseason with the intention of filling in more often at shortstop and third base in 2020, Josh Tolentino of The Athletic reports.

The versatile infielder enjoyed a solid spring (.259, two doubles, two home runs, three RBI, six runs) and is considered a lock to be on the team come Opening Day, especially with MLB reportedly preparing to allow teams to expand rosters to 29 players for at least the first month of the regular season. Wendle has experience playing up to five different positions, but he's spent the majority of his time at second base over the last two seasons. However, a stronger arm would certainly make him a more effective player when deployed on the left side of the infield, thus seemingly enhancing his job security.

Basabe batted a combined .323/.352/.398 over 37 games between the AZL Rangers and short-season Spokane in 2019.

Basabe, who batted .344/.414/.474 and finished third as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, continued to hit in the lower levels of the minors since signing out of Venezuela in 2017. The only downside of the move to the States was a drop in walk rate, but the 19-year-old didn't strike out much while hitting more line drives and flyballs. Defensively, the organization introduced the young shortstop to second and third base, potentially giving him more paths to the majors.

Franco hit .286 (2-for-7) with one RBI and and one run over three Grapefruit League games before spring training was suspended.

Franco wasn't slated to see an abundance of exhibition action since he's not likely to log any time in the majors in the coming regular season. However, the organization did want to get its top prospect his first taste of experience against big-league arms after he quickly mastered pitching at three different levels of the minors over the last two seasons. Franco topped out at High-A Charlotte in 2019, so he's likely to start the 2020 campaign at Double-A Montgomery. Jeff Passan of ESPN also reports Franco was set to play for the Dominican Republic team that was going to try and qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics, but that event has now been postponed for at least several months due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adames hit .364 (8-for-22) with two doubles, one home run, two RBI, four walks and six runs across 12 Grapefruit League games before spring training was suspended.

Adames is set to once again serve as the everyday shortstop in 2020, but his impressive spring showing nevertheless is an encouraging sight for fantasy managers banking on a breakout season. The 24-year-old already made significant strides in his major-league sophomore campaign in 2019, as he established new career highs in doubles (25), home runs (20) and RBI (52), while also lacing his first big-league triple. Whittling down last season's bloated 26.2 percent strikeout rate will certainly be key to Adames taking the next step at the plate, and on that note, it's somewhat disappointing that eight of the 14 outs he made in spring play came on whiffs.

Lindor went 12-for-30 (.400 average) with three home runs and 10 RBI across 10 Cactus League games before the MLB suspended its season.

After his name cropped up in trade rumors all winter, Lindor elected to break off talks with the Indians about a possible contract extension during spring training. The uncertainty about his future in Cleveland clearly didn't impact Lindor on the field, as he immediately caught fire at the plate during the spring and played his usual stellar defense at shortstop. A trade may still be in the cards if Cleveland's season heads south quickly, but Lindor's fantasy value shouldn't change much for better or worse if he ends up moving elsewhere.

Downs has made 82 starts at second base during his minor-league career, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Downs is primarily a shortstop, but that spot on the Red Sox is locked up by Xander Bogaerts (six-year contract). As such, Downs' quickest path to the majors is at second base, where the Red Sox are unsettled in the long term due to Dustin Pedroia's knee injury. Developmentally, Downs' estimated time of arrival to MLB is 2021, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the organization give him more time at second base at Double-A Portland, then at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Crawford put together a strong Cactus League resume before spring training was suspended and is ticketed for a major role this season as the everyday shortstop, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old shortstop worked to put on muscle this offseason, and the extra strength was paying some nice dividends this spring. Crawford slashed .400/.429/.560 with two triples, five RBI, two walks, two stolen bases and two runs across 10 exhibitions before the pause in play, raising the already robust expectations for him ahead of the 2020 season. Crawford will look to improve on both contact and hard-hit rates this season after posting pedestrian 75.9 and 28.4 percent figures in those categories, respectively, in 2019.

Diaz batted .167 (4-for-24) with three extra-base hits, three RBI, three runs scored and was hit by two pitches over 11 spring games.

Diaz returns to Houston as the team's utility infielder after he was limited to 69 games due to injuries in 2019. If healthy, Diaz will be the primary backup at all four infield positions and can play left field if needed. He will also be the leading choice for a pinch hitter from the right side of the plate.