MLB Player News

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford endured another hitless game Tuesday against the Dodgers. Crawford has started the season mired in a 0-for-7 slump.

Crawford is coming off a productive spring. He hit .375 (24 for 64) with one homer, three triples, six doubles and nine RBI in 23 spring games.

Shortstop Cliff Pennington did not have a memorable Arizona debut Monday against the Cardinals. Pennington was hitless in four at-bats, which included three strikeouts.

Pennington is now hitless in his last 10 regular-season at-bats dating back to last season, striking out five times in that span.

The number served as a reminder to Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada that he still has room to grow as a major-league hitter. It also indicated that he is being held to a higher standard as he enters his fourth season in the majors. But either outlook doesn't erase Tejada's lowly .096 batting average from the spring, a mark the team is hoping the 23-year-old can quickly improve.

"I cannot explain what happened in spring training, why he didn't swing the bat the way he's capable of," Mets manager Terry Collins told MLB.com. "Ruben and I had a number of discussions in the last two weeks, and he reassured me he will be ready, and he will be the same player that we've seen in the past during the season."

Tejada raced out to a fast start in the Mets' 11-2 season-opening win over San Diego on Monday, finishing 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

Mets manager Terry Collins indicated Thursday that he's unconcerned with shortstop Ruben Tejada's poor start in spring training.

"When the bright lights are on, when there's people sitting in the second deck, what they do in those circumstances is what I look at," Collins told MLB.com.

Tejada, who didn't play in the Mets' Thursday game against the Nationals, is hitting .080/.193/.160 with four hits in 50 at-bats this spring.

As expected, the Dodgers shipped shortstop Dee Gordon to Triple-A Albuquerque Tuesday, according to the team's official website. Gordon hit .206 with a .386 on-base percentage and a .206 slugging in 20 Cactus League games before he was sent down.

The Cardinals are placing third baseman David Freese on the disabled list to begin the season, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Tuesday. Freese has a back injury. 

St. Louis will return Ryan Jackson to the major-league roster to take Freese's place. The third baseman, expected to begin the year as the starter, underwent an MRI Monday which gave the Cardinals encouraging results. 

Unfortunately, after Freese was given an anti-inflammatory injection, it appears the team has decided to shelve him. He'll have his DL stay retroactive to March 23 and should be able to return shortly into the regular season, if healthy. 

Jackson will be on the roster until Freese is healthy enough to return. The 25-year-old is hitting .136 this spring over 22 at-bats. He played in 13 games for the Red Birds last year and hit .118 over 17 at-bats without an RBI. 

Giants veteran infielder Marco Scutaro has developed into a mentor for shortstop Brandon Crawford, according to The Oakland Tribune. 

"We've gotten to know each pretty well, and I really like him," Crawford said. "He's just a consummate professional player. He's quiet and just goes about his job. He puts in a lot of work, and he's seen pretty much everything. He's played in both leagues and he's played both second and short. So there's a lot I can learn from him. I already have."

Scutaro said he's glad to mentor Crawford and feels one day Crawford's offensive skills might match his defensive prowess. 

"I've talked to him about trying to be a little more consistent with his swing," Scutaro said. "At the end of the season, he was swinging the bat really well, so I think it's just a matter of time for him to start being more productive at the plate. When he starts doing that, he's going to be an All-Star player, there's no doubt."

With the Dodgers scrambling to find a replacement for injured shortstop Hanley Ramirez, the team plans to use an internal option for opening day, CBSSports.com Senior Baseball Columnist Scott Miller reports.

However, lagging prospect Dee Gordon is not viewed as a candidate for the position and is still expected to start the season in the minors to gain more seasoning. Los Angeles plans to use Luis Cruz at short and a rotation at third base, according to Miller.

Gordon returned to the lineup Friday after sitting out the past couple days with a sprained left ankle. He entered the Cactus League contest hitting .241 with seven stolen bases this spring.

With the news Hanley Ramirez will miss the first two months of the season because of thumb surgery, Dee Gordon is suddenly an interesting Fantasy option again.

Granted, the Dodgers haven't said he'll play in Ramirez's stead, and given his .241 batting average this spring, it's hardly a forgone conclusion. But the Dodgers' alternatives on the left side of the infield are underwhelming at best. Gordon would certainly bring an element of speed to a lineup that's mostly dependent on the home run, and judging by his .405 on-base percentage this spring, he might not even need to hit well to make the most of it.

If I'm hurting for steals late in a Rotisserie draft, I'd take a flier on him.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford went 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Padres. He is batting .316 (12 for 38) with a homer and five RBI through 15 spring games.

Crawford hopes to improve over last year, his first full season, when he hit .248 with .304 on-base percentage. Crawford is batting .273 this spring, and he's hitting .321 with a .403 OBP in March. He thinks the improvement is a sign of good things to come.

"I'd like to think it is," said Crawford. "I've hit wherever I've gone in the minors, and I had a good second half last year I'd like to build on. I've really been feeling good, and I've been gaining confidence this spring. I've been in the league a little while, and I think I'm ready to take that next step as a hitter."