MLB Player News

Manager Dave Martinez said Sunday that Adrianza (quadriceps) hasn't made any notable progress in his recovery from injury and is "still the same," suggesting the infielder isn't on track to make the Nationals' Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Adrianza was expected to open the season as the Nationals' primary utility infielder, but his projected absence could pave the way for both Dee Strange-Gordon and another player to break camp as one of Washington's bench options. A timeline for Adrianza's potential season debut isn't likely to emerge until the 32-year-old advances to full baseball activities.

Adrianza's MRI revealed a strained left quadriceps Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Adrianza himself believes he'll be ready for Opening Day, but manager Dave Martinez was skeptical. Martinez is seemingly the more reasonable of the pair, as it's tough to see Adrianza getting over a strain in less than a week, but he'll avoid the injured list for now.

Wendle got the start at shortstop and hit leadoff in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, going 1-for-3 to improve his spring line to .346/.393/.385.

Acquired from the Rays in the offseason, the veteran utility player will likely spend most of his time this season at third base for the Marlins. Wendle launched a career-high 11 homers in 2021, but his main fantasy appeal comes from his ability to make contact (.274 career hitter) and swipe some bases (42 steals in 57 attempts over 436 MLB games.

Adames was removed from Friday's Cactus League game against the Brewers due to a calf cramp, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Manager Craig Counsell said after Friday's matchup that Adames is fine, so it seems unlikely that the shortstop will be forced to miss time to begin the regular season. He should be considered day-to-day with just under a week remaining until Opening Day.

Adames left Friday's game against the Cubs with an apparent leg injury, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The nature and severity of the injury are not yet clear. With Luis Urias (quadriceps) opening the year on the injured list, the Brewers may have to turn to Mike Brosseau, Jace Peterson or Pablo Reyes at shortstop if Adames is forced to miss time.

Crawford went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Thursday's 13-2 win over the Rockies.

Crawford had gone 0-for-10 across his first four Cactus League games, but there was never any real concern he'd get on track. The shortstop had a career year at 34 years old last season, posting a .298/.373/.522 slash line with 24 homers, 90 RBI, 79 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 138 games. Given his age and a career-best .334 BABIP fueling his offense last season, it's fair to expect noticeable regression in 2022. That said, he's likely to play almost every day since he's excellent defensively, and he should hit in the heart of the order.

Perdomo started at shortstop and went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's spring training game against the Padres.

Perdomo made his second start at short since news broke about Nick Ahmed's shoulder injury. It's an injury with no definitive timetable, and Ahmed could eventually require surgery. Perdomo is 4-for-6 with two walks, a home run and three runs scored in three appearances this week. There's a very good chance he's the Opening Day shortstop for the Diamondbacks.

Abrams has enjoyed a strong spring and is in the mix to make the Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Coming out of the lockout, few thought Abrams had much of a chance to crack the big-league roster to start the campaign, but the team's shortstop outlook shifted dramatically when it was discovered that Fernando Tatis would need to miss multiple months due to a left wrist fracture. Ha-Seong Kim has been looked at as the most obvious candidate to fill in for Tatis, but the 26-year-old struggled last season during his first exposure to the majors. Abrams has opened eyes with his standout play in Cactus League action thus far, slashing .308/.333/.538 with two homers, three RBI and a stolen base over 12 games. The prized prospect has also been mentioned as a possible solution to the Padres' lack of a backup center fielder, which could open the window for a more permanent position change given the dilemma of Abrams and Tatis -- perhaps the two most integral pieces of the team's future -- sharing the same position. There's no guarantee that Abrams will make the team out of camp given his lack of professional experience, but it says volumes about the organization's belief in him that he's even being considered for the rapid promotion. If that scenario does play out, Abrams would almost certainly be given ample playing time rather than have his development stunted by occupying a spot on the bench.

Adrianza injured his left quad running the bases Thursday against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

The severity of the injury is unknown, though manager Davey Martinez suggested the team would know more Friday. The issue puts Adrianza's availability for Opening Day in question. Though Maikel Franco has emerged as the favorite to start at third base, Adrianza is capable of playing nearly every position on the diamond so his absence would cost the Nationals some depth.

Edman is just 1-for-20 with one runs scored in seven Grapefruit League games.

Edman served as the Cardinals' leadoff hitter for much of last season, but he was dropped to eighth in the order for Wednesday's game versus the Nationals. The 26-year-old is versatile enough on defense to stick in the lineup regularly, but he could be pushed by Edmundo Sosa for the starting gig at second base since Paul DeJong has solidified his place at shortstop. Hitting lower in the order would make it tough for Edman to replicate his 30-steal season from 2021, though he's expected to at least begin the year splitting the leadoff spot with Dylan Carlson and Harrison Bader.