MLB Player News

Ahmed (wrist) is in the mix for a starting job in the middle infield, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old is better known for his defense, but he took a step forward with his bat last season. He produced a career-best .251/.298/.419 slash line last season. Better yet, he posted a 1.078 OPS against lefties in that time. Brandon Drury, Ketel Marte and Chris Owings (finger) are also in the mix for playing time in the middle infield, but Ahmed's defense certainly gives him a good chance to claim a starting role if his bat keeps up this spring.

Seager's throwing will be held back a bit early in spring training, but he is confident that he will be ready for the start of the regular season, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager missed time with back and elbow injuries late in 2017. There was even talk of offseason elbow surgery, but the club went the rest-and-rehab route instead. As of last Friday, Seager was still only throwing from 100 feet, so he has several hurdles to clear yet before he can play in spring games, but there doesn't seem to be any serious concern about Seager's availability for the start of the season. Manager Dave Roberts said he will encourage Seager to reduce his heavy practice workload in camp in hopes of avoiding any more injuries. "This is his third year," Roberts said. "He's had setbacks each year, so maybe back off a little, but I hear he's in great shape."

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Owings (finger) has been cleared for all baseball activity, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Owings, who underwent a second surgery on his right middle finger in November to ensure full healing, is expected to enter camp slightly behind his teammates, though he remains on track to be ready for Opening Day. While the 26-year-old hit a respectable .268/.299/.442 with 12 homers and 12 steals in 97 games prior to injuring his finger in July, he's expected to open the season in a super-utility role thanks to his poor defense and lack of plate discipline.

Story said Saturday that he took part in an strenuous offseason workout program and is focusing on simplifying his approach at the plate during the upcoming season, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports. "I feel great, I can't wait to get back into it again," said Story. "Baseball is a game of adjustments. It's no secret that I struggled at the beginning of last year, but I think there was an ends to that. I used that. I learned."

After busting on the scene as a rookie with 27 home runs and a .272/.341/.567 across 97 games, Story entered the 2017 campaign with massive expectations, but ultimately failed to deliver. Though Story closed the season on a high note with 15 extra-base hits in September, his extreme contact woes -- he led the National League with 191 strikeouts -- proved to be his undoing, as the shortstop mustered a disappointing .239/.308/.457 slash line in 555 plate appearances. Rather than overhauling his swing this offseason in an attempt to generate more contact, Story has instead turned his attention to improving his patience at the plate in order to identify pitches he can drive. Story's performance early on during Cactus League play may offer more insight into whether or not his adjustments are paying off, but for the time being, he should be viewed as a risky, albeit high-upside bounce-back candidate.

Pennington signed a split contract with Cincinnati on Thursday, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports.

Pennington will earn $1.5 million if he makes the major-league roster. The 33-year-old played in 87 games with the Angels in 2017, slashing .253/.306/.330 with three home runs and 21 RBI. If he winds up carving out a spot on the big-league team, expect Pennington to serve in a reserve role as a bench infielder, although his value will be capped due to limited abilities at the dish.

Cordoba suffered a concussion after being involved in a car accident a few days ago, MLB.com's AJ Cassavell reports.

At this point, there is no timetable for Cordoba's return, although it's expected that he will be fully recovered well before Opening Day. Since the nature of a concussion can be wide-ranging, the club is choosing to take is easy with Cordoba, so don't expect him to be back doing any baseball activities in the near future. There should be an update on his status within the next couple weeks.

Cordoba will be brought along slowly at the start of spring training after he was part of a car accident recently, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear exactly what is ailing the 22-year-old, but the Padres likely want to take things slowly with him even if it's something minor. It doesn't seem like this should affect his availability for the start of the regular season, but more information should come forth as he ramps up his activity. After batting .208 with the Padres last season, Cordoba will likely head back to the minors for more seasoning.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Saturday that Rojas would receive the chance to compete with J.T. Riddle for the starting shortstop role during spring training, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. "I think we look at Riddle and [Miguel] Rojas both as shortstops," Mattingly said when asked about potential starters.

Rojas offers a solid glove at multiple spots across the infield and posted a strong .361 on-base percentage across 306 plate appearances in 2017, but a dearth of power makes him best optimized as a utility man. For that reason, Riddle would seem to have the edge on the everyday gig heading into the spring, though the performance of both shortstops in Grapefruit League play may ultimately dictate Mattingly's decision.

Crawford appears to be on top of the depth chart at shortstop for the Phillies heading into spring training, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

The middle infield prospect garnered a big-league callup last September, but he spent much of his time at third base rather than his natural position. However, shortstop seems to be Crawford's for the taking now that incumbent Freddy Galvis is out of town. Even with that in mind, the 23-year-old will need to pick things up at the plate after a sluggish 2017 campaign if he wants to be relevant in single-season leagues. Last season, he batted just .243 in Triple-A and struck out over 25 percent of the time in Philadelphia. However, his extremely high walk rate gives him some value in leagues that track OBP rather than batting average, and his recent power development (20 doubles, six triples, 15 home runs at Triple-A last season) certainly adds some intrigue if it translates to the majors.

Castro signed a minor-league contract with the Rockies which includes an invitation to spring training.

Castro's ability to play around the infield earned him a pair of trips to the majors in 2015 and 2016, though he struggled to a .217/.250/.265 line across 239 plate appearances during that time and subsequently spent all of last season in the minors. The 25-year-old, who hit a respectable .306/.344/.397 in 115 games for Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017, should compete for a utility role in spring.