MLB Player News

Lopez will open the year with Low-A Fort Wayne as the youngest player in the Midwest League, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

Lopez, who turns 18 in May, earned this aggressive assignment with his glove -- many evaluators think he's among the best defensive shortstops in the minors. Obviously if Lopez projected to be an impact hitter, he would be a valued commodity in dynasty leagues, but he only hit .246/.291/.324 with an 80:17 K:BB in 303 plate appearances last year in the Northwest League. If he can make any progress as a hitter, Lopez will be worth rostering in deeper dynasty leagues.

Crawford went 0-for-2 before being removed as part of a double-switch in Tuesday's loss to the Mariners.

There was no injury to report here, as manager Bruce Bochy simply wanted to get one of his regulars out of a game that the Giants were trailing 6-1. Crawford's bat hasn't made the trip from spring training yet, batting just .188 (3-for-17) with no extra-base hits or counting stats through the club's first five contests. The 31-year-old has been a premier source of RBI as a shortstop over the past few seasons, and he has been batting either fifth or sixth this season, so fantasy owners should remain patient with the slugging shortstop.

Ahmed was sick Tuesday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic Arizona reports.

The illness explains why Ahmed is out of the lineup for two games in a row. The Diamondbacks will want to get him back in action soon, as they're already down one infielder with Jake Lamb on the disabled list with a shoulder strain.

Ahmed is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Ahmed sat Tuesday as well. Ketel Marte will again slide over to shortstop, with Daniel Descalso at second and Deven Marrero receiving another start at third. There have been no reports that Ahmed is dealing with an injury, and there are no platoon factors at play, as the Diamondbacks have faced lefties in both games. It appears that the team is just giving Ahmed a pair of off days in a row.

Ahmed is hoping that improved pitch selection and a swing path change will allow his hot offensive start to continue, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

He is working on not swinging at sinkers down and in or breaking balls down and away, which tend to lead to weak groundballs. Instead he is focusing on waiting for pitches that he can do damage on. "I think in the past I've probably not locked in a specific zone as much as I should and chased more of the pitchers' pitches, either on the corners or down and out of the zone," Ahmed said. His swing path has also evolved. He has worked with several hitting coaches and gurus recently to try to generate more balls in the air in the middle of the field. So far his production fits the narrative, as he is hitting .471 (.538 BABIP) with one home run and a 3:2 K:BB through 19 plate appearances. Of course, his career .230 batting average in 1,039 plate appearances looms as a reminder that this could very easily just be the result of good luck in a small sample size. However, it's at least not impossible, given his reported changes to his approach, that we could be witnessing a breakout.

Swanson is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Nationals.

After a nightmarish 2017 campaign, Swanson has opened the current season on a much better note, producing three multi-hit games in his first five starts. That strong performance at the dish will keep him locked in as the Braves' everyday shortstop, but Swanson will get a breather in the day game after a night game, opening up a spot in the lineup for Charlie Culberson.

Ahmed is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Dodgers.

Coming off Monday's 15-inning outing, Ahmed will have the night off. Ketel Marte will move to shortstop while Daniel Descalso covers second base, sending Ahmed to the bench. Look for Ahmed to return to action for Wednesday's series finale against Los Angeles.

Cordoba (concussion) was shifted to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday.

This was always expected, and it frees up a spot on the Padres' 40-man roster for Tyson Ross, who is scheduled to start against the Rockies on Tuesday. Cordoba remains without a timetable for his return as he continues to deal with concussion-like symptoms stemming from a mid-February car crash. He won't be eligible to return until June.

Camargo (oblique) will head to High-A Florida on Thursday to begin a rehab assignment, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Camargo battled a sore back and oblique throughout much of spring training. He'll appear in at least a pair of games for Florida before returning to the Braves. He's expected to take over as the Braves' primary third baseman when he returns, bumping Ryan Flaherty from the starting lineup.

Crawford, who has batted ninth for the Phillies in two of his three starts, is starting at shortstop and hitting ninth again Tuesday against the Mets.

It was rumored during spring training that Crawford could bat ninth for the Phillies with manager Gabe Kapler an apparent fan of batting the pitcher eighth, and so far the worst has been realized. He hit sixth on Opening Day but will hit ninth for the third straight game, and figures to do so for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of formats where Crawford needs to be owned, but in standard mixed leagues, this lineup placement could be a tie breaker for those deciding between similar middle-infield options.