MLB Player News

Swanson was hitting 7-for-27 (.259) with a double and a 2:6 BB:K when spring training was suspended.

The spring numbers weren't impressive, but Swanson had nothing to prove in camp. The 26-year-old hit the ball a little harder in 2019 and saw a slight uptick in his power numbers as a result, but as yet his long-anticipated breakout hasn't occurred. Swanson is locked into the starting shortstop role in a loaded Atlanta lineup.

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.

Rojas is expected to begin the regular season as the Marlins' starting shortstop despite a lackluster .250/.308/.458 slash line through 26 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

The 31-year-old isn't in the lineup for his offensive contributions but instead to provide steady defense behind a pitching staff that often needs all the help it can get. Rojas' hold on the starting job at the six is likely to be tenuous once the regular season begins, however; Jon Berti could push for more playing time if he keeps running wild as he did at the end of last year, and the organization may want to reward top prospect Jazz Chisholm with a callup if he proves himself at Triple-A Wichita.

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.

Edman's likelihood of receiving ample playing time in both the infield and outfield increased with the release of Yairo Munoz on March 7, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Coming into spring training, Edman was already set to see plenty of action in 2020 after having logged time at second base, third base, shortstop and center field last season. The 24-year-old was highly productive at the plate as well with a .304/.350/.500 line across 92 games, and he hit .237 (9-for-38) with a double, a home run, six RBI, two walks, one stolen base and eight runs across 12 Grapefruit League games before spring training was paused.

Gordon is slated to serve as a backup at both second base and shortstop in the coming season, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The veteran is set to serve as the elder statesman behind the promising Shed Long and J.P. Crawford at second base and shortstop, respectively. Gordon also logged 53 games in center field back in 2018, so his versatility and solid bat seemingly gives him plenty of job security going into the regular season. Gordon slashed .275/.304/.359 across 117 games in 2019, and he went 6-for-18 with two doubles, one RBI, one walk, two stolen bases and three runs across eight Cactus League games before the pause in play.

Adrianza will enter the season as the backup at shortstop and second base, Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune reports.

Since joining the Twins, the switch hitter has 99 starts at shortstop, 46 at third base, 16 at first base, 14 at second base, 11 in left field and five in right field. He will reprise a role where he moves all over the place, and may play most regularly as a second baseman when the Twins face a left-handed pitcher -- left-handed hitting Luis Arraez has stark splits and is a weaker defender. Adrianza got off to a slow start last year, but after hitting .120 in his first 21 games, he hit .390 with three home runs over his next 32 contests. While his super utility role is valuable for Minnesota, his fantasy value is limited to deeper AL-only formats.

Velazquez has hit .200/.273/.200 with three stolen bases and one RBI over 23 plate appearances this spring.

Velazquez had a limited sample size during spring training, but he struggled to generate consistency in getting on base while demonstrating his speed when he did manage to appear on the base paths. The 25-year-old is in consideration for a utility role once the season gets underway as a result of his defensive versatility, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see him work in the minors to begin the 2020 campaign so he can develop more consistent production.

Chang was optioned to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Chang was in camp competing for a reserve infield spot but won't be winning the job. That would appear to leave Christian Arroyo with a safe grip on a bench role.