MLB Player News

DeJong is expected to open 2018 as the Cards' everyday starter at shortstop, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Both middle-infield spots appear to be more set than the corners as the Cards approach the start of the Grapefruit League schedule. DeJong will look to trim his strikeout rate during his second season with St. Louis, having struck out 28.0 percent of the time as a rookie while swatting 25 homers in 443 plate appearances. With 38 combined homers between Triple-A and the big leagues last season, DeJong exceeded expectations in 2017, and his best chance of following up with a strong effort this season will require a more balanced approach at the plate.

Mondesi will officially be known as "Adalberto" going forward, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports.

It's unclear what prompted the name change for Mondesi. The well-regarded 22-year-old is competing for a job in spring training, but ultimately may open the year at Triple-A Omaha with Alcides Escobar and Whit Merrifield currently holding down the middle of the infield. If the team decides to move Merrifield around, there could be an opportunity for Mondesi.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon suggested that Baez may approach 600 plate appearances in 2018, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Ben Zobrist has been battling a back injury early on this spring, and along with Ian Happ, Zobrist represents the potential obstructions to a larger role for Baez. "He's at that point now (that) to get those 500 to 600 plate appearances, (he needs to) organize (his) strike zone, accept walks and use the whole field," Maddon said. Baez will presumably play less at shortstop in 2018 if Addison Russell is healthy, and it still seems more likely that he'll finish closer to 500 plate appearances than 600 barring the improved approach that Maddon suggested. Still, with his combination of power and speed, Baez remains an intriguing player despite the uncertainty about his playing time.

Manager Bud Black said he's intrigued by the thought of Story hitting fourth this season, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

This obviously hinges on Story showing he's improved his brutal contact issues from 2017, as he struck out in 34.4 percent of his plate appearances while leading all of baseball with 191 strikeouts last season. He took part in an intense offseason workout program and focused on simplifying his approach at the plate in the offseason, which he's hoping will help him return to his rookie-year form (.272/.341/.567 with 27 homers in 97 games). The 25-year-old should hold fantasy value either way given his impressive pop and sneaky speed at the shortstop position, but hitting in the heart of a solid Rockies' lineup would provide a nice boost to his counting stats. Until Cactus League action picks up and we get a look at how Story's adjustments are paying off, he should continued to be viewed as a risky, albeit high-upside bounce-back candidate at what should be a significantly discounted price from a year ago.

Camargo is expected to be the Braves' primary third baseman to start the regular season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Some reports swirled linking the Braves to various free agent third basemen, but with the market dwindling and spring training in progress, it seems like Camargo is going to be the man at the hot corner. The 24-year-old impressed in his first major-league stint, slashing .299/.331/.452 in 241 at-bats last season. He's also considered the team's best defensive infielder since Andrelton Simmons, so it's certainly reasonable for him to maintain his perch atop the third base depth chart. Rio Ruiz and Austin Riley (to an extent) are also in the mix for the starting gig, but Camargo appears to have the upper hand at this point.

Seager will be utilized as the team's designated hitter for Cactus League games this weekend as he continues to progress through a throwing program, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

Seager remains on a throwing program as he works to build his arm back to 100 percent after missing some time due to back and elbow injuries in 2017. There doesn't appear to be any concern over his status for the start of the season, but he's yet to be cleared for his typical spot at shortstop during spring games. The Dodgers are hoping a reduction in workload will help Seager avoid any sort of setback.

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."

Anderson worked on "everything" during the offseason and reported to spring training prior to Monday's deadline for position players, the Chicago Tribune reports.

"He actually looks very, very relaxed - he looks very happy," manager Rick Renteria said. "The situation he had going on last year takes hold of you a little bit and tugs at your emotions when you have a loss of a friend that you consider almost a brother. This year he's able to come in (with a) fresh mind to compete and do the job he ended up doing the latter part of the season." Anderson has struggled to draw walks at every level since High-A, and his 2.1-percent walk rate last season was a step down from the 3.0 percent mark he posted as a rookie in 2016. The subsequent low OBP generated by the lack of free passes makes him an unlikely candidate for a spot near the top of the order, though he was used as a leadoff option at times down the stretch last season. Despite his struggles, Anderson will get plenty of chances to build upon the .257/.276/.402 line he posted last season, which included 17 homers, 56 RBI, 72 runs and a 15-for-16 mark as a basestealer. For his career, Anderson is 25-for-28 on the basepaths over 245 games with the White Sox, and his path to improvement on that front will require a more refined eye at the plate.

Mateo will be limited at the start of spring training after aggravating a left knee sprain, Julian McWilliams of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

The injury doesn't appear to be too serious, though it may cause him to lose some at-bats in the first few spring training games. Acquired from the Yankees last season in the Sonny Gray trade, Mateo is a highly rated shortstop prospect who has a chance of reaching the big leagues later this season. The 22-year-old hit for a .296/.357/.521 line in 60 Double-A games with Trenton and Midland last season.