MLB Player News

Baez was removed from Thursday's game with hamstring tightness and will be evaluated further by the Cubs' medical staff in the coming hours, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Baez began limping around first base after hitting a line drive into left-center in the first inning of Thursday's Cactus League contest with the Padres. Consider Baez day-to-day barring the identification of an additional issue with the hamstring.

Baez exited Thursday's Cactus League game against the Padres in the first inning after limping around first base on a double, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Wittenmyer followed up by stating that it looked like a hamstring injury as Baez reached down for his hamstring while rounding first base. The infielder left Thursday's game with a trainer and was replaced by Chesny Young. Expect an update on his status in the coming hours.

Turner hit leadoff and went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The 24-year-old is now hitting .353 (6-for-17) to begin the spring with a .476 OBP thanks to four walks, although he's still looking for his first steal or first extra-base hit. If Adam Eaton (knee) is ready to play by Opening Day, Turner will slip down to the No. 2 spot in the batting order, but otherwise he should once again hit atop a potent Nats lineup. If he can play a full schedule -- the shortstop has yet to play more than 98 games in a big-league season -- Turner should be poised for a very big fantasy season.

Crawford went 2-for-3 with an RBI against the Padres on Wednesday.

Crawford saw his main fantasy asset -- his RBI totals at the shortstop position, take a slight hit last season as an aging San Francisco lineup saw an overall decline in offensive production. He still finished the year with a healthy 77 RBI, which was good enough for fifth among all shortstops. The 31-year-old could see his run-producing opportunities increase back to his 2015 and 2016 levels (84 RBI each season) with the key additions of Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen this offseason. Crawford would likely bat fifth or sixth behind the Giants' new signings, which should lead to more plate appearances with ducks on the pond.

Mateo (knee) went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-3 Cactus League win over the Rangers.

The young speed merchant's long-awaited Cactus League debut was ultimately a dud from a statistical perspective, but all that matters is that he's back on the field. Mateo entered the game at shortstop for Marcus Semien in the fifth and promptly went down on strikes in both the seventh and eighth innings. The 22-year-old is likely to see plenty of reps during the duration of the exhibition slate, assuming there are no further issues with the knee.

Adames is in the competition for the Rays' second-base job alongside Daniel Robertson, Joey Wendle and Micah Johnson, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash said that the recent trade of Ryan Schimpf to the Braves on Monday opened up a little more competition at the keystone, paving the way for Adames to receive more reps in the Grapefruit League. Adames has gone 6-for-15 with one home run, five RBI and one double in seven outings this spring, The 22-year-old is likely a shortstop long term due to his plus arm strength and excellent hands, but second base is seemingly his only path to early-season playing time.

Seager (elbow) will play five innings at shortstop during a minor-league game Monday. Barring any setbacks, he will then take the field against the Rockies for Wednesday's Cactus League affair, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

This will mark Seager's spring debut in the field after participating in games as a designated hitter over the past few days. The 23-year-old has been dealing with an elbow issue for the entirety of the Dodgers' camp, but appears to be on track for Opening Day, assuming all goes well during the next week.

Wendle is competing for the Rays' second-base job alongside Daniel Robertson, Micah Johnson and Willy Adames this spring, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash said that the recent trade of Ryan Schimpf to the Braves on Monday opened up a little more competition at the keystone, paving the way for Wendle to receive more reps in the Grapefruit League. The 27-year-old has only appeared in 36 major-league games over the course of his career, hitting .266/.305/.339 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 109 at-bats.

Mondesi will be sidelined for a couple days due to arm soreness, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic reports.

Manager Ned Yost said that the injury was nothing serious and that Mondesi should be back in action by the weekend. Thus far, Mondesi has played in five Cactus League games, going 4-for-13 with one home run, four RBI and one triple while competing for a job in the Royals' infield.

Ahmed appears to be in line to open the year as the Diamondbacks' primary shortstop, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The front office reportedly largely attributes the team's 17-29 record over a 46-game stretch last summer to Ahmed being out with a fractured hand, as his defense and leadership at shortstop had been instrumental to the team's success earlier in the year. It's not hard to look at the Diamondbacks' moves this offseason and come to the conclusion that they really value defense, so Ahmed getting the bulk of the starts at shortstop would fit those values. It sounds like Ketel Marte will get the bulk of the starts at second base, giving the Diamondbacks a very strong middle-infield defense. Marte will also get the backup starts at shortstop, while Chris Owings and Daniel Descalso appear in line to serve as the utility options. Ahmed is the worst hitter of the bunch, and will offer very little fantasy value, even with close to everyday at-bats.