MLB Player News

Angels manager Mike Scioscia hinted that the second base job is wide open, and did not close the door on the possibility of using a combination of players, including Josh Rutledge, Grant Green, Johnny Giavotella and Taylor Featherston for the position, per the Orange County Register.

"If it's a combination, it's a combination," Scioscia said. "If it's one guy, it's one guy."

Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon told reporters Thursday that he won't put a number on how many bases he'll swipe this season, and is more focused on improving his on-base percentage and scoring runs in his first season with his new club, per MLB.com.

"No goal," Gordon said. "I just want to score runs. That's it. I scored a lot of runs last year, and I don't think nobody realizes that. Whatever [stolen bases] I get is what I get. Whatever is going to make me score is what I want to do."

Gordon led MLB last season with 64 stolen bags. His 92 runs were tied with then-teammate Yasiel Puig for eighth most in the National League. He hit .289/.326/.378 over 609 at-bats last season.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts admitted he lost confidence in 2014 while he was struggling to get on track offensively.

“Yeah, a little bit -- going really bad for two months, I mean extremely bad,” Bogaerts said of losing confidence, per WEEI.com. “Trying to have confidence everyday coming to the park was pretty tough. This year is a new year, I feel much better. I feel much more confident in myself so, it’s something I definitely learned, no matter how tough the situation is it’s just keep your head up.”

Bogaerts said the experiences he learned last season should help him well moving forward.

“It’s a really tough game,” Bogaerts said. “Especially in the Boston market — a lot of media attention, especially after winning the World Series, a lot of eyes were on us. I think this year will probably be the same because of all the new acquisitions that we have. You just have to have a lot of confidence in yourself. You go through your ups and downs. It’s definitely easy to lose your confidence.”

Although Wilmer Flores is viewed as the favorite to win the starting job at shortstop for the Mets, Ruben Tejada still feels he can win the job, per NJ.com.

"Yeah, why not," Tejada said. "I have to demonstrate here why we're here and why I want to. Come here the same way every year, stay healthy, the first thing, and work."

Tejada started a team-high 105 games at shortstop in 2014 for the Mets. 

"I'm ready to work and do my job inside and outside and stay focused and positive, do everything in the right way and keep going," Tejada said.

Diamondbacks shortstop Chris Owings is expected to miss 8-10 spring games, according to MLB.com.

Owings is coming off shoulder surgery, and the team wants to play it safe with the injury. The 23-year-old is expected to open the season as the team's starter at short. He hit .261/.300/.406 over 310 at-bats last year. 

Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon is eagerly awaiting the start of spring training and is particularly looking forward to working with infield coach Perry Hill, per MLB.com.

"I was waiting on [Hill], like, a month ago," Gordon said. "I'm excited. I work hard. That's one thing I pride myself on, working as hard as possible. I'm just ready to take my game to the next level."

Gordon made the move from shortstop to second base in 2014. During his first All-Star campaign, Gordon posted a .981 fielding percentage in 144 games at second base for the Dodgers.

"There's a lot more second base in me," Gordon said. "There is a lot I still don't know. Honestly, I didn't really know how to learn on the fly with the Dodgers. Bone (nickname for Hill) is going to be a great teacher. I've heard nothing but great things about him, so I can't wait."

Indians infielder Zach Walters told MLB.com he played through a torn intercostal for approximately three weeks between August and September last season.

The utility man was traded from the Nationals to the Indians before the last year's deadline. As a result of the injury, he struggled to make an impact at the plate, slashing .170/.223/.432 with seven homers and 12 RBI over 88 at-bats.

Red Sox infield coach Brian Butterfield got his first look at the allegedly quicker first step of shortstop Xander Bogaerts Monday and believes he can see the difference, the Boston Herald reports.

"His first- and second-step quickness today was really good," Butterfield said Monday. "He's had days like that (before). It's always a full body of work."

Bogaerts, 22, spent the offseason working on his quickness at the EXOS Performance Institute in Phoenix -- at the suggestion of infield teammate Dustin Pedroia -- rather than train in his native Aruba. Butterfield has confidence Bogaerts can continue to improve defensively.

"Yeah I do, and I think I'm speaking for everyone else on the coaching staff, too, and that includes [manager] John Farrell," Butterfield said. "I think Bogie is ready to meet that challenge. The good thing is he's highly intelligent and he wants to be good, so he's going to do anything that he can to hold up his end of the bargain."

Butterfield also plans to work with Bogaerts on anticipating the pitch selection by studying the tendencies of the team's pitchers to help with positioning.

"One without the other, you're not going to be as good," Butterfield said. "When he gets to the point where he's consistent with both his anticipation and his first- and second-step quickness, he's going to be fine."

Bogaerts spent time at shortstop and third base last season but is expected to work exclusively at shortstop after the addition of Pablo Sandoval. The young infielder made half of his errors at third base in 2014 despite playing less than a third of his innings at the position.

The Mets have privately indicated infielder Ruben Tejada should garner most of his playing time on the days when starting pitcher Jonathon Niese is on the mound because Niese induces more grounders than the other starters, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.

Wilmer Flores is expected to be the team's starting shortstop, barring a trade to bring in a shortstop. Although, Mets manager Terry Collins has indicated Tejada will still be in the mix for the starting job this spring.

While Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford had career highs in runs (54), triples (10), home runs (10) and RBI (69) in 2014, he still only hit .246 in 153 games. Crawford really struggled against right-handed pitchers, batting .213 as opposed to .320 against lefties.

Still, the Giants appear hopeful Crawford could be an impact player in 2015, per MLB.com.

"We really feel he's coming into his own," general manager Brian Sabean said, declaring that he envisions "an All-Star-type season" from Crawford.