MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that DeJong (arm) will take part in light throwing across the diamond for the next couple of days before slowly ramping back up to full throwing, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

DeJong may be a week or more away from being ready to play shortstop in spring games, but his bout with what the team is describing as a case of "dead arm" won't prevent him from getting in at-bats during Grapefruit League play. He's slated to serve as the Cardinals' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Monday's game against the Mets in what will mark his second appearance of the exhibition slate.

Rojas was removed from Sunday's spring game against the Cubs due to right foot cramps, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The 34-year-old limped to first base after his single during the third inning and was replaced by a pinch runner, though the foot issue doesn't appear to be a serious concern. Rojas -- who is set to fill a utility role this season -- should be considered day-to-day and expects to be ready to play Monday, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com.

Swanson went 0-for-2 in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

Swanson was playing in his first spring training game with the Cubs after agreeing to a seven-year, $177 million deal in the offseason. His exhibition stats won't matter much, as the team simply wants to get him to the regular season healthy and comfortable with his new teammates. Swanson should be Chicago's everyday shortstop, with Nico Hoerner shifting over to second base.

Barger went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

Getting the start at third base and hitting sixth behind Blue Jays regulars like Vladimir Guerrero, Daulton Varsho and Danny Jansen, Barger turned on a fastball from Pittsburgh closer David Bednar and crushed it deep to right field in the fourth inning. Barger had a breakout year in the minors in 2022, ascending from High-A to Triple-A and posting a combined .306/.375/.544 slash line with 25 homers in 126 games, and the 23-year-old appears poised to make his big-league debut sometime this season, potentially in the same kind of utility role currently filled by Cavan Biggio.

Velazquez (knee) is starting at shortstop and batting ninth in Sunday's spring game against the White Sox, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Velazquez underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in September but is ready for Cactus League action. The 28-year-old had a .540 OPS in 125 games last season and should serve as a reserve shortstop for the Angels in 2023.

Abrams went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Hitting leadoff in the Nationals' spring opener, Abrams displayed the speed and contact skills that made him the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft as well as a key part of the package Washington got back from San Diego in last year's Juan Soto trade. The 22-year-old shortstop could wind up hitting at the top of the order for the Nats in 2023, but he'll need to prove he can get on base more consistently after stumbling to a .280 OBP over 302 plate appearances in his big-league debut last season.

Perdomo went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's spring game against the Rockies.

Perdomo was expected to start at shortstop while the Diamondbacks bring back Nick Ahmed slowly from last year's shoulder surgery. However, Ahmed is now experiencing inflammation in his forearm, which will shut down the shortstop for the next five days. There's no guarantee the absence is limited to that time frame, and Perdomo should pick up the majority of starts while Ahmed is unavailable. The two are expected to battle for the starting job, with Ahmed projected as the starter for now.

Ahmed (shoulder) will miss the next five days with inflammation in his left forearm, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

The Diamondbacks planned to delay Ahmed's game participation this spring in deference to the shoulder surgery he underwent last year, but it looks like a new condition has cropped up. The shortstop is now experiencing inflammation in his forearm, for which he received a cortisone shot. There's no reason to believe Ahmed will miss extended time, but the new injury gives manager Torey Lovullo an opportunity to evaluate depth at the position, including Geraldo Perdomo, who was expected to battle Ahmed for the starting job this spring.

Shewmake is looking good in the early part of camp and could be an option for Atlanta at shortstop later in the season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Vaughn Grissom and Orlando Arcia are competing for the starting shortstop job this spring, but Shewmake could be the next man up if injuries or poor performance hit during the year. The 25-year-old was a first-round pick in 2019 out of Texas A&M and might have gotten a September call-up were it not for a knee injury in August. He finished the season with a .259/.316/.399 slash line for Triple-A Gwinnett over 75 games. Shewmake has graded out highly for his defense at shortstop in the minors, but his limited offensive ceiling could make him a utility player in the majors once he finally makes his debut.

DeJong is dealing with dead arm, but the Cardinals aren't particularly concerned, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The issue is being framed as nothing more than the usual soreness that affects many players at the start of camp. DeJong won't throw Saturday and won't take the field in game action for a few days, but he's able to serve as the designated hitter. The Cardinals hope he'll play the field by next weekend.