MLB Player News

Cron is out of the lineup Tuesday against the A's.

Jefry Marte will take over at first base and bat fifth against lefty Sean Manaea. Cron hit just .237/.287/.387 against lefties last year while Marte hit .244/.322/.462 against southpaws in 2016. The two players may be deployed in a strict platoon at first base until Luis Valbuena (hamstring) is cleared to return to action.

Gurriel is not in the lineup for the Astros' matchup with the Mariners on Tuesday, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 33-year-old had a quiet season debut, so with right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma taking the mound for Seattle, the Astros decided to give Gurriel the night off. Marwin Gonzalez will take his place in the lineup, batting ninth and playing first base.

Singleton was assigned to Double-A Corpus Christi to open the regular season, the Houston Chronicle's Jake Kaplan reports.

Singleton has already been removed from the Astros' 40-man roster, but he will still make $2 million this season in the penultimate year of the extension he signed in 2014. With A.J. Reed set to be the everyday first baseman at Triple-A, Singleton will need to go down to Double-A, a level he has not played at since 2013, in order to get everyday at-bats. It's unclear how Singleton's career would have been different if he never signed that extension, but it has worked as something of a gift and a curse, as he will need to wait two years to get a fresh start in a different organization unless the Astros are willing to buy him out.

Santana went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 8-5 come-from-behind victory over the Rangers.

Hiis high OBP makes Santana an ideal candidate to hit leadoff for the Tribe. The switch-hitter had a career year in 2016 and could put up similar numbers with full health in 2017. He's the perfect corner-infield or utility player, especially in leagues that count his on-base skills.

Diaz will play third base and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Rangers.

To compensate for the absence of Jason Kipnis (shoulder), Jose Ramirez will move over from his usual post at third base to the keystone, enabling Diaz to enter the lineup for his major-league debut. The 25-year-old rose up the ranks after showing stellar plate discipline at both Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus last season, and he carried that success over to spring training. However, Diaz has yet to tap into much power or make much of an impact on the bases, which makes it somewhat difficult to get excited about his prospects from a fantasy perspective. He'll likely settle into a reserve role or even get returned to Columbus once Kipnis is ready to go.

The Indians purchased Diaz's contract from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.

Diaz was able to parlay a strong spring at the dish into an Opening Day roster spot with the Tribe, and he could even find himself in line for regular starts as he begins his MLB career. With Jason Kipnis (shoulder) opening the season on the DL, manager Terry Francona could opt to have Jose Ramirez move over from third base to second, which would clear the hot corner for Diaz.

According to Jays manager John Gibbons, Tellez could very well be a factor with the big-league club in 2017, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports.

The team's No. 2 prospect shined this spring and soaked up helpful tips from the club's veterans. "I learned so much from Justin Smoak on the defensive side. How to field groundballs, how to use my feet," Tellez said. "These guys, I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to them and pick their brains on how they did the things -- not only physically, but mentally." The release of Melvin Upton Jr. inadvertently may help Tellez reach the majors this season. With Upton gone, Ezequiel Carrera and Steve Pearce -- the backup at first base -- will be the primary candidates for left field. Even though Kendrys Morales could play first base, he is better suited for a strict DH role. That means Smoak -- whose performance has been underwhelming for quite some time -- is the only one in Tellez's way. It wouldn't be shocking if the 22-year-old rocks a routine role with the Jays by mid-summer.

Abreu feels like his offense this spring is in the same place it was at the end of last season, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He batted .269 with three home runs and 14 RBI over 22 spring games.

Abreu has experienced a slight drop-off since his fabulous rookie season in 2014, but showed encouraging signs in the second half of last season after making a correction in his swing. The first baseman slashed .319/.384/.514 with 14 homers in 73 games after the 2016 All-Star break. Abreu said he's in the best shape physically since arriving in the United States, and added that the mental baggage he'd been carrying around is in the past after testifying in court in a Cuban player-smuggling trial against a former agent and trainer. "I feel good, 100 percent focused on the game. My mind can be perfectly clear," said Abreu.

As long as he remains healthy, Diaz will make Cleveland's Opening Day roster.

Diaz has been spectacular at the plate this spring, as he's hit .429/.529/.667 over 18 games (51 at-bats). His solid bat and experience in both the outfield and the hot corner will make him a versatile option for the Indians. Although he's yet to be tested in the majors and doesn't bring an overwhelming amount of power, Diaz has been a consistent batter in the minors and hit to the tune of .325/.399/.461 at Triple-A Columbus in 2016.

Cron went 1-for-2 and blasted his fourth home run of the spring in Wednesday's win over the Brewers.

Cron may have done enough with his bat this spring (.313 with four homers) to win the Angels' starting first base job outright, but a hamstring injury took Luis Valbuena out of the competition, opening up everyday playing time for the slugging first baseman to start the season. The 27-year-old contributed 16 homers and 69 RBI in 407 at-bats last season before injuries took a hold of his season, so there is potential for 20-plus homers in the slugger's bat if he can hang on to the job all year and stay healthy himself.