MLB Player News

Polanco is slated to enter the upcoming season as Minnesota's starting shortstop after his strong finish to the 2017 campaign, Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune reports.

Polanco had a rocky start to the 2017 season. His inconsistent performance led to him being withheld from the starting lineup for eight of Minnesota's 10 games at the latter end of July. However, he was stellar upon his return. Over his next 55 games, Polanco hit .316/.377/.553 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI. While there have been concerns about his defensive abilities, Polanco's finish at the plate seems to have secured him regular playing time entering 2018.

Ngoepe could break camp with the Blue Jays as a reserve infielder if Troy Tulowitzki (heel) is unable to go by Opening Day, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays are expected to carry Aledmys Diaz and Yangervis Solarte as reserve infielders to open the season, but the team may need some additional infield depth if Tulowitzki's heel isn't fully recovered by Opening Day. If Tulowitzki were to open the year on the shelf, Ngoepe, who hit .222/.323/.296 in 28 games during his major-league debut last season, and prospect Richard Urena would be candidates to fill Toronto's final bench spot. Either way, barring any other injuries to the Blue Jays' infield (or a Josh Donaldson trade), the big-league stint would likely be short-lived, and thus uninteresting from a fantasy perspective.

Semien will likely start the 2018 season as Oakland's leadoff hitter, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Semien dealt with a wrist injury a season ago, and played in just 85 games for the A's. The 27-year-old hopes to stay healthy in 2018 and looks to improve at the plate after hitting .249 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI. There's plenty of power in his bat, as he finished with 27 home runs and 75 RBI in 2016. Expect Semien to begin the season in the leadoff spot and to start at shortstop for the Athletics.

Chavis recently suffered an oblique injury and will be sidelined indefinitely, John Tomase of WEEI.com reports.

The injury occurred while swinging a bat a few days ago, according to Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com. The Red Sox will certainly be cautious when it comes to the health of one of their premier hitting prospects. The club did not offer an approximate return date for the 22-year-old, so we'll just have to wait and see how quickly he progresses from the injury.

Torres started at second base in the Yankees' Grapefruit League opener, but manager Aaron Boone insists the competition for the position is still wide open, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

Torres appears to be the most talented player involved in the competition, which also includes Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade, but he still could start the season in the minor leagues. The Yankees could look to keep Torres down long enough to earn an extra year of team control, similar to what the Cubs did with Kris Bryant in 2015. Even if Torres blows out his competition this spring, it may not matter -- Bryant hit .425/.477/1.175 that spring. It may not be talent or performance which decides who the Yankees start at second on Opening Day, but if Torres performs as expected, the job will be his before long.

Torres (elbow) will take the field at second base against Detroit on Friday for the club's Grapefruit League opener.

Though it was expected that Torres would be 100 percent heading into spring games following Tommy John surgery last June, it's a good sign to see him thrust right into the fray for the Yankees' opener. Last week, manager Aaron Boone said that Torres would be a "full go" for Grapefruit League and the 21-year-old stated that he was completely healthy at the beginning of February. Torres will be competing for the starting job at the keystone this spring.

Barreto is expected to open the season at Triple-A Nashville, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

A top infield prospect in the Athletics' system, Barreto reached the majors as a 21-year-old last summer but wasn't ready for prime time, slashing .197/.250/.352 while striking out in 33 of his 76 plate appearances (43.4 percent). Though Barreto's defense looks capable enough at this point, the Athletics continue to view him as everyday player and don't have much incentive to keep him on the Opening Day roster as a utility man. Barreto should be first in line for a promotion, however, if the Athletics' projected middle-infield starters, Jed Lowrie and Marcus Semien, succumb to an injury at some point.

Andrus (back) said he expects to participate in Friday's workout, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Andrus has been sidelined since Tuesday with back spasms, but he's set to return to action after taking a few days to rest. The 29-year-old admitted the issue bothers him every spring, so there shouldn't be too much concern regarding his status moving forward.

Drury said he made changes to his swing this offseason in an attempt to hit more home-runs, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

Drury hit 37 doubles last season while swatting 13 homers in 135 games for the Diamondbacks. With his retooled approach, the 25-year-old is hoping to turn some of those two-baggers into homers. It should help playing half of his games in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. Drury's performance in Grapefruit League play should offer more insight into whether his adjustments are paying off.

Drury's main focus will be third base, Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reports.

Drury played almost exclusively as a second baseman in Arizona last year, starting just one game at third, though he's appeared at six different positions in his career and is valued for his versatility. This news probably means that the Yankees view Gleyber Torres as more big-league ready than Miguel Andujar. Drury will likely enter the season as the Yankees' starting third baseman, and while his playing time may diminish once Andujar is called up, he should still earn a fair amount of starts all around the field.