MLB Player News

Motter is batting .314 with a home run and six stolen bases over 51 at-bats in Grapefruit League play.

Motter's six steals were tied for the second-most among all players in spring training entering action Tuesday. Though he continues to flash the power and speed combination that made him a solid fantasy performer early last season when he was picking up regular at-bats in place of an injured Jean Segura, Motter eventually fell back into a bench role and faded down the stretch to finish with a .198 average. A .232 BABIP contributed heavily to his demise, as Motter's 31 percent hard-hit rate suggests he probably deserved a better fate. Motter will be worth keeping an eye on if a long-term injury opens up steady playing time for him in the infield or outfield.

Rengifo was traded to the Angels on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The young infielder was the player to be named later in the deal that sent C.J. Cron to the Rays. Rengifo batted just .250 at both Low-A Clinton and Bowling Green last season, but he made up for it with 12 homers and 34 stolen bases. He'll likely start the season with either the Angels' Low- or High-A affiliate.

Polanco was suspended 80 games Sunday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

With Polanco suspended for 80 games, Eduardo Escobar will likely be in line to serve as the Twins' starting shortstop when Opening Day arrives. Polanco has played in 13 games for the Twins this spring, over which he's gone 9-for-34 (.265) with a home run and a triple at the dish. Polanco will be eligible to return at the latter end of June after his suspension concludes.

Torres will spend an equal amount of time playing shortstop and second base at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Although the Yankees acquired Neil Walker and Brandon Drury during spring training, Torres could make his way up to the Show this season. The Yankees' prized prospect didn't have his best showing during his time in the Grapefruit League this year, as he went just 4-for-25 (.160) over 11 games. He'll look to find his groove with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he hit .309/.406/.457 over 23 games last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Espinosa signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays on Saturday that includes an invite to spring training, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Wilner expects Espinosa to make the big-league club out of camp as the 25th man, meaning Espinosa would act as insurance for Devon Travis, who has a lengthy injury history, and Troy Tulowitzki, who is already dealing with a heel injury that will sideline him for the start of the season. Espinosa hit .173 in 295 plate appearances last year and hit .209 in a full season in 2016, so while he has some power and is a quality defender, it is unlikely that he will hit for a high enough average to not be a net negative in most fantasy formats.

Fontana (shoulder) returned from injury by playing in a Triple-A game against the Brewers on Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

Fontana had missed the majority of spring training up until this point dealing with shoulder inflammation. With the Angels restocking their infield this offseason, there was little chance the 26-year-old would have made the Opening Day roster, even as a backup. It would likely take an injury to open up a spot for the utility infielder.

The White Sox reassigned Elmore to minor-league camp Friday.

Elmore signed a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training in February and saw only nine official at-bats. The 30-year-old seems likely to start the season with Triple-A Charlotte as organizational infield depth, assuming he remains with the White Sox.

Altuve and the Astros agreed to a five-year, $151 million extension Friday, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

The extension will cover the years from 2020 to 2024, taking Altuve through his age-34 campaign. The 27-year-old second baseman has been one of the best players in the game for the past four seasons and should remain at that level for a long time, though his productivity on the basepaths will more than likely tail off toward the back end of the deal. The contract will keep Altuve in Houston for the next seven seasons, and while there are certainly more hitter-friendly parks out there, any negative effects on that front are outweighed by the quality of the lineup that surrounds him.

Torres was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

With the recent signing of Neil Walker to play second base, this isn't all too surprising. Torres, the team's top prospect, is still viewed as a vital part of the Yankees' infield moving forward, but he'll now have some more time in the minors to smooth out any kinks (he was just 4-for-25 in Grapefruit League play prior to being optioned). It's still possible he could join the big club relatively early on if the Yankees feel he's ready.

The Angels reassigned Jones to their minor-league camp Saturday.

The toolsy Jones had earned an invite to his first big-league spring training after breaking out last season with a .282/.348/.446 line, 14 home runs and 27 steals across stops at Low-A Burlington and High-A Inland Empire. Look for the 20-year-old to open the 2018 campaign at the latter destination, with a promotion to Double-A Mobile likely in store for him by midseason if he's able to pick up where he left off in 2017.