MLB Player News

Motter went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs and a walk in Monday's 9-0 Cactus League victory over the Rangers.

Motter went deep for the first time this spring with a third-inning blast to center off A.J. Griffin. In his initial exposure to major league pitching last season with the Rays, the 27-year-old utlity man slashed just .188/.290./300 with three doubles, two homers and nine RBI. However, he barely registered a blip on the bases, a notable development considering Motter had swiped 127 bags over five-plus minor league seasons. Motter is currently battling Shawn O'Malley and Mike Freeman for a utility role, with his considerable versatility -- he played every position except catcher and center field last season -- enhancing his appeal. He'll presumably need to demonstrate improvement at the plate to ultimately prevail in the three-man race, and O'Malley (.333/.400./333 over 18 at-bats) has jumped out to an early advantage in that respect. Nevertheless, the Mariners see upside in Motter's past body of work, which includes 27 homers over 215 games at the Triple-A level. "You see it in batting practice," manager Scott Servais said of Motter's punch. "Sometimes with Taylor, it's working into good counts and getting good pitches to hit. He does have sneaky power. You look at him and don't really think it's there, but he can drive the ball."

Andrus (groin) said Sunday that he expects to make his Cactus League debut at some point during the week, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Andrus has been taking it easy in camp while recovering from November sports hernia surgery, but the Rangers don't seem to fear that the shortstop is at risk of missing the start of the season. He's steadily increased his activities since spring training opened, and after doing some more running, hitting and fielding drills in the next couple of days, he should be ready to see some game action.

Giavotella says he's completely fine after taking a line drive off his palm in Friday's Grapefruit League game, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

He stayed in the game after the incident and said it was pretty painful but "nothing I couldn't play through." Expect the veteran infielder to continue getting plenty of at-bats with the absences of Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado, both of whom are competing in the World Baseball Classic. Giavotella is competing for a reserve infield spot on the Baltimore roster this spring.

Polanco went 2-for-3 with a double and home run in Thursday's tie with Baltimore, but also made his third error of the spring. "He's trying to find ways to get it done and stay accurate," manager Paul Molitor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It hasn't happened too much here early."

The Twins appear committed to beginning the season with Polanco at shortstop and there's been little talk of Eduardo Escobar challenging for the job. However, that could change if Polanco continues to struggle in the field as his glove has been the major concern about him playing shortstop instead of second base where he played at Triple-A.

Elmore, a non-roster invitee, is a legitimate contender for an Opening Day roster spot, Corey Long of MLB.com reports.

Elmore's ability to play several different positions has been attractive to the Blue Jays' coaching staff this spring. Manager John Gibbons said there's a lot of value in players like Elmore, who can sit for extended periods and be ready to fill holes in the lineup on short notice. Over his five MLB seasons, Elmore has played all nine defensive positions and logged at-bats from every spot in the order. The versatile 29-year-old has tallied 257 plate appearances over his last two campaigns with Tampa and Milwaukee, but his offensive numbers are brutal. If added to the 25-man roster, Elmore will be a defensive choice and therefore lack fantasy value -- regardless of format.

Semien went 1-for-3 with two-run home run in Tuesday's 5-4 Cactus League victory over the Indians.

The slugging shortstop took a Mike Clevinger pitch deep to right field with Jed Lowrie aboard in the first, his first homer of the spring. Despite a drop in batting average and OBP over the previous year, Semien exploded for a career-high 27 doubles, 27 homers and 75 RBI last season, which led to .435 slugging and .735 OPS figures that also represented high-water marks. His homer Tuesday served as his second hit over three spring contests, while also generating his first pair of RBI.

Franklin went 2-for-2 with a double, walk and run in Monday's 7-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies.

The Rays' utility man extraordinaire was on base in all three of his plate appearances while hitting out of the two-hole Monday. Franklin backed up every infield position except third and also saw time at both corner outfield spots and DH last season, essentially rendering him indispensable. He'll look to build on his 2016 career-best line of .270/.328/.443 in the coming campaign, although the extent of his opportunity is difficult to gauge this early.

Altuve went 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's game against the Mets.

Altuve slotted in at third in the batting order and made the type of offensive impact we've come to expect from the perennial All Star. Last season's third-place finisher in the MVP vote shifted from his customary leadoff role to third in the order mid-season, leading to a career-high 96 RBI. Whether last year's power stroke (.531 slugging percentage, 24 homers) is here to stay, Altuve should reach 100 RBI while batting third in a lineup that will be much more potent offensively than its 2016 version.

Motter (back) will play second base and bat seventh in the lineup in Monday's Cactus League game against the Royals, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Motter was sidelined for a few days of camp with a sore back, but his return to the lineup Monday suggests it was only a minor issue. The 27-year-old is expected to vie for a utility role with the Mariners during spring training, primarily competing with Shawn O'Malley for those duties.

Motter is dealing with a sore back and won't play for a couple of days, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Despite the hindrance, Motter is still hitting and working on the field, so it doesn't seem to be a major concern. The 27-year-old is competing for a utility role on the Seattle roster after being acquired in a trade from the Rays during the offseason. Motter, who hit just .188 in 34 games last year, likely needs to impress this spring to earn the spot over veteran incumbent Shawn O'Malley.