MLB Player News

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.

Andrus (groin) says he will ramp up his running next week as he continues his recovery from sports hernia surgery, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Andrus has been running at only 50 percent speed thus far, a precautionary measure as he eases back into action. The shortstop is already participating in all baseball activities and is expected to participate in a live game sometime within the coming month. It appears Andrus is well on the road back to full health, but it's worth monitoring the situation as spring camp progresses.

Andrus (groin) will sit out the Rangers' Cactus League opener Saturday as he continues to take things slow in spring training, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Texas will not rush him back as he recovers from sports hernia surgery, though fantasy players will want to see him in action for at least a week's worth of games to feel comfortable plucking him in the middle to late rounds of mixed drafts. Last season (.302, eight home runs, 69 RBI, 75 runs, 24 steals) might've been his peak, so be careful not to pay for more than that in 2017.

Kemp is taking most of his repetitions at second base during spring training, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Kemp appeared in 59 games for the Astros in 2016, almost exclusively in left field, but offseason acquisitions leave him out of the outfield picture. So, it' s back to the position with which he's most familiar. Unfortunately, that's the spot already occupied by Jose Altuve, so we can expect Kemp to start the season playing second base for Triple-A Fresno.