MLB Player News

Arauz batted .214 (6-for-28) with two walks, a double, a home run, five RBI, and one run scored over 14 Grapefruit League appearances.

It's hard to peg Arauz's status as the Red Sox and the rest of MLB disbanded training camp. He was essentially in competition for a utility infield spot with Tzu-Wei Lin. Out of three roster projections -- MassLive.com, WEEI.com, NESN -- Arauz is expected to earn a roster spot in one of them: MassLive.com. That's largely based on him being selected in the Rule 5 draft during the offseason, so he can't be stashed in the minors without first being offered back to the Astros. As spring training wore on, Arauz looked overmatched when the Red Sox saw more major-league pitching. He could land as the 26th man, but that depends on whether interim manager Ron Roenicke opts to keep a third catcher or an extra reliever. With the Red Sox short on proven starters, there may be a need for additional help in the bullpen.

Chavis is being considered as one of the candidates to become the long-term replacement at second base, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The Red Sox are not counting on Dustin Pedroia (knee) coming back in 2020, and even if he eventually returns, his contract expires in 2021. So, the organization must plan for the long term. Chavis started 31 games at second base in 2019 and is expected to share that role with Jose Peraza in 2020 as well as first base with Mitch Moreland when the season resumes. To be an everyday player, however, Chavis may need to cut down on his 33.2 strikeout percentage in 2019, third among players with at least 380 plate appearances. He needs to better handle fastballs high in the zone, while we'll also note he had a reverse-split against left-handers (.226 in 2019). The 24-year-old infielder worked on his swing during the offseason, explaining that he tried to remove the "slack" in it. Other long-term second base options include Jeter Downs, C.J. Chatham and Cameron Cannon.

Haggerty (elbow) remains a candidate for one of the two projected final Opening Day roster spots, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Haggerty was still sidelined by elbow soreness when spring training was suspended, but the time off he's currently receiving will likely help him return to full health before play resumes. The 25-year-old had acquitted himself very well prior to being sidelined, hitting .357 (5-for-14) with three doubles, two RBI and one run across eight Cactus League games. Haggerty is capable of playing both second base and the outfield and is competing with Tim Lopes, Jose Marmolejos and Dylan Moore for one of the aforementioned spots.

Castro is competing for one of the Tigers' final roster spots when the 2020 regular season begins, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Castro is jockeying to be Detroit's 25th or 26th player now that rosters have expanded heading into 2020. The 26-year-old played well in 97 games at the big-league level last season, posting a .291/.305/.384 slash line along with five home runs and four stolen bases. His ability to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield makes him a useful part of an MLB roster, though he may not play enough to be a reliable fantasy factor.

Espinal opened some eyes before spring training was put on pause, slashing .417/.462/1.000 with three home runs in 26 Grapefruit League plate appearances.

The 25-year-old has never hit more than 10 home runs in a minor-league season, so take that spring power production with an entire shaker of salt. Nonetheless, Espinal looked more than ready to make his major-league debut, and while he'll be at Triple-A Buffalo when the regular season begins, he remains the best option in the organization to fill in at shortstop for Bo Bichette -- whether that comes due to an injury, or if the club decides it isn't comfortable with the defense offered by Brandon Drury or Joe Panik when Bichette needs a breather.

Mayfield hit .125 (3-for-24) with a double and six strikeouts over 13 Grapefruit League appearances.

Middle infield injuries in 2019 forced the Astros to call up Mayfield in June. That enabled him to experience the first MLB action of his career, but Mayfield looked overmatched in 65 plate appearances, hitting .156 with a 24.6 percent strikeout rate. That he was 28 years old at the time of his MLB debut should indicate where Mayfield stands in the organization. The health of the middle infield -- Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz -- is the key factor in determining whether Mayfield will open the season with Houston. Even if one of that trio is hurt, the Astros could survive without needing to call up Mayfield.

Arraez hit .103 with zero extra-base hits, three walks and six strikeouts in 32 plate appearances this spring.

An 18.8 percent strikeout rate wouldn't be cause for concern for most hitters, but Arraez logged a 7.9 percent strikeout rate as a rookie, so it's at least worth noting. Even so, this was a tiny sample and Arraez has been working this spring on pulling the ball more when pitchers attack him inside. He has been mentioned as a candidate to lead off this season, at least against right-handed pitchers.

Drury is expected to begin the season in a bench role for the Blue Jays despite a weak .125/.192/.167 slash line through 26 plate appearances this spring.

The versatile utility man played every position on the diamond other than pitcher, catcher and center field last year, but Drury's bat hasn't been an asset since he left Arizona after the 2017 campaign. The 27-year-old could face competition for playing time around the infield from Joe Panik, and Santiago Espinal was also making a strong impression in camp before MLB hit pause on the season, so the chances of Drury seeing anything close to the 447 PAs he got in 2019 appear slim at best.

Lopez is expected to begin the 2020 season as the Royals' everyday second baseman, Griffin Fabits of The Kansas City Star reports.

The 25-year-old finished the 2019 campaign splitting time between shortstop and the keystone, but Alalberto Mondesi's return to full health will keep him at second base. Lopez had 402 plate appearances in his rookie campaign but suffered from inconsistency, as evidenced by a .240/.276/.325 slash line with two home runs and one stolen base. Lopez provided quality defense, but he'll need to improve upon the 62.2-percent groundball rate and 4.5-percent walk rate he posted last season.

Merrifield is expected to see more time in center field this season.

The acquisition of Maikel Franco in December is pushing Hunter Dozier to right field, and Nicky Lopez is expected to work at second base. Merrifield appeared in 138 games between those two positions last season, while totaling 17 games in center field. Merrifield's trademark versatility means he's still likely to move around the diamond, but his role in center field figures to be more significant than previous seasons once baseball is able to resume.