MLB Player News

Arraez homered twice for Team Venezuela and drove in four runs Saturday in a 9-7 loss to Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Arraez isn't known for his power, but he clobbered a two-run blast off Lance Lynn in the first inning, and swatted a solo shot off David Bednar in the seventh. Arraez also picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice. He sees his tournament come to a close with the loss, but it's nice to see Miami's big offseason acquisition driving the baseball, even in the exhibition season.

Gorman went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and a run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League win over the Marlins.

Gorman has benefited from the Cardinals having a number of players away at the World Baseball Classic. He's hit .324 (11-for-34) with nine RBI, six runs scored and a 6:12 BB:K through 13 Grapefruit League games. Gorman may not have a consistent everyday position, but Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Disptatch reports Gorman will back up Nolan Arenado at third base in addition to being an option at second base and designated hitter this season. Gorman came up through the minors as a third baseman before switching to the keystone, but with utility man Brendan Donovan around, Gorman likely won't need to move around as much.

Garcia went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Getting the start at second base and hitting second, Garcia launched a wind-aided shot to the opposite field in the third inning off Hunter Brown. The 22-year-old infielder remains a big part of the Nationals' rebuild despite his initial struggles in the majors, and he's looked good at the plate this spring, going 11-for-37 (.297) with two doubles, two homers and a 3:5 BB:K.

Villar (hip) is in line to return to Cactus League play Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Villar will have missed about a week of action with a left hip flexor strain. He's struggled so far this spring, going 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts and no walks, but he'll have time to sharpen up ahead of Opening Day. Villar is in line to be the Giants' primary third baseman.

Marte is batting .154 (2-for-13) with one double, three walks, one RBI and one run scored over five spring games.

Marte is currently at the World Baseball Classic as part of Team Dominican Republic. When he returns to MLB action, the 29-year-old will be Arizona's primary second baseman. After a brief dalliance as a center fielder, the Diamondbacks decided to move him back to the keystone due to injuries that were perceived as a result of him playing the outfield. As an infielder in 2022, Marte played 137 games, but his .728 OPS was his lowest output since 2016.

Stott has hit just .143/.172/.286 through his first nine Grapefruit League games this spring.

Stott will move from shortstop to second base this season due to the arrival of Trea Turner and the departure of Jean Segura. His role as the primary second baseman is unlikely to come under serious threat, but it remains to be seen whether he's a true everyday player or merely on the large side of a platoon. Edmundo Sosa (who has a 1.758 OPS with four homers this spring) started over Stott against southpaws in the playoffs, and the Phillies added another right-handed option in Josh Harrison in late January.

Estrada has gone 4-for-18 across eight Cactus League games.

Interestingly, Estrada hasn't recorded a single -- he has two doubles, a triple and a home run. The 27-year-old is expected to be the Giants' Opening Day second baseman, though it's also possible he's asked to fill in at shortstop with Brandon Crawford bothered by a knee injury that disrupted his 2022 season. Estrada enjoyed a breakout by becoming a full-timer in the majors last year, slashing .260/.322/.400 with 14 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 62 RBI and 71 runs scored over 140 contests. He should be able to see similar playing time this year, and the possibility of positional versatility makes him attractive in fantasy.

Villar (hip) said Wednesday that he believes he'll return to Cactus League games in a few days, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He suffered a left hip flexor strain over the weekend, but it's been deemed mild and it sounds like he should be ready to play before the end of the week. Villar is expected to log the bulk of the at-bats at third base for the Giants this season.

Rojas (legs) will start at third base and bat second in Wednesday's Cactus League split-squad game against the Giants.

Rojas has been dealing with some tightness in both of his legs and hasn't played in a spring game since March 8, but the Diamondbacks' decision to hold him out of action looks to have been mostly precautionary. The 28-year-old has moved between third base and second base over his first eight spring games, perhaps signaling that the Diamondbacks envision him filling more of a utility role in 2023.

Rojas (legs) is expected to play Wednesday, Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic reports.

Rojas has been held out of action while he deals with tightness in his legs. He has not played since the middle of last week.