MLB Player News

Estrada will be the Giants' primary second baseman to begin the year, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Tommy La Stella (Achilles) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, so Estrada will get a chance to start regularly early on. In 52 games last season, Estrada slashed .273/.333/.479 with seven home runs, 22 RBI, 19 runs scored and a stolen base. If he hits well, he could carve out a larger role even once La Stella is healthy.

The Diamondbacks acquired Hernandez from the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for outfielder Jeferson Espinal.

Hernandez missed out on a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster and was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock before Texas elected to move on from him entirely. The 23-year-old is unlikely to see an immediate improvement with his outlook for 2022 as he moves to Arizona, since he's still expected to report to Triple-A Reno with his new organization. Hernandez will occupy a spot on the Diamondbacks' 40-man roster, so he should at least be well positioned for a call-up if Arizona is in need of infield depth at the big-league level at any point this season. Over his 166 plate appearances in the majors with Texas last year, Hernandez hit .217 with zero home runs, 11 stolen bases, 15 runs and six RBI.

Stott's contract was selected by the Phillies on Thursday.

Stott impressed in the minors last year, and he won a spot on the Opening Day roster by slashing .406/.513/.563 with a home run, two doubles, six runs and three RBI across 14 Grapefruit League games this spring. The 24-year-old has defensive versatility that will allow him to see time at third base, second base and shortstop early in the 2022 campaign.

Drury's contract was selected by the Reds on Thursday.

Drury dealt with a minor knee injury late in spring training, but he'll still be included on the Reds' Opening Day roster. Donovan Solano (hamstring), Jose Barrero (hand) and Max Schrock (calf) are all beginning the season on the injured list, so Drury will serve as additional depth in the infield.

Urias (quadriceps) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports.

Urias' recovery process was going slowly late in camp, and the 24-year-old's placement on the injured list was expected. It's not yet clear whether Urias will be forced to miss more than the minimum of 10 days to begin the year, but Jace Peterson is in line to serve in the strong side of a platoon at third base in his absence, with Mike Brosseau available against lefties.

Hoerner will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Thursday's season opener against the Brewers.

As anticipated, Hoerner will begin the season as the Cubs' everyday shortstop while Andrelton Simmons (shoulder) is on the injured list. Like double-play partner Nick Madrigal, Hoerner makes good contact and has quality speed, but he offers little production in the power department.

Gonzales went 5-for-11 with a pair of doubles, a steal and a 1:2 BB:K during the Pirates' spring-training slate.

Fresh off dominating performances in High-A (.303/.385/.565) and the Arizona Fall League (.380/.483/.549), Gonzales just keeps hitting everywhere he goes. His next test will come in Double-A, where he'll open the 2022 campaign, and if his spring performance is any indicator, he won't be intimidated by the increased level of competition. If the Pirates were more competitive, Gonzales would have a shot at coming up this year -- and if Diego Castillo doesn't work out, he still might -- but it's more likely that he'll be in position to push for an Opening Day roster spot next season.

Turang went 1-for-2 with a triple, a run, an RBI and two walks in Tuesday's season opener with Triple-A Nashville.

Turang is one of the more-heralded prospects in the Brewers' system, and his 2022 campaign got off to a good start. He posted just a .696 OPS in his first go-around at the Triple-A level last season, but that did include a quality .381 OBP. The Brewers are not particularly deep on the infield, so Turang has a chance to make his big-league debut sometime this season.

Stott will break camp on the big-league roster, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Stott was competing for time at shortstop this spring but also emerged as a potential option at third base. After posting a 1.261 OPS with more walks than strikeouts in Grapefruit League action, the Phillies seemingly had no choice but to call him up. His expected role isn't totally clear, as third baseman Alec Bohm has also made the team, leaving the Phillies with seemingly one too many infielders. He and Bohm could potentially platoon at third, with the left-handed Stott seeing the majority of the starts in that setup, though he could also start in either middle infield spot to give veterans Didi Gregorius and Jean Segura the occasional day off.

Stott owns a ridiculous .480/.581/.680 line with a homer, two doubles and 6:4 BB:K this spring.

He's been in competition for a roster spot out of camp and potentially a starting job. Stott's numbers this spring jump off the page. This comes after a big-time 2021 in which Stott rocketed from High-A to Triple-A and posted a .299/.390/.486 line across 112 games. If there's a note of caution here for fantasy managers, it's that Stott doesn't have big-time power or speed, so his value will largely hinge on his ability to deliver batting average, RBI and runs.