MLB Player News

Rodgers (shoulder) is on track to make his Cactus League debut as a designated hitter at some point next week, and he could be ready to play second base before spring training concludes, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

When Rodgers underwent surgery last July to repair a torn labrum, the prevailing belief was that his recovery would extend into the first month of the regular season. The 23-year-old has since accelerated his timeline, however, as he's been able to perform full baseball activities for the past three weeks to put himself on track to participate in spring games. Despite his rapid progress, Rodgers still seems likely to either open the season on the Rockies' injured list or report to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the year. Colorado wants Rodgers to play on an everyday basis, and it would probably behoove the organization to have him shake off the post-surgery rust in the minors rather than at the big-league level.

Dubon played in center field for five innings during Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Dubon seems set to begin the season at San Francisco's top option at second base, but the team also wants to test his versatility to potentially operate as a super-utility player. The 25-year-old showcased himself well during his first major-league action last season with a .274/.306/.434 slash line in 111 plate appearances, and he should receive plenty of opportunities in 2020, whether at the keystone or elsewhere in the field.

Marte went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-3 spring win over Oakland.

Marte wasted little time, jumping on a mistake from Athletics right-hander Chris Bassitt during his first spring at-bat. Marte, who had a breakout campaign in 2019, started at second base in Arizona's first Cactus League game. That's likely the position he'll occupy most frequently in 2020 after the Diamondbacks acquired Starling Marte to man center field. Ketel Marte led the Diamondbacks in 2019 with 96 starts in center.

Lux has not yet cemented a role as the Dodgers' primary second baseman, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Although Lux remains the favorite to handle starting duties at the keystone, manager Dave Roberts "stopped short" of handing the role to the 22-year-old at this point in spring training. Los Angeles has a number of alternate options at the position -- including veterans Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez -- should Lux falter.

Rodgers (shoulder) could play in the field before the end of spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Rodgers underwent right labrum surgery in July and was expected to see some at-bats as a designated hitter this spring, but manager Bud Black said Saturday that his recovery is going faster than expected, and he could be ready to play in the field prior to the end of spring training. Rodgers' recovery will still likely extend into the regular season, but Saturday's update is encouraging for his eventual return.

Urias (wrist) was cleared to resume some baseball activity Saturday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Urias underwent surgery on his left wrist in late January that carries an eight-week recovery timeline, but he was able to begin some activity Saturday. It's still unclear whether the 22-year-old will be able to open the season on the active roster, but Saturday's update could be a step in the right direction.

Frazier is healthy heading into the 2020 campaign after playing through a pair of undisclosed injuries during the early part of last season, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

The second baseman fractured his right index finger during the first spring training workout a year ago and then slightly sprained his right shoulder in the first regular season game. Still, he played in a team-high 152 contests, slashing .278/.336/.417 with 10 homers and five steals. The 28-year-old also finished with the 37th highest defensive WAR (4.9) among all qualified major leaguers. Frazier is set to serve as the team's everyday starter at second but has drawn considerable interest in trade discussions.

Hoerner could begin the year with Triple-A Iowa, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs recently signed veteran Jason Kipnis, which further crowds a middle infield group that includes Javier Baez, David Bote and Daniel Descalso. The 22-year-old Hoerner performed well in 20 games at the MLB level last season, slashing .282/.305/.436, but the team could decide to give him more time at Triple-A with a number of experienced options on the roster. It should only be a matter of time, however, before Hoerner is raking at Wrigley Field.

Manager Bud Black said that Rodgers (shoulder) could get some at-bats as a designated hitter in Cactus League games this spring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Rodgers is still recovering from the season-ending procedure he required last July to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. While the fact that he's apparently close to being able to hit against live pitching is a positive sign, Rodgers remains further behind in his throwing program. Per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post, Rodgers has advanced to throwing long toss from 120 feet, but he'll need more time to build up his arm before he's cleared to throw at maximum velocity in the infield. As a result, the Rockies don't anticipate that he'll be ready to take part in game action at the big-league level until May at the soonest.

Garcia will join the Nationals' big-league spring training camp.

Garcia will get to work with Washington's major-league coaches at the start of camp, but he probably won't be pushing to join them for good until next season. He struggled in an aggressive assignment to Double-A Harrisburg last season, slashing .257/.280/.337 while serving as the youngest hitter at the Double-A level by a range of 15 months.