MLB Player News

Rodgers will continue to rest his hamstring for now, but the injury he suffered Saturday against the Mariners isn't thought to be serious, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Rodgers hasn't had the best luck with injuries, but this particular issue doesn't seem like a major one. If he can get back on the field soon, he'll still have time to make the Opening Day roster.

Kemp (hip) will start in left field and will bat seventh in Monday's Cactus League game against Cleveland.

Kemp checks back into the starting nine for the first time since exiting last Thursday's game against the Rangers after he was hit in the hip by a pitch. He appeared as a reserve second baseman in Sunday's loss to the White Sox, and after experiencing no setbacks with his hip, Kemp will presumably play a few more innings Monday.

Arroyo went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's spring game against the Twins.

Arroyo has homered in each of his last two games and is angling for the final bench spot. He's 8-for-23 with two homers, four RBI and three runs scored in 10 Grapefruit League games. He and Michael Chavis are competing for that final roster spot, but Chavis has minor-league options remaining, which works to Arroyo's benefit.

Polanco went 2-for-3 in Sunday's spring training win over Boston. He's hitting .333 (6-for-18) this spring with five walks and one strikeout.

Polanco has moved to second base after the Twins signed Andrelton Simmons. Polanco has had some ups and downs at second base, but he should improve as he adjusts to the new position, which he played frequently in the minors. Polanco is showing his bat could bounce back from last year's subpar performance (.258 with a .658 OPS) simply from improved health. Polanco underwent surgery in October to remove a bone spur and a small bone chip from his right ankle, which bothered him last year.

Hoerner was scratched from Sunday's spring game against the Angels with lower back tightness, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It's unclear when the back issue first surfaced for the 23-year-old, though he went 0-for-2 with a walk and a caught stealing during Saturday's contest. Hoerner has been crushing the ball so far in spring training with a 1.383 OPS and four extra-base hits through seven games, and it's unclear how long the back issue is expected to keep him sidelined.

Padres manager Jayce Tinger said Kim wouldn't be available for Sunday's game against the Reds after experiencing "some aches and pains," Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Tingler seemed to imply that Kim is dealing with an illness, though the skipper was careful to note that he doesn't believe the rookie is dealing with an ailment related to COVID-19. The Padres will give Kim a day off with the hope that he'll be ready to rejoin the spring lineup early during the upcoming week. Kim, who is off to a 2-for-18 start in Cactus League play, is in contention for the Opening Day starting nod at second base, though he, Jake Cronenworth and Jurickson Profar will most likely all serve as utility men that factor into the mix for playing time at multiple spots throughout the season.

Urias (hamstring) is in the lineup at shortstop for Sunday's spring game against the Mariners, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old has been sidelined since March 5 with with a left hamstring strain, but he'll make a relatively quick return from the minor issue. Urias has the chance for significant playing time between shortstop and third base this season, but he'll likely need to produce better than the .635 OPS he has through his first 124 big-league games to continue seeing those opportunities all year.

Altuve is one of the candidates to bat leadoff for the Astros in 2021, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Dusty Baker said batting the 30-year-old leadoff is something he'd "consider," and he previously named Carlos Correa and Myles Straw as candidates to hit atop the order. George Springer dominated that spot in the order over the past number of years, and his departure during the offseason leaves a hole in the lineup for the Astros. Altuve operated as Houston's primary leadoff man during 2014 and 2015, but he hasn't seen regular action in that spot since 2016. He's also looking for a rebound campaign after struggling with a .219/.286/.344 slash line and career-high 18.6 percent strikeout rate in 2020.

Marte started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's spring game against San Diego.

Marte led off the game with his first Cactus League homer and has hit safely in six of seven games played. The Diamondbacks have not confirmed which position will be Marte's primary spot this season, but Saturday's outing was his fourth start in center field compared to one at second base and two as designated hitter.

Arraez started in left field and went 0-for-3 in Saturday's spring training win over Tampa Bay. It was the first time he's played in the outfield this spring. Arraez is hitting .222 (4-for-18) with three walks this spring.

Arraez will move to a utility role this season with the Twins signing Andrelton Simmons to play shortstop and moving Jorge Polanco to second base. Early in camp manager Rocco Baldelli said Arraez would focus on second base and third base, but Saturday's start shows he could factor into the left field mix early in the season if Alex Kirilloff begins the season in the minors. Despite the slow start at the plate, the more important development is Arraez looks healthy after knee and ankle issues limited him to 32 games last season.