MLB Player News

Drury went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The homer was his third of the spring, bolstering a .340/.392/.638 slash line, but the more important development is that Jays manager Charlie Montoyo continues to give Drury a look in the leadoff spot. If he can hang onto that assignment, the team's Opening Day third baseman could be a bit of a steal in the late rounds of fantasy drafts this weekend.

Guillorme appears to have won a bench spot to begin the season, Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News reports.

His main competition for the job, Adeiny Hechavarria, was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday. Guillorme managed only a .523 OPS in 74 plate appearances during his big-league debut last year, and this stint in the bigs could be a brief one, as both Jed Lowrie (knee) and Todd Frazier (oblique) will need roster spots when they get healthy.

The Tigers selected Beckham's contract and officially added him the 40-man roster Saturday.

The transaction coupled with Ronny Rodriguez's demotion to Triple-A Toledo means that Beckham will break camp with the big club as the Tigers' top utility infielder. The 32-year-old enjoyed a strong spring at the plate and showcased solid defense at both middle-infield spots, allowing him to beat out Rodriguez for the reserve job. With Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer expected to handle everyday roles for Detroit, Beckham likely won't be asked to make more than a start or two per week, effectively keeping him off the radar for fantasy purposes.

The Tigers optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A Toledo on Saturday, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

With Detroit demoting Rodriguez and opening up a spot on the 40-man roster by shifting Michael Fulmer (elbow) to the 60-day injured list, Gordon Beckham has secured a utility infield role with the big club. Rodriguez has little left to prove in the minors after slashing .338/.365/.558 in 275 plate appearances in Toledo a season ago, so he should be near the top of the list for a promotion when the Tigers need an extra infielder.

Forsythe was told Friday he'd made the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Forsythe hasn't been officially added to the 40-man roster yet, but a transaction is presumably coming soon. The veteran will fill a bench role in the infield this season.

Kemp went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Thursday's game against the Tigers.

Kemp has been locked in during spring training, posting a .992 OPS with four stolen bases. He's going to start the season on the bench, but if he's making this type of impact, Kemp could get starts at designated hitter. Tyler White will open the season as the primary DH, but manager AJ Hinch said he'll rotate bodies at the position.

Ngoepe will head to minor-league camp Tuesday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Unsurprisingly, Ngoepe wasn't able to crack the Opening Day roster. With a .181/.272/.236 line in 82 big-league plate appearances, there's no guarantee the Phillies will look to him when injuries strike their infield.

Drury went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves.

More interestingly, the third baseman was in the leadoff spot even though Billy McKinney and Randal Grichuk were both in the Jays' lineup as well. The identity of the players likely to hit at the top of the Toronto order remains one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in the Toronto camp. If Drury can put himself in that mix despite his .314 career OBP, his fantasy value could get a boost.

Petit was released by the Phillies on Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Petit's chances of breaking camp with the team were always slim at best. He'll look to sign a minor-league deal elsewhere.

Semien went 3-for-6 with an RBI single and a run in an extra-innings loss to the Mariners in Tokyo, Japan on Thursday.

Semien's parlayed his move to the leadoff spot into one of two multi-hit efforts for the Athletics on the evening, and his fifth-inning single that drove home Matt Olson produced the team's first run. Semien's quest to put together an impressive contract year is off to a fine start, as he went 4-for-8 with two RBI and two runs over the season-opening two-game set against the Mariners.