MLB Player News

Polanco (personal) will return to the lineup Monday against Boston, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco had been out since Tuesday for personal reasons, but the absence won't significantly impact his preparation for Opening Day. He'll play shortstop and bat second in a lineup that looks a lot like the one the Twins may use in the first game of the season.

Frazier went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks against the Red Sox on Sunday. He also stole his first base.

The 27-year-old, who is hitting .333 in Grapefruit League action, is expected to serve as Pittsburgh's leadoff batter. While he hasn't accumulated more than 406 at-bats in any of his three seasons, he's heading into 2019 as the team's clear starter at second base for the first time. As a result, Frazier is looking to build upon his career slash line of .280/.345/.422, knowing his bat will be in the lineup most games as a mostly helpful fantasy contributor in batting average.

The Mets reassigned Espinosa to minor-league camp Sunday.

Espinosa was a non-roster invitee in camp after signing a minor-league deal with the Mets in February, and his chances to make the Opening Day roster were always slim given the team's infield acquisitions this offseason. The 31-year-old didn't help himself this spring as he went 2-for-30 with one home run.

Forsythe started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a home run in Saturday's game against the Reds.

Forsythe, who was a late addition to the Rangers' camp, has three extra-base hits in his last four games. He's vying to be the backup infielder. His main competition is Matt Davidson, who struck out in two at-bats Saturday and is without a hit in his last 17 at-bats, during which he's struck out 10 times. Forsythe has played mostly second base and third base during his career, but he has exposure to shortstop (18 games) and first base (20).

Rengifo was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

Rengifo got to start spring with the big-league club, but with just 46 Triple-A games under his belt, his odds of breaking camp with the team were slim. He could push for a promotion at some point this year with strong numbers at Salt Lake.

Dubon (illness) will serve as the designated hitter Saturday in a minor-league game with Triple-A San Antonio.

Dubon's availability for the contest confirms that he's continued to progress well in his recovery from an intestinal illness and should be ready to go when San Antonio starts its regular season in April. The 24-year-old will probably make his MLB debut at some point in 2019 but isn't likely to be anything more than a utility man.

The Rockies reassigned Rodgers to their minor-league camp Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Rodgers appears on track to debut with the Rockies at some point in 2019, but cracking the Opening Day roster was always an unlikely outcome. With Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado locked in long term on the left side of the infield, Rodgers should see most of his action at second base at Triple-A Albuquerque this season in preparation for an eventual move to the big leagues. The Rockies will first see if either Garrett Hampson or Ryan McMahon can be a viable option at second base before potentially giving Rodgers a look.

The Cubs reassigned Short to their minor-league camp Saturday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear if the Cubs will assign Short to Triple-A Iowa to begin the season or book him for a return trip to Double-A Tennessee, where he spent the entire 2018 campaign. The 23-year-old delivered a strong .356 on-base percentage across 524 plate appearances in the Southern League, but a career-worst 26 percent strikeout rate factored heavily into his lackluster .227 batting average.

Polanco has been out of the spring training lineup since Tuesday due to a personal issue, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

It doesn't appear to by anything that will put his Opening Day status in doubt. Polanco hasn't done much at the plate this spring by hitting .250 (6-for-24) with just two extra-base hits (both doubles), but he's set to begin the season as the starting shortstop.

Altuve went 1-for-2 with a walk and played five innings at second base during Friday's game against the Cardinals.

Altuve played for the first time since May 6, when he was scratched from a game due to soreness in his side. He will get a day off Saturday before returning to the field Sunday, Alyson Footer of MLB.com reports. There is still plenty of time for the elite second baseman to get ready for the start of the regular season.