MLB Player News

Drury has left Friday's Cactus League game against the Royals for undisclosed reasons, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Drury was replaced by Jose Gomez after being seen limping after he exited the field. There should be an update on his status by the end of Friday's game.

Villar (hip) is in line to return to Cactus League play Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Villar will have missed about a week of action with a left hip flexor strain. He's struggled so far this spring, going 1-for-14 with eight strikeouts and no walks, but he'll have time to sharpen up ahead of Opening Day. Villar is in line to be the Giants' primary third baseman.

Ibanez (finger) has been cleared for baseball activities and will work out with the Tigers on Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Ibanez was given clearance to ramp things up following an MRI on Thursday. It's uncertain when he might be ready to return to game action, but after getting injured in the first week of March, his chances of making the Opening Day roster haven't been helped by the missed time.

Rosario is batting .292 (7-for-24) through nine Cactus League games.

It's business as usual for Rosario, who will be the Guardians' primary shortstop to begin 2023. He posted a positive defensive runs saved (six) for the first time in 2022, so any lingering concerns about his overall game appear to be behind him. He also slashed .283/.312/.403 with 11 home runs, 18 stolen bases, 71 RBI and 86 runs scored in 153 contests last year, emerging as a steady presence in the No. 2 spot in the order.

Marte is batting .154 (2-for-13) with one double, three walks, one RBI and one run scored over five spring games.

Marte is currently at the World Baseball Classic as part of Team Dominican Republic. When he returns to MLB action, the 29-year-old will be Arizona's primary second baseman. After a brief dalliance as a center fielder, the Diamondbacks decided to move him back to the keystone due to injuries that were perceived as a result of him playing the outfield. As an infielder in 2022, Marte played 137 games, but his .728 OPS was his lowest output since 2016.

Stott has hit just .143/.172/.286 through his first nine Grapefruit League games this spring.

Stott will move from shortstop to second base this season due to the arrival of Trea Turner and the departure of Jean Segura. His role as the primary second baseman is unlikely to come under serious threat, but it remains to be seen whether he's a true everyday player or merely on the large side of a platoon. Edmundo Sosa (who has a 1.758 OPS with four homers this spring) started over Stott against southpaws in the playoffs, and the Phillies added another right-handed option in Josh Harrison in late January.

Estrada has gone 4-for-18 across eight Cactus League games.

Interestingly, Estrada hasn't recorded a single -- he has two doubles, a triple and a home run. The 27-year-old is expected to be the Giants' Opening Day second baseman, though it's also possible he's asked to fill in at shortstop with Brandon Crawford bothered by a knee injury that disrupted his 2022 season. Estrada enjoyed a breakout by becoming a full-timer in the majors last year, slashing .260/.322/.400 with 14 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 62 RBI and 71 runs scored over 140 contests. He should be able to see similar playing time this year, and the possibility of positional versatility makes him attractive in fantasy.

Lopez went 8-for-16 across four games for Italy during group-stage play at the World Baseball Classic.

It's a great showing for the light-hitting infielder, who also had seven RBI and a stolen base in those games. Lopez struggled at the dish in Cactus League play prior to the international competition, going 0-for-6 with two walks and two strikeouts across three games with the Royals. Lopez's best path to playing time is likely at second base, where he could challenge second-year infielder Michael Massey for a starting role. Lopez is also versatile enough to see time at third base and shortstop, so while he might lack an everyday role, he could push for playing time by carrying over his strong hitting from the WBC into the regular season.

Gimenez has gone 4-for-14 (.286) across four games for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic.

Gimenez also went 3-for-11 over five Cactus League games before leaving for the WBC. The 24-year-old infielder is once again projected to be the Guardians' top second baseman heading into 2023 after slashing .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 69 RBI and 66 runs scored in 146 games during his 2022 breakout season.

Villar (hip) said Wednesday that he believes he'll return to Cactus League games in a few days, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

He suffered a left hip flexor strain over the weekend, but it's been deemed mild and it sounds like he should be ready to play before the end of the week. Villar is expected to log the bulk of the at-bats at third base for the Giants this season.