MLB Player News

Torres was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Pirates due to a tooth extraction, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Top prospect Anthony Volpe will get a turn at second base, where Torres is penciled in to start come Opening Day. Torres is off to a 4-for-8 start to spring training with a homer, and he should return to spring action within a few days.

General manager Rick Hahn praised Gonzalez's defensive versatility when speaking to the media at the beginning of spring training, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

For much of the offseason, Gonzalez was projected to start at second base for the White Sox. That changed when the team signed Elvis Andrus on Feb. 19, but Gonzalez could still make the big-league club out of spring training as a utility option. He's played every defensive position for the organization except first base, catcher and center field, which caused Hahn to draw a comparison between Gonzalez and Ben Zobrist.

The Rockies sent Rodgers (shoulder) in for an MRI on Wednesday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

After he exited Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers early, Rodgers was given a preliminary diagnosis of a dislocated left shoulder, but the MRI should offer more clarity on the exact nature of the injury as well as its severity. For the time being, the Rockies seem to be viewing Rodgers as day-to-day, but even if the MRI doesn't reveal anything overly concerning, the 26-year-old may be several days away from rejoining the spring lineup.

Vargas (finger) is hopeful to gain clearance to swing the bat in games by this weekend, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register Register reports.

For the second time in three days, Vargas will start at second base in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers, but he'll be limited to only tracking pitches at the plate when his turn in the batting order comes up. However, Vargas has resumed hitting in the batting cage without any apparent discomfort in his fractured right pinkie finger, so he sounds like he could be fully cleared within a few days.

Vargas (finger) told reporters Wednesday that he has started taking batting practice, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Vargas has been cleared to take BP, but hasn't been told when he'll be able to start swinging in games. The infielder suffered a hairline fracture in his right pinkie at the start of camp, but he's been able to play defense, and the fact he's already taking swings is a positive sign. Assuming there are no setbacks, Vargas should be ready for the start of the regular season.

Rodgers left Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers due to a dislocated left shoulder, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters after the game that they had to pop Rodgers' shoulder back into place. The injury occured when the infielder was diving for a baseball, and a trainer had to help steady him as he exited. Rodgers will likely need to undergo further testing to see the severity of the injury, and there should be further updates before Wednesday.

Mendick (knee) is expected to begin playing in Grapefruit League games within the next week, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Mendick has been eased into action this spring after he suffered both a fractured fibula and a torn ACL in his right leg last June. The plan calls for him to get a lot of action at a lot of different spots once Mets camp thins out for the World Baseball Classic. The 29-year-old super-utilityman signed a one-year, $1 million contract with New York in December.

Lux also suffered a sprained LCL on top of his torn ACL, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

There was some belief that Lux had torn his LCL, but imaging revealed just a sprain. Unfortunately, the torn ACL suffered by the 25-year-old will keep Lux out for all of the 2023 season, as he will undergo surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on March 7 in Los Angeles. Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor are expected to get the majority of the reps at shortstop with Lux out.

Rodgers left Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers due to an apparent injury, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Rodgers got banged up as he was diving for a ball on the infield. A trainer had to steady him once he finally rose to his feet, but there's no word yet on the exact nature of the injury. Rodgers did ultimately walk off under his own power, though the trainer was sticking close at his side.

Donovan clubbed a two-run homer and added an RBI single Monday versus the Mets in Grapefruit League action.

It's the second home run in three spring training games for Donovan, who hit just five long balls in 126 contests for the Cardinals in his rookie season. Donovan is standing more upright at the plate this spring and, as manager Oli Marmol noted on Monday's ESPN broadcast, is making more of an effort to pull the ball in the air. He's also switched to a puck-style bat knob. It's worth tracking to see whether Donovan's newfound pop can be sustained while not taking away from his excellent plate skills.