MLB Player News

Asuaje was purchased by the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization from the Rangers on Wednesday.

As expected, Asuaje will head overseas after the Rangers claimed him off waivers from San Diego earlier this month. The infielder played in 79 games for the Padres last year, slashing .196/.286/.280 with two home runs and 19 RBI.

Asuaje is expected to be purchased by the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization from the Rangers on Sunday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

Texas claimed Asuaje off waivers from San Diego, but he didn't figure to be anything more than a reserve infielder if he did stick around. Instead, he'll seemingly be headed to the hitter-friendly KBO, where he'll presumably work to recoup his value and garner more interest on the free-agent market in the future.

Chapman underwent surgery Friday on his left shoulder. The procedure was a distal clavicle resection procedure, and he will be ready to swing in six weeks, according to the team's press release.

According to the A's, Chapman felt problems with the shoulder in offseason workouts and was evaluated by the team this week. He'll begin physical therapy next week.

Chapman underwent surgery on his left shoulder Friday, and he's expected to resume swinging a bat again within six weeks, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Chapman reportedly began feeling discomfort in his shoulder during his offseason workouts, so he went under the knife to correct the issue prior to the 2019 campaign. The Gold Glover has now had two surgeries since the 2018 season came to an end, but Oakland fully expects their star third baseman to be healthy for spring training.

Manager Rick Renteria said Moncada could play some third base in spring training, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Renteria apparently talked to Moncada about playing third base in 2018, and the 23-year-old was open to it. While the added positional flexibility won't hurt, Moncada figures to provide more fantasy value as a second baseman. The 23-year-old hit .235/.315/.400 with 17 homers and 12 steals across 149 games last season.

Robinson was traded from the Rangers to the Cardinals on Tuesday in exchange for Patrick Wisdom.

Robinson split time between Triple-A Round Rock and the majors in 2018, hitting .303/.379/.569 in 53 games for the Express but struggling to a .183/.288/.294 line across 47 games with the Rangers. The 26-year-old should fill a utility role for the Cardinals while offering a left-handed bat off the bench.

Wisdom was traded from the Cardinals to the Rangers on Tuesday in exchange for Drew Robinson.

Wisdom was no longer needed as corner infield depth in St. Louis following the acquisition of Paul Goldschmidt. The 27-year-old spent the majority of the 2018 season with Triple-A Memphis, hitting .288/.363/.480 with 15 homers and 11 stolen bases across 107 games. He also made his major-league debut, slashing .260/.362/.520 with four homers and a pair of steals across 32 games for the big club. Wisdom currently projects as infield depth for Texas, though he could also compete for a starting job if Jurickson Profar is traded before Opening Day.

Rivera was outrighted to Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

The utility man hit just .173/.269/.216 across 111 games (160 plate appearances) with the Marlins in 2018.

Asuaje was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Monday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Asuaje has appeared in 175 games over the last three seasons with the Padres, hitting .240/.312/.329. Those numbers are acceptable enough for a utility infielder but hardly make him a fantasy asset, and the fact that he doesn't play shortstop may make it harder for him to win a bench spot in Texas.

Asuaje was designated for assignment by San Diego on Friday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Asuaje played in 79 games for the Padres this past year but slashed a dreadful .196/.286/.280 with just two home runs and 19 RBI. This move allowed the club to free up another spot on the 40-man roster while Asuaje will take a spin through waivers to determine if he will remain in the organization.