MLB Player News

LeMahieu is 18-for-57 (.316) with eight RBI and a stolen base in 18 Cactus League games.

The reigning batting champion continued his high-average ways this spring, and he even managed to crack one ball out of the park to produce a .491 slugging percentage. The only aspect of DJ Le's game that was absent from his spring performance was his propensity to draw walks, as he only collected three free passes during his time in Arizona. That isn't too concerning as it's most likely an attempt to focus on getting his swing back to last season's form from the get-go. LeMahieu is expected to slot into the Rockies lineup in the two-hole, which could help him top the 100-run plateau for the second season in a row.

Rendon has a bruise on his calf after fouling a ball off it earlier in the week but might play Friday, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Rendon's injuy doesn't seem as if it'll cost him much regular-season work, if any. Suiting up Friday would confirm his middle-rounds value in mixed leagues for weekend fantasy drafts.

Manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Wednesday that he would use Bregman as his No. 2 hitter to begin the season, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman has occupied that slot in the batting order for much of the spring, so Hinch's announcement doesn't come as a major surprise. The third baseman, who will turn 23 years old Thursday, struggled out of the gate in his first exposure to big-league pitching last summer, but closed the season out on a high note, delivering a .264/.313/.478 slash line over 217 plate appearances. Bregman flashed some burgeoning pop between the minors and big leagues last season to go with his impressive hit tool, and a cushy spot in the lineup between George Springer and Jose Altuve should allow him to rack up runs in his sophomore campaign.

Chapman hit a solo home run in three at-bats during Monday's 10-3 Cactus League loss to the Royals.

On what was a disappointing day overall for the A's, Chapman provided a highlight with his third homer of spring. The 23-year-old has enjoyed a solid exhibition slate while seeing plenty of reps against big-league pitching. He'll start the 2017 season in Triple-A Nashville, where he has plenty to provide after hitting just .197 over 85 plate appearances in 2016, despite smacking seven round trippers.

Rendon is sitting out of Tuesday's spring game after fouling a ball off his calf Monday, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

Rendon indicated his calf was feeling much better Tuesday, but the Nationals are still choosing to err on the side of caution with their starting third baseman. Consider him day-to-day until the Nationals note otherwise.

Plouffe (groin) won't play Wednesday, contrary to a previous report, CSN California's Joe Stiglich reports.

He was initially expected to return to game action against the Cubs on Wednesday, but will instead return to Northern California. The A's have three exhibition games against the Giants starting Thursday before Opening Day, and those contests will represent Plouffe's last chance to get back in game action during the exhibition season. Ryon Healy would presumably start at third base if Plouffe has to miss any time in April.

Wisdom was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Monday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Wisdom enjoyed an excellent spring, hitting .300 with two doubles, three home runs, six RBI, five walks, two stolen bases and seven runs over 37 plate appearances. He scuffled at Memphis last season, however, slashing just .233/.303/.374 over 294 plate appearances. Therefore, he'll look to build on the momentum he generated against big-league arms and put together a much stronger minor-league campaign in 2017.

Duffy's (heel) most recent MRI on his surgically repaired left heel came back clean, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The recovering shortstop also mentioned that after four days of rest and having his heel in a cast it actually felt "normal," certainly a cautiously optimistic sign for a player whose progress has often appeared to stagnate this spring. Duffy will continue to proceed very deliberately with his efforts to build up strength and eventually test the heel, leaving his potential timetable for return still firmly up in the air.

Plouffe (groin) is expected to return to the Athletics' Cactus League lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The Athletics plan to hold Plouffe out for the next few days after he tweaked an abductor muscle Saturday, but the team isn't concerned about the 30-year-old missing much time. After taking some time off to rest, Plouffe is expected to receive an at-bat or two Wednesday, putting him well on track to be ready for Opening Day. He's projected to serve as the team's primary third baseman this season.

Asche went 2-for-3 with a home run in Saturday's game against the Indians.

The homer was the fourth of the spring for Asche, who is hitting .316/.469/.763 in 38 spring at-bats. A non-roster invitee, Asche is making a big push for an Opening Day roster spot. He can play the corner spots in the infield and outfield, which makes him an ideal solution for backing up Melky Cabrera in left field and Todd Frazier at third base.