MLB Player News

Rays Vice President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom stated that Duffy (heel) should be good to go for spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

This is a very good sign, as it seems to confirm reports from December that the infielder was running ahead of schedule in his rehab process from surgery in September. As long as everything goes as planned during Grapefruit League action, Duffy should act primarily as Tampa Bay's starting shortstop during the 2017 campaign.

Peterson will begin the season on the Braves' bench following the acquisition of Brandon Phillips, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

He was already going to have to compete with Sean Rodriguez for playing time at second base, but after Rodriguez's shoulder injury led to the trade for Phillips, the depth chart at the keystone got shaken up. Peterson saw brief action last season in the outfield and one game at third base, but should transition into a utility role on a full-time basis in 2017.

Chapman, a 2014 first-round pick, will be a non-roster invitee in spring training, David Schoenfield of ESPN.com reports.

The 23-year-old played the majority of his games in 2016 at Double-A Midland before an 18-game stint at Triple-A Nashville to close out the season. Chapman supplied a combined 27 doubles, five triples, 36 homers, 96 RBI and a .237/.328/.519 line over 514 at-bats, but also tallied a bloated 30.6 percent strikeout rate. He'll get his hacks in against big league arms during the exhibition slate, and with veteran Trevor Plouffe signed to just a one-year deal this offseason, another year of seasoning could have Chapman ready to make the move to the major league squad in 2018.

Arenado will suit up for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

The MVP candidate will join a star-studded roster that also features Alex Bregman and Matt Carpenter to man the hot corner for the US. Arenado stuffed the stat sheet last season with 41 home runs, 133 RBI and 116 runs, and he'll look to build upon that staggering performance in 2017.

Urshela will have a fair chance to earn a reserve role on the team's 2017 Opening Day roster, Fox Sports reports.

Urshela's lack of plate disciple in 2015 (20.1 percent strikeout rate in 267 at-bats) cost him a chance at being the Indians full-time third baseman. The team made the moves necessary to eliminate Urshela from the lineup and sent him to Triple-A Columbus for the entire 2016 season. Now, with Jose Ramirez locked in at the hot corner and Yandy Diaz (the Tribe's No. 10 prospect) on the horizon, Urshela seems unlikely to ever capture a starting role with the team. However, adding the 25-year-old third baseman to the roster will allow Cleveland to showcase Urshela for a possible mid-season trade, which could give his fantasy value a boost. Urshela has the tools to be a decent everyday starter, just not for his current organization.

Peterson is expected to begin the season as the Braves starting second baseman.

He didn't do much with his 350 at-bats last year, and with top prospect Ozzie Albies knocking on the door, Peterson's hold on the starting job at the keystone may only last until Albies clears the Super-2 deadline in May, which makes him a risky fantasy investment even as a late-round pick. Long-term, Peterson may have to transition to a utility role to keep his spot on the 25-man roster.

Olt signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on Tuesday, according to a post on Olt's Instagram account.

The Red Sox, who already grabbed Josh Rutledge in the Rule 5 draft, continue to bring in potential replacement options in the event Pablo Sandoval is not capable of handling full-time duty at third base. Olt has a career .168/.250/.330 slash line with a 37 percent strikeout rate in 400 big league plate appearances. He is a long shot to contribute in the majors this year.

Reynolds will compete for a bench role with the Mets this spring.

He made his regular season debut for the team last year, but his .225/.266/.416 slash line and 35.4 percent strikeout rate in 89 at-bats were eyesores. Reynolds could win a utility role this spring, but with Jose Reyes and Wilmer Flores locked into similar roles and Ty Kelly seemingly having jumped him on the organizational depth chart, Reynolds will more likely head back to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the season.

Valencia could potentially see time at three different positions in 2017 while also receiving starts against either handedness of pitcher, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "Danny is there as a veteran guy who effectively can play every day," (general manager Jerry) Dipoto said. "He's been excellent against left-hand pitching. He's also been very good against righties for the last couple of years, and we're confident that first base will be an easy transition for him defensively."

The veteran lefty masher landed in Seattle as the result of one of several trades swung by general manager Jerry Dipoto this offseason, and his positional versatility is likely be exploited by his new team. Valencia is expected to primarily be part of a first-base platoon with rookie Daniel Vogelbach, but he could also see time at both right field and third base. The 32-year-old's career .321/.373/.500 line in 845 plate appearances against lefties essentially guarantees him a spot in the lineup any time the Mariners face that handedness, but his improved play against righties the last two seasons could earn him additional starts. While the team is excited about Vogelbach's potential, Valencia's veteran savvy and lively bat make for a great insurance policy. For his part, Valencia is pledging to keep himself ready and take on the mindset of an everyday starter. "I feel like that (first base) is most likely to be my primary position here, so I'll work hard just like I would if I was playing every day at third or every day in right or wherever it is," he said. "I take it seriously. I take a lot of pride in being a pretty good defensive player. I think last year my hamstring injury hurt me a little bit moving around at third base, but this year I'm fully healthy and I've had a really good offseason. I'm just excited about getting going."

McMahon received an invite to big league camp for spring training.

McMahon started 2016 off very poorly, resulting in a .242 average over 534 plate appearances with Double-A Hartford, though he did manage to get things going towards the end of the season. Perhaps his most significant problem was going down on strikes, which he did 30.1 percent of the time over the course of the season. The 22-year-old isn't really a candidate for a spot on the major league roster, but spring training will provide a good opportunity to get a look at McMahon against some tough competition.