MLB Player News

Bogaerts is hitting sixth in his Grapefruit League return Thursday from the World Baseball Classic, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Manager John Farrell said he likes Thursday's lineup construction, which may mean Bogaerts will bat sixth most of the time in 2017. For all his skills across the board at the dish, The X-Man may not get as much out of them hitting further down the order -- especially repeating the 115 runs he scored last year -- though this lineup runs deep, which should help his opportunities. Even with a slight downgrade, Bogaerts remains a useful core player for mixed league clubs.

Correa is scheduled to rejoin the Astros' spring training lineup Saturday after returning from the World Baseball Classic, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Correa sizzled in WBC play for Puerto Rico, going 8-for-20 with three home runs and nine RBI. Getting some work in Grapefruit League action will affirm his value as a borderline first-round pick in many mixed fantasy leagues.

O'Malley (appendectomy) is expected to make a full recovery within two weeks, The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

O'Malley was hospitalized Tuesday, and while he's expected to make a quick recovery, the appendectomy probably ruined his bid to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. Taylor Motter figures to start the year as Seattle's top utility man, but O'Malley could be back to push for the role before the end of April.

Anderson (personal) was back in the lineup Tuesday and went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and an RBI in a game against the Rangers. He had not played since Friday.

Anderson, Chicago's newest multi-millionaire, showed why the White Sox locked him up for six years (with two team-option years) earlier in the day. It was the richest contract ever awarded to a player with less than one year of service time (115 days). The dynamic 22-year-old hit .283 over 99 games in 2016 with 37 extra-base hits and 10 stolen bases.

Bogaerts is on his way back to training camp and will start for the Red Sox on Thursday, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

Bogaerts and Team Netherlands were eliminated from the World Baseball Classic on Monday. He hit .227 (5-for-22) with seven walks, a triple, five runs scored and two RBI in seven WBC games.

O'Malley is scheduled to undergo an appendectomy Tuesday evening, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.

He was reportedly dealing with stomach pains Tuesday afternoon which escalated to the appendectomy diagnosis. Though no timetable for his return has been established, it is unlikely that O'Malley misses extended time. The 29-year-old will enter the 2017 campaign as the team's reserve utility infielder. For now, we'll consider him as day-to-day.

Anderson (personal) agreed to a six-year, $25 million contract extension with the White Sox on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

It's the largest contract ever given to a player with less than one year of service time in MLB history, as Anderson, the White Sox's presumptive shortstop of the present and future, decided to prioritize earlier financial security over long-term earning potential. The contract will allow the White Sox to retain Anderson's rights until he turns 31 years old, while also buying out his arbitration years and first two years of free agency. The White Sox are hoping that the 23-year-old can establish himself as a top-of-the-lineup bat in 2017 after he slashed .283/.306/.432 in 431 plate appearances as a rookie, while delivering nine homers and 10 steals.

Correa went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Puerto Rico's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Netherlands at Dodger Stadium in Monday's semi-final game in the World Baseball Classic, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.

The 441-foot homer, which was measured as the ninth longest in Dodger Stadium in the Statcast era, tied the game after the Netherlands took an early 2-0 lead. He also scored the game's winning run. Correa, a shortstop by trade, flashed his defense, too, making a key stop at third base. For the tournament, the Astros young star has been a key cog in the Puerto Rico lineup, hitting .400 (8-for-20) with three homers and nine RBI.

Anderson is out of the White Sox's lineup for the third straight game Monday due to personal reasons, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports.

Although only the first absence was planned for, Hayes reported that it was nothing to worry about. Anderson enjoyed a nice debut with the White Sox last season, as the 23-year-old slashed .238/.306/.432 with nine homers and 10 stolen bases in 99 games. He'll look to improve on those numbers in his first full major league season in 2017.

Mondesi (back) will man second base and bat in the leadoff spot in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cubs, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Mondesi had been out of action the last two days while dealing with lower-back tightness, but the Royals never viewed it as a long-term concern. With Mondesi back in action after the brief absence, he'll look to continue his stellar spring training, during which he's gone 13-of-30 (.433 average) with two homers and two doubles. Those excellent numbers may be enough to keep him ahead of Whit Merrifield and Christian Colon in the competition for starting duties at second base.