MLB Player News

Despite Mondesi's slow start in 2017, Royals general manager Dayton Moore said he believes the young second baseman gives the team its best chance to win right now, Sam Mellinger of The Kansas City Star reports.

After a somewhat surprising victory in spring's position battle against Whit Merrifield, Mondesi doesn't look much like a major leaguer so far in the regular season. Through nine games and 30 plate appearances, the 21-year-old is slashing .148/.179/.259 with nine strikeouts. Meanwhile, down on the farm in Omaha, Merrifield is manhandling Triple-A pitchers to the tune of .364/.400/.864 with three home runs through six games. Mondesi has the support of Royals management, and there's no challenging that he's the face of the future. However, something has to give if the trends of Mondesi and Merrifield continue as is.

Adrianza (oblique) is scheduled to appear in a game at extended spring training Monday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The utility infielder graduated to tee work and fielding drills earlier in the week, and it seems like he's on the mend and close to getting back into full game action. As long as everything goes well at extended spring training, he could embark on a rehab assignment in the next week or so.

Anderson will bat leadoff for Friday's series opener versus the Twins.

Anderson has primarily slotted in the two-hole of Chicago's batting order, but manager Rick Renteria decided to keep him atop the order after he led off Thursday's contest with a round-tripper. With this move, he'll bump Tyler Saladino back to the second spot, which could afford Anderson some more run-scoring opportunities with another solid bat hitting behind him.

Adames is just 3-for-29 (.103) through seven games for Triple-A Durham.

Adames has struck out nine times over that span, and it appears he will need some seasoning at this level before hitting the big leagues. Still, at just 21 years of age, Adames has double-digit potential in both home runs and steals at a rather thin fantasy position, making him a valuable commodity.

Anderson went 1-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-4 win over the Indians.

With Tyler Saladino getting a night off, Anderson was moved up the leadoff spot and opened the game with a homer. That's good, but Anderson's not a traditional leadoff bat and has been even less so in 2017. He hasn't walked over his first 36 plate appearances and has swung at 56.6 percent of the pitches he's seen (13th in MLB), including 44.4 percent of offerings outside the zone (sixth). Manager Rick Renteria said during spring training that he has no qualms about using Anderson atop the order, but it appears his bat might play better further down.

Bogaerts went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI in Wednesday's 12-5 loss to the Orioles.

He had just two hits on the season coming into the game, but it was only a matter of time before Bogaerts began to bust out at the plate. The 24-year-old is coming off a career year, but given his age and offensive potential, the best may be yet to come.

Anderson went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Indians.

Anderson's batting average finally reached .200 after spending the first six games of the season below the Mendoza line. Over 30 at-bats, he has six singles, one RBI, no walks and a team-leading 10 strikeouts. Manager Rick Renteria said the second-year shortstop's been chasing pitches outside the zone, according to Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.

Adrianza (oblique) hit off a tee and took part in baserunning and fielding work Tuesday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press's Mike Berardino reports.

Adrianza is progressing nicely as he works his way back from the oblique injury, but it will most likely be a few weeks before he returns. The 27-year-old, currently on the 10-day disabled list, will either be with the big-league club or put on waivers, since he no longer has any remaining options.

Lindor went 1-for-2 with two walks and a solo home run in Tuesday's 2-1 extra-inning win over the White Sox.

He's already got four homers through seven games, and the 23-year-old looks set to take his power game to another level after connecting on a career-high 15 home runs last season. Lindor's stellar defense may have overshadowed his offensive upside coming up through the Indians system, but he seems intent on establishing himself as perhaps the game's best all-around shortstop in 2017.

Bichette is 6-for-15 (.400) with a home run, two doubles and six runs scored through his first four games with Low-A Lansing.

The Jays' No. 6 prospect, and son of former big-league slugger Donte Bichette, went deep on Opening Day for the Lugnuts. After dominating rookie ball last year, Bichette is embarking on his first full season as a professional. The 19-year-old, who was drafted in the second round in 2016, appears destined to do battle with Richard Urena (the club's No. 5 prospect) for the title of heir apparent to Troy Tulowitski.