MLB Player News

Bogaerts (shoulder) will start a throwing program Thursday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Bogaerts has been dealing with a sore right shoulder since early in camp. An MRI taken Monday revealed nothing serious, which seemingly leaves him with a good shot at being ready for Opening Day. He's been swinging for a couple days already and has now advanced to throwing; that's promising progress with the start of the regular season still four weeks away.

Wendle (face) started at third base and went 0-for-2 in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.

The valued veteran was back in action two days after being hit by a pitch in the helmet during Monday's game against the Twins. Wednesday's inclusion in the starting lineup corroborates the optimism manager Kevin Cash had expressed regarding Wendle's condition Tuesday, and the 30-year-old should be available without restrictions moving forward.

Franco went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates, with Adam Berry of MLB.com reporting the round tripper appeared to land on the roof of the Rays' office behind right field at Charlotte Sports Park.

The Rays will do their best to stick to what would seem to be a level-headed approach of giving Franco some more minor-league seasoning for at least part of 2021, but the elite prospect may simply force the team's hand with respect to speeding up the timeline for his majors debut. Franco's second-inning blast off reliever Miguel Yajure easily scaled the boardwalk neighboring the right-field fence before finally making its descent, giving him a very memorable first hit of spring after an 0-for-5 tally over his first pair of Grapefruit League outings. Franco should continue to see plenty of at-bats for the balance of spring training, and although his pedigree keeps any possibility in play, it's likeliest he opens 2021 in the minors, potentially at Triple-A Durham.

Manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that there is still enough time to build Bogaerts (shoulder) up in time for Opening Day, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Cora said Bogaerts is feeling better and that the team wants to be smart about his progression. The All-Star shortstop took 30 swings off a tee Tuesday and it sounds like he is questionable for the start of the season, although there is public optimism in that regard from the team.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said he expects Wendle (face) to play in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle was fortunate to escape with little more than a bruise on his face after he was struck by a pitch in Monday's game against the Twins. Unless the contusion presents some unexpected discomfort when he wears a batting helmet, Wendle should remain on a normal schedule for the rest of the spring.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that Mondesi has yet to make his Cactus League debut due to a sore foot, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Mondesi sustained the injury when he fouled a ball off his foot prior to reporting to camp. Matheny noted that the Royals are merely taking a cautious approach with Mondesi, who is feeling fine aside from the soreness. Mondesi will likely continue to take part in live batting practice and drills for the next few days before the Royals integrate him into games.

Bogaerts (shoulder) will take 30 swings off a tee Tuesday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Reports emerged Monday that Bogaerts would be shut down for a few days due to a sore right shoulder, though an MRI revealed no serious injuries. As it turns out, he's only being shut down from throwing. He's not yet ready for game action, but the fact that he's still able to swing a bat supports the idea that there's no cause for serious concern here.

Wendle escaped with nothing worse than a facial contusion after getting hit in the head by a pitch Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Thankfully, the pitch struck Wendle's helmet, so he was able to avoid serious injury. He's not expected to undergo any further tests, so he should be able to get back into game action within the next few days.

Bogaerts underwent an MRI on his sore right shoulder Monday which revealed nothing particularly concerning, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Bogaerts has been shut down from throwing for a few days, but the MRI backs up the idea that his rest is purely precautionary. The Red Sox expect him to be ready for Opening Day. If he suffers a setback, playing time could open up for Jonathan Arauz or Christian Arroyo.

Wendle left Monday's game against the Twins after getting hit in the head by a pitch from Lewis Thorpe, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

It's not yet clear whether the pitch struck Wendle's helmet or hit him directly in the face. He'll likely miss at least a few days but could miss more time if he winds up diagnosed with a concussion or another serious injury. Xavier Edwards replaced him as a pinch runner.