MLB Player News

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.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Bogaerts will be shut down for a few days due to a sore throwing shoulder, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

According to Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe, Cora noted that Bogaerts was feeling a little banged up upon reporting to camp last week after he accelerated his throwing program this offseason due to COVID-19-related restrictions in his native Aruba. The Red Sox are hopeful that a brief rest period is all Bogaerts will need to overcome his bout with shoulder soreness, and Cora said he doesn't think the shortstop is in any danger of not being ready for Opening Day, per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. During the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Bogaerts remained exceptional at the plate with a .300/.364/.502 slash line in 225 plate appearances, but the overall decline of the Boston lineup contributed to him finishing with relatively disappointing totals of 36 runs and 28 RBI over 56 games.

Downs went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's spring game against the Twins.

Downs showed why he's Boston's top prospect, entering the game in the fifth inning and belting a two-run homer. The next inning he smoked an RBI-single to right-center. Downs appeared at shortstop Sunday, but his long-term position in the organization will be at second base, which has been a black hole since Dustin Pedroia's balky knees eventually forced him to retire. The 22-year-old infielder spent 2020 at Boston's alternate training site and could open this year at Triple-A Worcester, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com.

Franco is no longer dealing with the shoulder issue that hindered him in winter ball and feels good to begin spring training, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Franco was diagnosed with biceps inflammation and shoulder soreness following an injury while playing winter ball, but he wasn't dealing with any structural damage or long-term issues. The Rays should continue to monitor his status early in spring training to prevent any further issues as he resumes baseball activities, but he should have a fairly normal spring as long as he doesn't encounter any setbacks. The league's top prospect will have his preparedness closely monitored while serving as a non-roster invitee during spring training, but he could be on track to make his major-league debut at some point in 2021.