MLB Player News

Ahmed received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right knee but is still expected to be ready for Opening Day on Thursday in San Diego, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

The 31-year-old dealt with soreness in his right knee earlier in spring training, and the issue appears to have resurfaced with camp winding down. It doesn't seem to be a serious concern, but it's not ideal for Ahmed to be dealing with an injury less than a week before Opening Day.

Manager Mike Shildt confirmed Sunday that Edman would serve as the Cardinals' Opening Day starter at second base, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Edman's standing as an everyday player wasn't in much doubt heading into the regular season, but Shildt's comments should provide more reassurance for the 25-year-old's fantasy investors. In addition to his grasp of a full-time role, Edman is expected to serve as the Cardinals' primary leadoff man, an assignment that could lead to more running opportunities after he went 2-for-6 on stolen-base chances in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. With Edman locked in atop the depth chart at the keystone, veteran Matt Carpenter is expected to begin the season as a part-time player for St. Louis.

Adrianza's contract was selected by Atlanta on Saturday.

Adrianza was a non-roster invitee this spring but slashed .412/.512/.706 with two home runs, 12 RBI and eight runs over 20 Grapefruit League games. The 31-year-old's strong performance was enough to win him a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster, and he should serve as utility depth to begin the season.

Owings went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and one strikeout in Thursday's spring win over the Angels.

Owings put the Rockies on the board with a two-run blast in the second inning Thursday, and he hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth frame. Owings has performed well with a 1.128 OPS, four home runs and seven RBI this spring, but he should serve as utility depth for Colorado once the regular season gets underway.

Arcia will split time at third base with Travis Shaw and at shortstop with Luis Urias this season, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The exact hierarchy among the trio remains unclear, but it looks as though all three could split time fairly equally. Shaw is the lone lefty in the group, so it's likely Arcia and Urias will both start against southpaws while alternating days off against right-handers.

Ahmed went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's spring game against the White Sox.

The home run was Ahmed's first this spring and a good sign he's locking in after missing time due to a knee issue. In three Cactus League games since getting back on the field, Ahmed is 2-for-8 with three runs scored. He's confident he'll be ready for the regular season, telling Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, "I'm going to get plenty of at-bats and plenty of reps defensively. I'm going to be fine."

Story went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and one walk in Saturday's spring loss to the Cubs.

Story's power has been on full display this spring, and he put the Rockies on the board Saturday with a solo blast in the fourth inning. The shortstop has appeared in 10 Cactus League games and has gone 7-for-28 with four home runs, one double, seven RBI and nine strikeouts. Story has played on consecutive days just twice this spring, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports. However, he'll occupy an everyday role in Colorado's lineup once the regular season gets underway.

The Reds optioned Garcia to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

This isn't a surprise -- Garcia hadn't started any of the last seven games for the Reds and had moved Eugenio Suarez over to shortstop amid much fanfare. Garcia will get more time to develop the bat and is still very much in the Reds' long-term plans.

Swanson has gone 7-for-21 (.333) with four doubles and a 3:6 BB:K over 10 Grapefruit League games.

He's still looking for his first spring homer, but otherwise Swanson has had a productive camp. The shortstop posted career highs in SLG (.464) and OPS (.809) last season, and the 27-year-old could be poised for a breakout campaign as he looks to build on that performance.

Turner has gone 5-for-25 (.200) through 11 Grapefruit League games with one double and one stolen base on two attempts.

On the bright side, Turner has drawn seven walks against seven strikeouts, but otherwise the shortstop is still trying to find his timing at the plate. There's little reason to be concerned with his performance after he slashed .335/.394/.588 in 2020 with 12 homers and 12 steals in 59 games, but Nats manager Dave Martinez has experimented all spring with Victor Robles in the leadoff spot, and a move down to the two or three hole in the batting order could wind up costing Turner some stolen base opportunities.