MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Seager (elbow) will play Opening Day against the Diamondbacks, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager will also play in the three-game exhibition series against the Angels leading up to to the regular-season opener March 28. It's quite a statement from Roberts, as the 24-year-old has yet to make an appearance in a Cactus League game this spring. According to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, the young shortstop will play in minor-league games Sunday and Monday as he ramps up towards his Cactus League debut. Seager hasn't experienced any setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow this spring, but the Dodgers have understandably been cautious with his return.

Crawford went 3-for-4 with a run scored, three RBI and a double in Saturday's spring game against the Padres.

Crawford started spring off slowly (0-for-11) but appears to be heating up with Opening Day drawing closer. The 32-year-old slashed .254/.325/.394 with 14 home runs over 151 games in 2018 and is set for another season as the Giants' starting shortstop.

DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a split-squad loss to the Astros on Friday.

DeJong's second-inning solo shot to left center represented a rare taste of offensive success for the shortstop this spring, as he's still hitting just .167 over 30 spring at-bats following Friday's production. Nevertheless, the outlook is optimistic for the 25-year-old during the upcoming season due to his possible move to the No. 3 spot in the order, as well as his overall talent. DeJong notably hit in the cleanup spot Friday, however, but that slotting would also certainly be conducive to RBI production if it meant he was immediately preceded in the lineup by prize offseason acquisition Paul Goldschmidt.

Seager (elbow/hip) is expected to make his Cactus League debut at some point next week, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager hasn't reported any setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow or hip during camp, but the Dodgers have nonetheless chosen to take things slowly with the young shortstop coming off a pair of major operations. He finally looks to be nearing the end of the lengthy rehab process, as manager Dave Roberts noted that Seager will play five innings in the field in a minor-league game Saturday and then log a seven-inning appearance on the back fields Sunday. Assuming Seager responds well to playing on back-to-back days, he could see his first spring action with the Dodgers as soon as Tuesday versus the Indians.

Seager (illness) is scheduled to play five innings at shortstop in a minor-league game Saturday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager took the field for three innings Thursday, and he'll ramp up to five frames Saturday as he works his way back from multiple injuries. He's coming off Tommy John surgery and hip surgery and has had a slow start to spring after coming down with an illness, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. Seager should have a good shot at being ready for Opening Day if he continues on his current pace.

Rojas went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Starting at third base and hitting second, Rojas pushed his spring slash line up to .462/.481/.500 through 27 plate appearances, although Thursday's two-bagger has been the only one of his 12 hits to go for extra bases. The 30-year-old is competing with JT Riddle for the starting shortstop job in Miami, but the most likely outcome will see the two share the workload at the position during the season, with Rojas also seeing action elsewhere on the infield as needed. If he can keep the power gains he made last year while hitting closer to the .290 average he posted in 2017, Rojas could have some sneaky fantasy value this season.

Seager (illness) played three innings at shortstop and logged two at-bats in a minor-league camp game on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

It was the first time Seager had played shortstop in a game since May 2018, and the 24-year-old got one defensive rep on an infield single while also going 0-for-2 at the plate. Seager was recovering from Tommy John surgery and a hip injury this spring before he came down with his recent illness, but manager Dave Roberts did say last week he thinks his young shortstop "absolutely" stands a chance at being ready to go for Opening Day on March 28.

Turner went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Braves.

He took Kevin Gausman deep in the first inning for his first homer of the spring. Turner is hitting just .231 (6-for-26) through 10 games, but his 4:5 BB:K and 2-for-2 success rate on the basepaths indicates there's no cause for concern. The shortstop will open the season hitting near the top of a potent Nats order, and should be considered among the favorites to lead MLB in steals in 2019.

Ahmed went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Ahmed is batting .318 (7-for-22) this spring, a good sign after the shortstop fell to .234 in 2018. He played 153 games last season, but the recent acquisition of Adam Jones could put a crimp in his playing time this year. Manager Torey Lovullo plans to get Ketel Marte into lineup nearly every day and will rotate him between center field, second base and shortstop to accommodate Jones.

Seager (illness) will play defense in a minor-league contest Thursday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager had been delayed to start camp while he recovered from Tommy John surgery and hip surgery and then suffered a further delay when he came down with an illness. He had hit in minor-league action but will take the field for the first time in the Cactus League on Thursday. He'll have two weeks to get prepared for Opening Day.