MLB Player News

DeJong, who went 2-for-3 with a double, a two-run home run, three RBI, a walk and two runs in a 9-5 Grapefruit League win over the Yankees on Wednesday, is now hitting .308 this spring.

DeJong saw a dip in home runs and all three components of his slash line in his sophomore 2018 campaign, despite logging 46 more plate appearances than in his rookie 2017 season. However, there are high hopes for the shortstop going into his third campaign, and his body of work thus far this spring seems to validate that optimism. There have also been rumblings of a possible No. 3 spot in the order for DeJong to open the season, which would lay the groundwork for a potential statistical boost in multiple categories.

Manager Dave Roberts said Seager (illness) would remain away from camp Thursday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager's illness isn't viewed as anything serious, but he'll be quarantined for the day so as not to infect his teammates. If Seager is feeling better Friday, he should be cleared to resume workouts, but the illness is still a less-than-ideal development for a player who entered camp behind the rest of the Dodgers' position players while working back from hip and elbow surgeries. The Dodgers remain optimistic that Seager will be ready to handle an everyday role by the time Opening Day arrives.

Story went 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base and a run scored Wednesday against the Angels.

All of Story's damage came during his first trip to the plate, as he doubled and stole third before coming in to score on a sacrifice fly from Raimel Tapia. The shortstop's power-speed combo has been on display early in camp; he's 5-for-15 with a pair of extra-base hits and three stolen bases through seven Cactus League games.

Seager is not in camp Wednesday due to an illness, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Fortunately, the absence isn't related to Seager's elbow or hip. He was supposed to play in a "B" game Thursday, though it's unclear if that will happen now. Assuming the shortstop is able to return to game action in the near future, he should still have plenty of time to get up to speed before the start of the season.

Swanson went 1-for-2 with a single and a run scored in Tuesday's game against the Yankees.

Swanson played three innings at shortstop in his Grapefruit League debut Tuesday. According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, manager Brian Snitker wants Swanson to get his "legs under him" before playing back-to-back games, so he'll get Wednesday off before returning to action Friday against the Phillies (Thursday is a scheduled off day for the Braves).

Swanson (wrist) will make his spring debut Tuesday, according to 680 The Fan Atlanta.

Swanson's spring debut will come a few days later than the Braves initially anticipated, but he is finally ready for game action after undergoing offseason wrist surgery. Swanson will play shortstop and hit second in Tuesday's contest.

Seager (elbow/hip) will no longer serve as the designated hitter in a minor-league spring game Monday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager was originally scheduled to take four or five at-bats Monday, but it now sounds like he'll do that later in the week. Manager Dave Roberts downplayed the decision to remove the shortstop from the lineup, noting that it was for "no reason other than that we have a B game Thursday and he was going to take some at-bats in that game." Seager, who is recovering from hip and elbow surgeries, has not been cleared to play defense at this point, though he's still expected to be ready for the start of the season.

Reyes, who was hit by a pitch in the left triceps Sunday, remained in the game and later connected for his second solo homer of the spring.

Pittsburgh is playing the utility man all over the field, but how he handles shortstop might well determine whether he makes the Opening Day roster. He's appeared in seven of the team's first nine games and is off to a good start with five hits in 15 at-bats. The 25-year-old hit for a higher average with Pittsburgh (.293) than he did at Triple-A Indianapolis (.284) in 2018, so it remains to be seen whether he can replicate his early success. Reyes was caught in his lone stolen-base attempt for the Bucs last September but swiped 16 bags in minor-league play.

Turner went 2-for-2 with a double, three RBI, a walk, a run scored and his first stolen base of the spring Sunday against the Astros.

Hitting at the top of the order, Turner hit a ground-rule double in the third inning to plate a run, and he drove in a pair in the fourth on a single to left field. The 25-year-old shortstop is 3-for-11 with three RBI, a stolen base and four runs scored so far this spring.

Crawford went 1-for-3 with an RBI against the Rockies on Sunday.

Crawford finally picked up his first base knock of camp, breaking an 0-for-11 skid at the dish. He drove in a run in the sixth inning on a single to center field. The UCLA product slashed .254/.325/.394 with 14 homers and 54 RBI in 151 games during the 2018 campaign.