MLB Player News

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.

Seager (illness) could start playing defense in minor-league games by the end of the week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Seager has had a bit of a rocky spring. He entered camp still recovering from Tommy John surgery and hip surgery and had been restricted to the designated hitter spot in minor-league games early in March. That process has been delayed for a week while the shortstop battles an illness. If he's able to take the field by Thursday, he'd still have a full two weeks to get ready for Opening Day, though the illness has robbed him of any room for setbacks.

Seager (illness) remains out of the lineup Monday against the Giants.

The Dodgers have an off day Tuesday, so a couple extra days should allow Seager to get healthy for Wednesday's game. Daniel Castro is starting at shortstop in his place.

Arcia went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Arcia launched his first home run of the spring in the fourth inning, bringing the Brewers within one run after Chicago jumped out to a 5-0 lead. He's seen plenty of time in the leadoff role so far in camp, but he slotted into the No. 6 spot in the order Sunday, which is closer to where he'll sit during the regular season.

Edman went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in a 9-3 Grapefruit League loss to the Astros on Saturday.

The promising non-roster invitee snacked his first round tripper of spring off Colin McHugh in the second inning with Harrison Bader aboard to extend the Cardinals' lead to 3-0 at the time. Glenn Sattell of MLB.com reports that Edman also flashed his defensive prowess in the top half of the frame with a nifty backhand of a Tyler White grounder and subsequent strong throw to first to retire him. Edman then doubled A.J. Reed off second base in the fifth after snagging a blooper in shallow center, making it a stellar all-around performance. The 23-year-old is projected to kick off the 2019 regular season at Triple-A Memphis, where he already slashed an impressive .318/.382/.394 across 76 plate appearances at the end of last season.

Seager (illness) is out of the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com relayed a day earlier that Seager could make his spring debut Saturday, but the Dodgers evidently felt the shortstop could benefit from at least another day of rest. Seager's recent bout with the illness remains a lesser concern for the Dodgers than his surgically repaired elbow, which limited him to just 26 games in 2018. The Dodgers remain optimistic that Seager will be able to pick up enough at-bats and infield work this spring to guarantee his availability for Opening Day.