MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday the Dodgers are "tracking" for Seager (elbow/hip) to be ready by Opening Day, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager appeared in just 26 games in 2018 before undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery. The shortstop opted for another procedure over summer to address a hip issue, but he's reportedly progressing well in his recovery from both operations. According to Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA, Seager is expected to open spring training on the back fields, where he'll need around 50-to-60 at-bats before being cleared for Cactus League action. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like Seager should be starting at shortstop for the Dodgers on Opening Day.

Castro signed a minor-league contract which includes an invitation to spring training with the Dodgers on Friday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Castro has spent parts of three seasons in the majors but has very little to show for it, posting a .210/.240/.265 line in 98 games. He's unlikely to earn a roster spot in Los Angeles this spring but has the versatility to cover anywhere on the infield should injuries strike the team.

DeJong could serve as the Cardinals' No. 3 hitter to begin the season, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Though offseason pickup Paul Goldschmidt hit third or fourth in the lineup for much of his time in Arizona, manager Mike Shildt acknowledged in December that deploying the first baseman second in the order behind Matt Carpenter was "in play," per Hummel. Goldschmidt was actually at his best while hitting second in 2018 -- he posted a 1.104 OPS in 47 games out of that slot -- offering support to the idea of the Cardinals "frontloading" their lineup with their top two hitters. With Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina likely earmarked for the Nos. 4 and 5 spots, respectively, DeJong looks like the best bet among the remaining Cardinals regulars to hit third, given the superior power he's displayed through two seasons in the majors. The shortstop's plate approach still leaves something to be desired and makes him somewhat of a batting-average risk, but any deficiency in that area could be offset by likely upticks in run-scoring and run-producing opportunities if he seizes hold of the No. 3 spot.

Cecchini cleared waivers Friday and was assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Cecchini was designated for assignment earlier in the week when the Mets signed Justin Wilson. His .294/.342/.468 line in 30 games for Triple-A Las Vegas last season was evidently not enough for another team to take a chance on him.

Cecchini was designated for assignment by the Mets on Monday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

The 2012 first-round pick was replaced on the 40-man roster by reliever Justin Wilson. Cecchini spent most of 2018 with Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .294/.342/.468. The 25-year-old owns a lackluster .217/.270/.301 triple-slash across parts of two big-league campaigns (36 games).

Sardinas signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Saturday, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Sardinas has received 500 major-league plate appearances across five seasons but has very little to show for it, hitting just .224/.274/.292. He's played all four infield positions plus left field, giving him multiple routes to the majors, but he'll likely only get called up in an emergency.

Story's elbow is feeling "great," Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Story experienced elbow issues in mid-September, which at one point appeared to be bad enough that Tommy John surgery was on the table, but he wound up missing just six games. He took time off after the season to let the elbow rest but has since resumed his normal routine without problems.

Seager (elbow/hip) said Saturday that he's trending well in his recovery and seemed cautiously optimistic that he'll be available for the start of the regular season, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager's 2018 campaign ended in late April, when he underwent Tommy John surgery to address a nagging elbow injury that had troubled him since the second half of 2017. With that procedure already keeping him idle, Seager also chose to address a torn labrum in his left hip with another surgery. Now several months removed from both operations, Seager has progressed to throwing from 120 feet, hitting off a tee and fielding grounders, though he has yet to resume live batting practice. It's expected that he'll add more baseball activities to his ledger within the next couple weeks before heading to spring camp, where he'll more than likely face some limitations in the early going following the lengthy layoff. So long as Seager avoids any setbacks and is able to get some competitive at-bats under his belt before Cactus League plays draws to a close, he should meet his goal of being ready for Opening Day.

Swanson hit off a tee for the first time Wednesday since undergoing offseason wrist surgery, although he's expected to take it slow at the beginning of spring training, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

He had surgery to eradicate a loose body in his left wrist at the beginning of November. While Swanson is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day, the Braves will take it easy with their starting shortstop this spring to prevent further issue.

Ahmed agreed to a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks on Friday, avoiding arbitration.

Ahmed's batting averaged decreased to .234 in 2018, although he belted a career-high 16 homers and drove in 70 runs in 153 ballgames. Whether he'll be able to maintain this kind of power over two straight seasons will be something to keep an eye on as the 2019 campaign unfolds.