MLB Player News

Owings is hitting fifth and starting in right field Friday against the Rockies.

With Steven Souza (pectoral) out, it appears the Diamondbacks will operate with a platoon in right field where Jarrod Dyson starts against righties and Owings starts against lefties. This platoon has nothing to do with Owings' performance against lefties (72 wRC+ for his career), and everything to do with Dyson's struggles (59 wRC+).

Turner is batting sixth and playing shortstop in Friday's game against the Reds.

It's something of a surprise to see Turner moved down the order, as he hit exclusively first or second for the Nationals last season. He has prototypical leadoff man speed, though that trait has been decreasing in importance recently compared to on-base ability. Turner is respectable in that regard, with a .348 career on-base percentage, but Friday's leadoff man Adam Eaton and number two hitter Anthony Rendon both have .358 career figures. New Nationals manager Dave Martinez could be using that to drive his decision. It remains to be seen whether Turner will remain in the sixth spot or if this lineup is simply a one-off. If he sticks at sixth, it would drive down his run-scoring potential and his total plate appearances, which could leave him with fewer chances to steal bases.

Ahmed went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and two runs in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Rockies.

Ahmed opened the past season as the primary backup at shortstop behind Chris Owings, but the two are set to flip roles in 2018 with Owings transitioning to utility work in the infield and outfield. The prospect of more consistent plate appearances improves Ahmed's fantasy outlook, but probably not enough to make him an interesting commodity outside of NL-only formats. Even in what was a career year at the plate in 2017, Ahmed slashed just .251/.298/.419 across 178 plate appearances, which was good for a 76 wRC+.

The Braves placed Camargo (oblique) on the 10-day disabled list Thursday, MLB.com reports.

The DL stint is retroactive to March 26, so Camargo could be activated as soon as April 5. Even if he's not quite ready to go by that time, Camargo doesn't seem likely to miss much more than the minimum 10 days, as he's already resumed running and hitting since suffering the right oblique strain. He'll likely take over as the Braves' primary third baseman once he's healthy.

Cordoba (concussion) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday.

Cordoba is expected to land on the 60-day disabled list, but the Padres don't need a 40-man roster spot at the moment, so they'll hold off on making that move for now. He's still suffering from concussion-like symptoms stemming from a mid-February car crash, and at this point, his return to baseball activities is not imminent. Cordoba, who hit .208/.282/.297 across 227 plate appearances as a Rule 5 pick last season, is expected to report to the minors once he's healthy enough to return to game action.

Anna was traded to Philadelphia on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

Anna appeared in 114 games at the Triple-A level last season for Omaha within the Royals' system, slashing .285/.364/.376 with five home runs and 33 RBI. He will likely report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the start of the 2018 campaign.

Rojas is slated to serve as the Marlins' Opening Day shortstop, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Rojas will likely have to settle for short-side platoon duty at shortstop once J.T. Riddle (shoulder) is back to optimal health -- perhaps in early-to-mid-April -- but he should get a look in a full-time role over the Marlins' first handful of games. Though he has held his own at the plate with a .340 on-base percentage in spring training, Rojas' marginal power and career .256 batting average make him ideally suited for a utility role in the infield.

The Padres are expected to place Cordoba (concussion) on the 60-day disabled list, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Cordoba is still suffering from concussion-like symptoms following a mid-February car accident, with manager Andy Green indicating last week that the 22-year-old is "not getting better at all" in his recovery. With Cordoba's return to baseball activities not imminent, the Padres will shut him down for the next two months and open up an extra spot on the 40-man roster in the process. After slashing just .208/.282/.297 across 227 plate appearances with the Padres last season as a Rule 5 pick, it's expected that Cordoba will report to the minors once he progresses to the point of playing in games.

Castro was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

Castro saw an opening to crack the Opening Day roster when shortstop Pat Valaika suffered an oblique injury during camp. With Valaika returning to action last week, Castro unfortunately saw his chances dwindle. He'll likely begin the 2018 season with Triple-A Albuquerque but could make his way back to the majors as a utility piece if an injury occurs.

Owings went 0-for-3 with a walk in Friday's 6-1 loss to the Indians, dropping his on-base percentage to .311 during Cactus League action.

The underwhelming spring numbers won't affect Owings' bid for the Opening Day roster, as his spot is secure with Arizona planning to use him as the club's top utility man. With Steven Souza (pectoral) slated to open the season on the disabled list and likely to be sidelined through mid-May, Owings could see most of his action in the corner outfield initially, perhaps working on the soft side of a platoon with Jarrod Dyson. Owings' experience in the middle infield could also afford him a start or two per week if manager Torey Lovullo wants to give a day of rest to either Ketel Marte or Nick Ahmed.