MLB Player News

DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and two runs in Sunday's 4-3 Grapefruit League win over the Nationals.

Fresh off a $26 million extension, DeJong went deep off Shawn Kelley in the eighth for what turned out to be the game-winning run. The 24-year-old appears to be heating up at the plate after a slow start to spring, now having homered in back-to-back exhibitions and racking up three hits in six at-bats overall during that span. DeJong also now has a trio of two-baggers following Sunday's double and appears set to build on a spectacular 2017 rookie season while serving as the everyday shortstop.

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Saturday that "it's possible" the team will frequently deploy its starting pitcher as the No. 8 hitter in the lineup, which may result in Crawford (eye) batting ninth on a regular basis, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Kapler noted that he likes the on-base skills Crawford offers out of the No. 9 spot, which he hopes can translate to more RBI opportunities for the Phillies' projected two- and three-hole mashers, Carlos Santana and Rhys Hoskins, respectively, when the lineup turns over. Even if Kapler nixes the plan to bat his pitcher eighth, Crawford would presumably just move up a spot in the order, which wouldn't offer much improvement for his run-scoring outlook. The 23-year-old, who was hit in the left eye in Saturday's Grapefruit League game but isn't in danger of missing much additional spring action, looks like a lower-end fantasy shortstop this season, though he retains more appeal in dynasty settings.

Baez (hamstring) said he feels "110 percent" healthy, though the Cubs held him out Sunday as a precaution, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Previous reports indicated Baez may be out until Tuesday, and that looks likely at this point. Though Baez said he felt ready to return to Cactus League action Sunday, Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said the team is just being careful with the 25-year-old. "This is the time of year where there's zero reason to rush anything," Hoyer said. "He says he feels good, and we'll probably be cautious, and that's the smart and prudent thing to do this time of year."

Seager (elbow) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat second in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Sunday will mark Seager's eighth appearance of the spring, but all have come as the Dodgers' designated hitter with the team reluctant to use him in the field while he recovers from the right elbow injury that plagued him late in 2017. It's expected that Seager will return to the field in a minor-league game Monday before returning to action at shortstop in Cactus League play a few days later.

Swanson is 5-for-27 (.185) with two home runs through 10 spring training games.

It's rarely ever wise to read too far into spring training stats, but it's fair to be a bit disappointed with Swanson's early spring struggles following his poor showing during the 2017 season. The shortstop's lackluster performance resulted in a brief demotion to Triple-A Gwinnett last year, and despite better results following his return from the minors, the former top prospect still closed the campaign with an awful .232/.312/.324 slash line. He'll be given time to right the ship this season, but the early results don't lend much optimism.

Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Crawford is "fine" after getting hit in the eye with a piece of his broken bat in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

It appears unlikely that Crawford will miss much if any time after a potentially dangerous incident. The 23-year-old infielder appears to be a lock to start at shortstop for the Phillies this season but will need an improved bat if he's to be anything other than a deep-league asset.

Crawford was removed from Saturday's game against the Rays after a piece of his broken bat hit him in the eye, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

Crawford was jammed on a pitch and a splinter from his broken bat popped straight up into his face. He was looked at by the team's trainer after the incident and removed from the game.

Baez (hamstring) will likely stay out of Cactus League action until the middle of next week, Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reports.

Baez received an MRI on the hamstring, but manager Joe Maddon didn't seem concerned with the results, stating that it was "minimal." Expect the Cubs to continue to take it easy with their infielder with a couple more weeks of spring games on the docket.

Manager Joe Maddon said that Baez (hamstring) still experiences some soreness and is not expected to take the field for another few days, Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reports.

Maddon went on, saying that "(the hamstring) is still bothering him a bit, we're trying to figure out exactly what's going on." This comes a day after Baez claimed he was feeling "100 percent" but is not entirely unexpected given that a hamstring injury typically takes more than a day to heal. Expect Baez to return to action early next week.

Cordoba (concussion) remains without a timetable for return, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

Cordoba suffered a concussion during a car accident in mid-February and still does not appear to be close to returning to action. The shortstop attempted to participate in some individual drills recently but apparently experienced some sensitivity to the light and workload, so the Padres quickly shut him down again. At this point, it's hard to say if Cordoba will be ready for Opening Day.