MLB Player News

Seager (elbow) will play five innings at shortstop during a minor-league game Monday. Barring any setbacks, he will then take the field against the Rockies for Wednesday's Cactus League affair, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

This will mark Seager's spring debut in the field after participating in games as a designated hitter over the past few days. The 23-year-old has been dealing with an elbow issue for the entirety of the Dodgers' camp, but appears to be on track for Opening Day, assuming all goes well during the next week.

Ahmed appears to be in line to open the year as the Diamondbacks' primary shortstop, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The front office reportedly largely attributes the team's 17-29 record over a 46-game stretch last summer to Ahmed being out with a fractured hand, as his defense and leadership at shortstop had been instrumental to the team's success earlier in the year. It's not hard to look at the Diamondbacks' moves this offseason and come to the conclusion that they really value defense, so Ahmed getting the bulk of the starts at shortstop would fit those values. It sounds like Ketel Marte will get the bulk of the starts at second base, giving the Diamondbacks a very strong middle-infield defense. Marte will also get the backup starts at shortstop, while Chris Owings and Daniel Descalso appear in line to serve as the utility options. Ahmed is the worst hitter of the bunch, and will offer very little fantasy value, even with close to everyday at-bats.

Owings is expected to bounce around at various positions throughout Arizona's infield during the 2018 season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Although it initially appeared that Owings would take on the role of the Diamondbacks' everyday second basemen, he is now on track to become a utility player with Nick Ahmed poised to see work at shortstop and Ketel Marte to play second base. That leaves Owings in more of a 'super-utility role' where he'll be expected to make starts at shortstop, second and third. The 26-year-old will look to stay healthy in 2018 after missing substantial time last year due to a finger injury.

Seager (elbow) could return to playing the field within the week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The young shortstop has been able to hit in games as his time at designated hitter shows, but he's been hampered by an elbow injury keeping him from throwing in game situations. He began throwing to bases during drills over the weekend, although he still has some things to check off before a full return. At this stage, Seager seems to be on track to be ready for Opening Day, but his status is still worth monitoring over the course of spring training.

Arcia is 2-for-17 (.118) with a run scored through six spring training games.

Fantasy players would have preferred Arcia get off to a quicker start with the bat this spring, but with just two strikeouts thus far, there is certainly no reason to panic. Regardless of how he fares the rest of the spring, Arcia will head into the regular season as the Brewers' starting shortstop as long as he stays healthy.

Crawford (finger) is in the lineup at shortstop Monday against the Rangers, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford jammed his right index finger Wednesday and has not appeared in the field since then, though he appeared as a designated hitter Friday and Saturday. He should be fully prepared by Opening Day barring any unexpected setbacks.

Seager (elbow) is in the lineup as a designated hitter for Monday's game against the Indians, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager has been battling an elbow issue all spring and has yet to take the field, though he has appeared in three games as a designated hitter. He's been shut down since Tuesday while working on his throwing program. Still, the Dodgers expect the young shortstop to be ready to take the field on Opening Day, and returning to the lineup to hit is a sign of progress.

The Cardinals finalized a contract extension with DeJong on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, DeJong's extension is worth $26 million over six years.

The extension, which is the largest deal in history for any player with less than one year of MLB service time, buys out DeJong's arbitration years and keeps him in St. Louis through the 2023 season. Though he carried only a modest pedigree as a prospect after being drafted in the fourth round by the Cardinals in 2015, DeJong was highly impressive in his first taste of the big leagues last season, hitting .285 with 52 extra-base hits -- including 25 home runs -- across 443 plate appearances. He'll enter the 2018 campaign as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop.

Crawford (finger) will start at shortstop Monday against the Rangers, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Crawford received reps at designated hitter Friday and Saturday before having Sunday off. It appears his finger has fully healed to give manager Bruce Bochy confidence to slot him in the lineup.

Seager (elbow) is scheduled to be in the lineup as designated hitter Monday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager doesn't yet have a timetable for a return to the field, but the fact he's OK to swing a bat is certainly encouraging. To further the story, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com says Seager will begin throwing to bases Monday, but it seems unlikely to be in live game action based on the other report. Despite an illness going around the clubhouse costing Seager a bit of time, manager Dave Roberts remains optimistic about his shortstop's Opening Day status.