MLB Player News

Owings is starting in center field in Monday's season opener versus the Rockies.

After A.J. Pollock (elbow) went down, Owings was tested out in center field and apparently put together a good enough showing to get the start in center on Opening Day. It's unclear how often he'll appear there, but it could increase how frequently he gets into the lineup over the season and potentially expand his position eligibility.

Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Monday to take Tommy Pham's (oblique) spot on the roster, MLB.com reports.

Diaz will push Jedd Gyorko for playing time at shortstop. The Cardinals signed Diaz to a four-year, $8 million deal in 2014, so he'll likely get some chances to show what he can do while Ruben Tejada and Jhonny Peralta are on the disabled list.

Baez (thumb) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Baez is dealing with a thumb contusion, though it isn't thought to be a long-term concern. Look for the utility infielder with power upside to rejoin the Cubs shortly after the 15-day minimum.

Tejada (quadriceps) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Tejada was the frontrunner to open the season as the starting shortstop in place of the injured Jhonny Peralta (thumb), but will be placed on the shelf after suffering a left quadriceps strain in Thursday's Grapefruit League game. As a result, look for Jedd Gyorko to serve as the Cardinals' primary shortstop until Tejada is cleared to return.

Owings will start in center field in Saturday's spring game.

Owings has never played center field in a big league game, but he saw action in center after A.J. Pollock (elbow) left Friday's spring game and will start there Saturday, so it appears the Diamondbacks are evaluating him to potentially take some of the playing time in center field opened up by Pollock's injury. If Owings proves capable of handling center field, he will likely open the regular season in a sort of super-utility role.

Manager Chip Hale said Friday that Ahmed, Chris Owings and Jean Segura will rotate around between second base and shortstop, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

All three players have been raking throughout the spring -- Ahmed has gone 26-for-62 (.419 average) -- and all three will be rewarded with a role at the major league level. Segura is expected to receive everyday playing time, so Ahmed and Owings, both right-handed hitters, will effectively continue their competition for at-bats into the regular season.

Manager Chip Hale said Friday that Owings, Nick Ahmed and Jean Segura will rotate around between second base and shortstop to start the season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

General manager Dave Stewart had previously expressed some reluctance to rotate the three players between the two middle-infield spots, but the team will go that route to begin the year. Segura is expected to see everyday at-bats, so Owings and Ahmed, both right-handed hitters, will probably play only on a part-time basis.

Crawford is batting .333 with a 1.012 OPS through 51 spring plate appearances.

After having a breakout year during his age-28 season, fantasy owners are wondering if Crawford can come close to last year's All-Star performance. While spring training stats don't hold a lot of weight, it is good to see him repeating his power numbers early on in 2016. Given the scarcity of fantasy-friendly shortstops, he should be considered a premium option to start the season.

Seager (knee) went 2-for-2 with a run scored Thursday against the Angels.

He did make an error, but Seager showed no ill effects of his sore knee. He's set to play Friday and Saturday as well and is good to go for Opening Day.

Crawford will open the season at Double-A Reading, Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Crawford, 21, is the top prospect in the Phillies' minor league system. He hit .265/.354/.407 with five home runs and seven steals in 351 at-bats with Double-A Reading last season. He should see time in Triple-A later this year and could be pushing for a job in the majors as soon as next season.