MLB Player News

Castillo is hitting .346 with five home runs in 26 at-bats this spring.

Castillo will get opportunities this season, and he may even break camp with the big-league club, as he is already on the 40-man roster and looks like he could be a better option than Hoy Park, Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker, although all of these middle infielders are having good springs statistically.

Adames (calf) will start at shortstop and bat second in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.

Adames was pulled early in Friday's game against the Cubs after experiencing some calf cramping, but after a day of rest Saturday, he'll check back into the lineup to close out the weekend. The 26-year-old is positioned to begin the season as Milwaukee's everyday shortstop and should occupy a prominent spot in the lineup against both left- and right-handed pitching.

Manager Dave Martinez said Sunday that Adrianza (quadriceps) hasn't made any notable progress in his recovery from injury and is "still the same," suggesting the infielder isn't on track to make the Nationals' Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Adrianza was expected to open the season as the Nationals' primary utility infielder, but his projected absence could pave the way for both Dee Strange-Gordon and another player to break camp as one of Washington's bench options. A timeline for Adrianza's potential season debut isn't likely to emerge until the 32-year-old advances to full baseball activities.

Witt has won an Opening Day roster spot, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Witt tore through the upper minors last season, hitting .290/.361/.575 with 33 homers and 29 steals split between the two highest levels. He's carried that momentum through to this spring, hitting .407/.448/.741 in 10 Cactus League games. A shortstop by trade, Witt is expected to open the year as the Royals' third baseman, with Adalberto Mondesi occupying his primary position.

Adrianza's MRI revealed a strained left quadriceps Saturday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Adrianza himself believes he'll be ready for Opening Day, but manager Dave Martinez was skeptical. Martinez is seemingly the more reasonable of the pair, as it's tough to see Adrianza getting over a strain in less than a week, but he'll avoid the injured list for now.

Wendle got the start at shortstop and hit leadoff in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, going 1-for-3 to improve his spring line to .346/.393/.385.

Acquired from the Rays in the offseason, the veteran utility player will likely spend most of his time this season at third base for the Marlins. Wendle launched a career-high 11 homers in 2021, but his main fantasy appeal comes from his ability to make contact (.274 career hitter) and swipe some bases (42 steals in 57 attempts over 436 MLB games.

Adames was removed from Friday's Cactus League game against the Brewers due to a calf cramp, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Manager Craig Counsell said after Friday's matchup that Adames is fine, so it seems unlikely that the shortstop will be forced to miss time to begin the regular season. He should be considered day-to-day with just under a week remaining until Opening Day.

Adames left Friday's game against the Cubs with an apparent leg injury, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The nature and severity of the injury are not yet clear. With Luis Urias (quadriceps) opening the year on the injured list, the Brewers may have to turn to Mike Brosseau, Jace Peterson or Pablo Reyes at shortstop if Adames is forced to miss time.

Crawford (mouth) will bat sixth and play shortstop Friday against the Rockies.

Crawford returns to the lineup after missing the last two games due to a dental procedure. His brief absence should have minimal impact on his readiness for the upcoming season.

Crawford went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Thursday's 13-2 win over the Rockies.

Crawford had gone 0-for-10 across his first four Cactus League games, but there was never any real concern he'd get on track. The shortstop had a career year at 34 years old last season, posting a .298/.373/.522 slash line with 24 homers, 90 RBI, 79 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 138 games. Given his age and a career-best .334 BABIP fueling his offense last season, it's fair to expect noticeable regression in 2022. That said, he's likely to play almost every day since he's excellent defensively, and he should hit in the heart of the order.