MLB Player News

Ahmed received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right knee but is still expected to be ready for Opening Day on Thursday in San Diego, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

The 31-year-old dealt with soreness in his right knee earlier in spring training, and the issue appears to have resurfaced with camp winding down. It doesn't seem to be a serious concern, but it's not ideal for Ahmed to be dealing with an injury less than a week before Opening Day.

Manager Mike Shildt confirmed Sunday that Edman would serve as the Cardinals' Opening Day starter at second base, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Edman's standing as an everyday player wasn't in much doubt heading into the regular season, but Shildt's comments should provide more reassurance for the 25-year-old's fantasy investors. In addition to his grasp of a full-time role, Edman is expected to serve as the Cardinals' primary leadoff man, an assignment that could lead to more running opportunities after he went 2-for-6 on stolen-base chances in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. With Edman locked in atop the depth chart at the keystone, veteran Matt Carpenter is expected to begin the season as a part-time player for St. Louis.

Adames went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs in a Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox on Friday, pushing his spring average to .343 (12-for-35) heading into Saturday's action.

Adames has kept his foot on the gas at the plate all spring, with the rest of his line consisting of two doubles, a triple, two home runs, five RBI, five walks and eight runs across 40 plate appearances. The 25-year-old has only gone hitless in consecutive exhibitions once across that 15-game sample, giving him no shortage of momentum heading into the regular season and seemingly corroborating the effectiveness of the adjustments he made to his swing this offseason.

Urena was assigned to minor-league camp Saturday.

Urena was in camp as a non-roster invitee but was always a long shot to break camp with the team. He'll serve as added depth in the infield but won't necessarily be one of the first names the Blue Jays call on in an injury crisis as he isn't on the 40-man roster.

Adrianza's contract was selected by Atlanta on Saturday.

Adrianza was a non-roster invitee this spring but slashed .412/.512/.706 with two home runs, 12 RBI and eight runs over 20 Grapefruit League games. The 31-year-old's strong performance was enough to win him a spot on Atlanta's Opening Day roster, and he should serve as utility depth to begin the season.

Pena was reassigned to minor-league camp Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Pena served as a non-roster invitee during spring training for a second consecutive season and hit .211 with two home runs and six RBI over 13 spring games. The 23-year-old hasn't yet played above High-A but could advance to Double-A Corpus Christi in 2021.

Owings went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and one strikeout in Thursday's spring win over the Angels.

Owings put the Rockies on the board with a two-run blast in the second inning Thursday, and he hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth frame. Owings has performed well with a 1.128 OPS, four home runs and seven RBI this spring, but he should serve as utility depth for Colorado once the regular season gets underway.

Chang was informed Friday that he'd won a bench spot on Cleveland's Opening Day roster, source reports.

Chang gives the team an additional defensive option at the middle-infield spots, but he's unlikely to offer much at the plate if he's pressed into duty on a regular basis. Through his first 97 major-league plate appearances, he's hit just .179/.289/.262.

Diaz (hamstring) will bat ninth as the designated hitter in Friday's spring game against the Marlins, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

The 30-year-old hasn't seen game action since March 17 due to hamstring tightness, but he'll return to the lineup for Friday's contest. Diaz shouldn't have an issue being ready for Opening Day if he's cleared to play in the field within the next few days.

Strange-Gordon was released by the Reds on Friday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Strange-Gordon's chances of making the team diminished once the Reds moved Eugenio Suarez to shortstop. He also got hurt by Alex Blandino's strong spring.