MLB Player News

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Thursday that Mondesi (foot) is "moving in the right direction," Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports.

Mondesi still hasn't made his Cactus League debut due to a sore foot that he sustained when fouling a ball off his foot prior to spring training. He'll work on running the bases and sliding Thursday as he continues his journey back to full strength. Matheny hasn't expressed much concern regarding the injury, but it's still not clear when Mondesi will be healthy enough to appear in spring games.

Bogaerts (shoulder) will start a throwing program Thursday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Bogaerts has been dealing with a sore right shoulder since early in camp. An MRI taken Monday revealed nothing serious, which seemingly leaves him with a good shot at being ready for Opening Day. He's been swinging for a couple days already and has now advanced to throwing; that's promising progress with the start of the regular season still four weeks away.

Cruz will start in center field Thursday for the first time in his career, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

"It's just adding something else to his tool box, and like we've talked about, versatility is important for our roster," manager Derek Shelton said. "So we're going to put him out there and see how it goes." While there's a good chance Cruz's final destination is right field, Shelton shifted him to center for this game because the angles are more similar to his old shortstop position. The 22-year-old is 1-for-5 with a walk in the early going.

Wendle (face) started at third base and went 0-for-2 in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates.

The valued veteran was back in action two days after being hit by a pitch in the helmet during Monday's game against the Twins. Wednesday's inclusion in the starting lineup corroborates the optimism manager Kevin Cash had expressed regarding Wendle's condition Tuesday, and the 30-year-old should be available without restrictions moving forward.

Franco went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League win over the Pirates, with Adam Berry of MLB.com reporting the round tripper appeared to land on the roof of the Rays' office behind right field at Charlotte Sports Park.

The Rays will do their best to stick to what would seem to be a level-headed approach of giving Franco some more minor-league seasoning for at least part of 2021, but the elite prospect may simply force the team's hand with respect to speeding up the timeline for his majors debut. Franco's second-inning blast off reliever Miguel Yajure easily scaled the boardwalk neighboring the right-field fence before finally making its descent, giving him a very memorable first hit of spring after an 0-for-5 tally over his first pair of Grapefruit League outings. Franco should continue to see plenty of at-bats for the balance of spring training, and although his pedigree keeps any possibility in play, it's likeliest he opens 2021 in the minors, potentially at Triple-A Durham.

Manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that there is still enough time to build Bogaerts (shoulder) up in time for Opening Day, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Cora said Bogaerts is feeling better and that the team wants to be smart about his progression. The All-Star shortstop took 30 swings off a tee Tuesday and it sounds like he is questionable for the start of the season, although there is public optimism in that regard from the team.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said he expects Wendle (face) to play in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle was fortunate to escape with little more than a bruise on his face after he was struck by a pitch in Monday's game against the Twins. Unless the contusion presents some unexpected discomfort when he wears a batting helmet, Wendle should remain on a normal schedule for the rest of the spring.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that Mondesi has yet to make his Cactus League debut due to a sore foot, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Mondesi sustained the injury when he fouled a ball off his foot prior to reporting to camp. Matheny noted that the Royals are merely taking a cautious approach with Mondesi, who is feeling fine aside from the soreness. Mondesi will likely continue to take part in live batting practice and drills for the next few days before the Royals integrate him into games.

Bogaerts (shoulder) will take 30 swings off a tee Tuesday, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Reports emerged Monday that Bogaerts would be shut down for a few days due to a sore right shoulder, though an MRI revealed no serious injuries. As it turns out, he's only being shut down from throwing. He's not yet ready for game action, but the fact that he's still able to swing a bat supports the idea that there's no cause for serious concern here.

Abrams started at second base and went 0-for-2 in Monday's exhibition loss to the Cubs.

The Padres' top prospect didn't log any time at second base during his lone season in the minors in 2019, but he figures to be considered for a transition to the position given Fernando Tatis' stranglehold on the shortstop job in San Diego well into the future. Abrams is only 20 years old and is likely at least a year away from being ready to stake his claim in the majors, so San Diego has some time to figure out where he'll eventually fit in its loaded lineup.