MLB Player News

Manager Dave Martinez suggested Wednesday that Turner will likely remain the Nationals' leadoff man to begin the season, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Martinez entertained the idea of moving Victor Robles into the table-setting role and dropping Turner down to the three-hole earlier in the spring, but the skipper is seemingly less inclined to go in that direction with his lineup. Specifically, Martinez mentioned that he likes having the tandem of Turner and Adam Eaton batting back-to-back, and Starlin Castro's high contact rate makes him a good fit as the No. 3 hitter, given the speedy players in front of him. Batting out of the leadoff spot is probably a best-case scenario for Turner for fantasy purposes, as he'll likely have free reign on the basepaths more frequently than he would hitting third.

Mondesi (shoulder) is taking part in more baseball activities alongside the rest of his teammates, though he's yet to get into game action, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Manager Mike Matheny described Mondesi as "tracking well," though the fact that he's yet to appear in a game with Opening Day just 15 days away doesn't seem to bode well for his ability to avoid a trip to the injured list. The Royals have yet to officially announce when Mondesi is expected back from labral repair surgery.

Correa went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Monday's spring game against the Tigers.

Three of Correa's six spring hits have been doubles. The Astros made a series of cuts this week, so regulars like Correa should get more at-bats and work on timing over the next couple of weeks. The shortstop is coming off a third consecutive year impacted by injuries, although when healthy, Correa makes a fantasy impact out of the middle infield.

Fletcher played center field "for the first time in his life" Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Fletcher has been getting reps in the outfield with the hope that expanding his defensive versatility will better allow the Angels to get his bat into the lineup. Fletcher ranked among baseball's best contact hitters last season, but the acquisition of Anthony Rendon and return of Tommy La Stella figure to significantly cut down the playing time he sees as an infielder in 2020.

Amaya was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Amaya received an invitation to spring training with the big-league club, but he'll join minors camp following Monday's round of roster moves. He reached High-A for the first time in his young career last season, slashing .250/.307/.375 with one home run and 13 RBI across 21 games.

Lindor suspended extension talks with Cleveland on Monday, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reports.

The star shortstop could still sign a deal with the Indians following the season, as he still has two more years left on his contract, but for now he'll focus on his performance on the field. The lack of an extension seemingly increases the prospects of Lindor getting traded, though it's hard to say how a hypothetical trade would affect Lindor's fantasy value, as he currently plays in a middle-of-the-road lineup in a park that plays pretty close to neutral.

Cruz was optioned to Double-A Altoona on Monday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Cruz played 35 games for Altoona last season, homering once and stealing three bases while hitting .269/.346/.412. Despite his unusual size for a shortstop (6-foot-7), the Pirates reportedly have no imminent plans for him to change positions.

Bichette went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

The young shortstop is still trying to consistently find his rhythm at the plate, but Bichette has hardly been slumping this spring, slashing .261/.346/.609 through 26 plate appearances with half of his hits (two homers and a triple) going for extra bases. He'll hit at or near the top of the order for the Jays this season as he looks to match or even build upon the .929 OPS he put together in his big-league debut last year.

Arcia hit his fifth home run of the spring in Sunday's split squad game against the Angels.

Arcia homered in his second exhibition game appearance and has not slowed down, adding four more long balls to his tally. Despite the spring power surge, it is still tough to expect much from him offensively given his struggles at the plate for the larger part of his career, and, in particular, the .199 batting average he posted after the All-Star break last season. Still, Arcia knows he will be pushed for playing time this season by both Luis Urias (wrist) and Brock Holt, and he is responding thus far.

Ahmed went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's spring game against the Rockies.

Ahmed, who hit a career-high 19 home runs in 2019, cranked out his first spring home run. The Diamondbacks made the soon-to-be 30-year-old shortstop a wealthier man during the offseason, inking Ahmed to a four-year extension. It's a payday earned by his improvements at the plate. All the advanced metrics (wRC+, contact rates, plate discipline, hard-hit percentage, barrels, etc.) indicate the improved bat is for real.