MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Seager (elbow) will play Opening Day against the Diamondbacks, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager will also play in the three-game exhibition series against the Angels leading up to to the regular-season opener March 28. It's quite a statement from Roberts, as the 24-year-old has yet to make an appearance in a Cactus League game this spring. According to Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, the young shortstop will play in minor-league games Sunday and Monday as he ramps up towards his Cactus League debut. Seager hasn't experienced any setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow this spring, but the Dodgers have understandably been cautious with his return.

Crawford went 3-for-4 with a run scored, three RBI and a double in Saturday's spring game against the Padres.

Crawford started spring off slowly (0-for-11) but appears to be heating up with Opening Day drawing closer. The 32-year-old slashed .254/.325/.394 with 14 home runs over 151 games in 2018 and is set for another season as the Giants' starting shortstop.

DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a split-squad loss to the Astros on Friday.

DeJong's second-inning solo shot to left center represented a rare taste of offensive success for the shortstop this spring, as he's still hitting just .167 over 30 spring at-bats following Friday's production. Nevertheless, the outlook is optimistic for the 25-year-old during the upcoming season due to his possible move to the No. 3 spot in the order, as well as his overall talent. DeJong notably hit in the cleanup spot Friday, however, but that slotting would also certainly be conducive to RBI production if it meant he was immediately preceded in the lineup by prize offseason acquisition Paul Goldschmidt.

Seager (elbow/hip) is expected to make his Cactus League debut at some point next week, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Seager hasn't reported any setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow or hip during camp, but the Dodgers have nonetheless chosen to take things slowly with the young shortstop coming off a pair of major operations. He finally looks to be nearing the end of the lengthy rehab process, as manager Dave Roberts noted that Seager will play five innings in the field in a minor-league game Saturday and then log a seven-inning appearance on the back fields Sunday. Assuming Seager responds well to playing on back-to-back days, he could see his first spring action with the Dodgers as soon as Tuesday versus the Indians.

Mondesi (forehead) will bat second in the Royals' Cactus League game against the Brewers on Saturday.

Mondesi had fantasy managers holding their breath when he left Thursday's game following a head-first slide, but the Royals later relayed that the speedster's removal was merely precautionary after he suffered a small cut above his eye. After receiving a routine rest day Friday along with some treatment for the laceration, Mondesi will check back into the starting nine and look to continue his torrid spring. He's produced a .949 OPS to go with a 4:5 BB:K across 12 games.

Adrianza went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI in Friday's spring game against Baltimore.

Adrianza slugged a pair of two-run homers on the day, one in the second inning and another in the sixth on the way to a 12-9 victory for the Twins. The 29-year-old shortstop continues to piece together a strong spring and is now 11-for-28 with two home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored.

Seager (illness) is scheduled to play five innings at shortstop in a minor-league game Saturday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager took the field for three innings Thursday, and he'll ramp up to five frames Saturday as he works his way back from multiple injuries. He's coming off Tommy John surgery and hip surgery and has had a slow start to spring after coming down with an illness, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. Seager should have a good shot at being ready for Opening Day if he continues on his current pace.

Rojas went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Starting at third base and hitting second, Rojas pushed his spring slash line up to .462/.481/.500 through 27 plate appearances, although Thursday's two-bagger has been the only one of his 12 hits to go for extra bases. The 30-year-old is competing with JT Riddle for the starting shortstop job in Miami, but the most likely outcome will see the two share the workload at the position during the season, with Rojas also seeing action elsewhere on the infield as needed. If he can keep the power gains he made last year while hitting closer to the .290 average he posted in 2017, Rojas could have some sneaky fantasy value this season.

Mondesi (forehead) is not in the lineup for Friday's spring game against the Rockies.

Mondesi was forced to exit Thursday's exhibition game after a hard head-first slide resulted in a cut above his eye. Manager Ned Yost indicated the 23-year-old was fine, and the issue shouldn't impact his status for Opening Day.

Mondesi is dealing with a minor cut above his eye, but will be fine after exiting Thursday's spring game, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Mondesi suffered the injury after a head-first slide into third base on a stolen-base attempt, but the Royals can breathe a sigh of relief as manager Ned Yost stated that his starting shortstop is just fine. Mondesi's status for Opening Day shouldn't be impacted by this minor issue.