MLB Player News

Mateo (knee) went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-3 Cactus League win over the Rangers.

The young speed merchant's long-awaited Cactus League debut was ultimately a dud from a statistical perspective, but all that matters is that he's back on the field. Mateo entered the game at shortstop for Marcus Semien in the fifth and promptly went down on strikes in both the seventh and eighth innings. The 22-year-old is likely to see plenty of reps during the duration of the exhibition slate, assuming there are no further issues with the knee.

Adames is in the competition for the Rays' second-base job alongside Daniel Robertson, Joey Wendle and Micah Johnson, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash said that the recent trade of Ryan Schimpf to the Braves on Monday opened up a little more competition at the keystone, paving the way for Adames to receive more reps in the Grapefruit League. Adames has gone 6-for-15 with one home run, five RBI and one double in seven outings this spring, The 22-year-old is likely a shortstop long term due to his plus arm strength and excellent hands, but second base is seemingly his only path to early-season playing time.

Seager (elbow) will play five innings at shortstop during a minor-league game Monday. Barring any setbacks, he will then take the field against the Rockies for Wednesday's Cactus League affair, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

This will mark Seager's spring debut in the field after participating in games as a designated hitter over the past few days. The 23-year-old has been dealing with an elbow issue for the entirety of the Dodgers' camp, but appears to be on track for Opening Day, assuming all goes well during the next week.

Wendle is competing for the Rays' second-base job alongside Daniel Robertson, Micah Johnson and Willy Adames this spring, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash said that the recent trade of Ryan Schimpf to the Braves on Monday opened up a little more competition at the keystone, paving the way for Wendle to receive more reps in the Grapefruit League. The 27-year-old has only appeared in 36 major-league games over the course of his career, hitting .266/.305/.339 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 109 at-bats.

Mondesi will be sidelined for a couple days due to arm soreness, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic reports.

Manager Ned Yost said that the injury was nothing serious and that Mondesi should be back in action by the weekend. Thus far, Mondesi has played in five Cactus League games, going 4-for-13 with one home run, four RBI and one triple while competing for a job in the Royals' infield.

Ahmed appears to be in line to open the year as the Diamondbacks' primary shortstop, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The front office reportedly largely attributes the team's 17-29 record over a 46-game stretch last summer to Ahmed being out with a fractured hand, as his defense and leadership at shortstop had been instrumental to the team's success earlier in the year. It's not hard to look at the Diamondbacks' moves this offseason and come to the conclusion that they really value defense, so Ahmed getting the bulk of the starts at shortstop would fit those values. It sounds like Ketel Marte will get the bulk of the starts at second base, giving the Diamondbacks a very strong middle-infield defense. Marte will also get the backup starts at shortstop, while Chris Owings and Daniel Descalso appear in line to serve as the utility options. Ahmed is the worst hitter of the bunch, and will offer very little fantasy value, even with close to everyday at-bats.

Mateo (knee) will enter Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers at shortstop to replace Marcus Semien, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Further solidifying that the infield prospect's knee issue is behind him, Mateo is listed as an available player on the Athletics' lineup card for Tuesday's bout. Mateo aggravated a left knee sprain in late February and missed the first batch of spring games. He'll now be able to play uninhibited with the big-league club before heading back to Double-A for the regular season.

Mateo (knee) is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the Rangers, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

The promising prospect has been slowed by the injury in the early going of spring training, but he's apparently well enough to make his long-awaited debut. Mateo's blinding speed is a subject of considerable intrigue among the coaching staff and his teammates, yet despite his superior physical gifts, the 22-year-old is expected to begin the regular season at Triple-A Nashville. Mateo hit .292 with four home runs and 20 RBI while also stealing 13 bases with Double-A Midland following his arrival from the Yankees in the Sonny Gray trade last summer. According to executive VP of baseball operations Billy Beane, he could potentially find his way to the big-league club at some point in 2018.

Owings is expected to bounce around at various positions throughout Arizona's infield during the 2018 season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Although it initially appeared that Owings would take on the role of the Diamondbacks' everyday second basemen, he is now on track to become a utility player with Nick Ahmed poised to see work at shortstop and Ketel Marte to play second base. That leaves Owings in more of a 'super-utility role' where he'll be expected to make starts at shortstop, second and third. The 26-year-old will look to stay healthy in 2018 after missing substantial time last year due to a finger injury.

Seager (elbow) could return to playing the field within the week, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The young shortstop has been able to hit in games as his time at designated hitter shows, but he's been hampered by an elbow injury keeping him from throwing in game situations. He began throwing to bases during drills over the weekend, although he still has some things to check off before a full return. At this stage, Seager seems to be on track to be ready for Opening Day, but his status is still worth monitoring over the course of spring training.