MLB Player News

Seager (oblique) is scheduled to work seven innings at shortstop Saturday in a minor league game and is likely to return to the Dodgers after that, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

There wasn't any initial clarification about whether this replaces or adds to his initially scheduled Friday efforts in a minor league outing. Either way, the fact they're projecting Seager to rejoin the big club soon marks a positive step for the highly coveted fantasy shortstop.

Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Bogaerts batted sixth on a day the Red Sox fielded a lineup representative of one they could use in the regular season. The shortstop hit primarily out of the second and third spots last season when he was third in MLB with 652 at-bats. Opportunities will be fewer batting this low in the order, where protection could also become an issue.

Seager (oblique) will hit and play four or five innings at shortstop in Friday's minor league game, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

After appearing in Tuesday's minor league game as DH, Seager is now scheduled to return to shortstop for the first time since injuring his oblique. This is encouraging, as the 22-year-old has been sidelined for most of March with the issue. It will be close, but barring any setbacks in the field on Friday, he still has time to be ready for Opening Day.

Crawford went 1-for-5 with a pair of RBI in Team United States' win over Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic Championship on Wednesday.

The slugging shortstop shone on March's biggest stage, slashing .385/.429/.577 with six RBI while playing for his country. Crawford will now reunite with his Giants teammates in Arizona to close out the final weeks of spring training. Barring injury, the 30-year-old will serve as the club's everyday shortstop, providing a little pop and solid counting stats for his position.

O'Malley (appendectomy) returned to the clubhouse Wednesday after his Tuesday surgery, The Seattle Times reports.

O'Malley had been locked in a spirited spring battle with Taylor Motter and Mike Freeman for the utility role, but given the timing of his surgery and subsequent recovery, he's almost certain to start the season at Triple-A Tacoma. The most likely recovery timetable is 2-3 weeks, which pushes his return past Opening Day. Despite the fact he may have lost out on a roster spot for the time being, the impression he left with his play this spring was a lasting one, which could serve his chances of returning to the big league club later in the season. "He's played very well (this spring),'' manager Scott Servais said of O'Malley who has hit .278 in 36 at-bats. "Done a nice job at shortstop and wherever we've put him. We all know what Shawn brings. It's the high energy, great effort every time he's out there, whether it's a spring training 'B' game or we put him in late in a game in a big-league game."

Wendle will resume throwing on Thursday after being shut down with a shoulder issue, Joe Stiglich of CSN California reports.

Wendle hasn't appeared in a spring game since March 7 due to an undisclosed shoulder issue, though he recently underwent an MRI that showed no significant damage, which is positive news. The A's likely won't rush the 26-year-old back, as he's expected to start the year at Triple-A.

Bogaerts is hitting sixth in his Grapefruit League return Thursday from the World Baseball Classic, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Manager John Farrell said he likes Thursday's lineup construction, which may mean Bogaerts will bat sixth most of the time in 2017. For all his skills across the board at the dish, The X-Man may not get as much out of them hitting further down the order -- especially repeating the 115 runs he scored last year -- though this lineup runs deep, which should help his opportunities. Even with a slight downgrade, Bogaerts remains a useful core player for mixed league clubs.

Correa is scheduled to rejoin the Astros' spring training lineup Saturday after returning from the World Baseball Classic, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Correa sizzled in WBC play for Puerto Rico, going 8-for-20 with three home runs and nine RBI. Getting some work in Grapefruit League action will affirm his value as a borderline first-round pick in many mixed fantasy leagues.

O'Malley (appendectomy) is expected to make a full recovery within two weeks, The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

O'Malley was hospitalized Tuesday, and while he's expected to make a quick recovery, the appendectomy probably ruined his bid to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. Taylor Motter figures to start the year as Seattle's top utility man, but O'Malley could be back to push for the role before the end of April.

Cecchini was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Cecchini was in the conversation for a utility role with the Mets, but he and Matt Reynolds, who was also cut Wednesday, were always believed to be firmly behind Wilmer Flores and T.J. Rivera for those duties. The 23-year-old will now prep for a second straight season at Las Vegas, where he slashed .325/.390/.448 in 2016.