MLB Player News

Manager Ned Yost says Mondesi does not have a concussion, but will take it easy for a few days, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Mondesi was involved in a collision at first base in Friday's Cactus League game, but left the field under his own power. These are likely precautionary measures taken by the Royals to better ensure long-term health for the youngster. Mondesi is having a great spring thus far, batting .450 with a home run and two RBI in nine games. The switch-hitter is in the midst of a four-way battle for the second base job and will likely return to the field soon, barring any setbacks.

Mondesi was removed from Friday's game after an apparent injury following a collision at first base, Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star reports.

It's unclear exactly what the injury was, but Mondesi was down for "a few minutes" before leaving the field under his own power. He appeared to take a forearm to the face, so a concussion can't be ruled out. Mondesi is part of a four-way competition for Kansas City's second base job, so any extended absence would be a major blow to his chances of breaking camp with the big club.

Seager (back/oblique) is still experiencing tightness and it's uncertain when he may return to the lineup, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

The plan was for Seager to return to action Saturday but manager Dave Roberts backed off that expectation Friday. To this point, the injury has been classified as an upper-back issue, but Roberts clarified that's it's actually a "mild" oblique injury. Seager still has time to ramp up toward Opening Day but this will be a situation worth monitoring closely.

Pennington exited Friday's Cactus League game for precautionary reasons after experiencing right shoulder tightness, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Pennington only played through the first inning before he was replaced at second base by Matt Williams. Consider him day-to-day for now.

At the request of Indians manager Terry Francona, Lindor will play at his normal shortstop position during World Baseball Classic, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

An argument could be made for naming either Lindor or Houston's Carlos Correa as the shortstop for Puerto Rico when the tournament kicks off. Lindor's MLB team would prefer there not to be a debate at all. "He's not going to get moved around the field," Francona said. "It was a strong request. We wouldn't do that here. That's probably putting him in a difficult spot." The skipper noted that -- after speaking with Puerto Rico's manager, Edwin Rodriguez -- Lindor will serve as the shortstop or designated hitter throughout the WBC.

Swanson (back) has participated in some fielding drills over the last two days and is slated to resume action in games over the weekend, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The blue-chip prospect's back soreness has kept him away from his normal work since earlier in the week, but Swanson appears to have taken a turn toward getting back on the diamond. Presuming he begins the season healthy, the 23-year-old should deliver a decent fantasy return. While the long-locked shortstop won't stand out in one particular category, his nearly across-the-board yield should do the job.

Diaz went 2-for-2 with an RBI double, another two-bagger and two runs in Wednesday's 9-3 Grapefruit League victory over the Nationals.

Diaz boosted his explosive spring stat line to .474/.450/.579 with the effort, with the pair of doubles representing his first extra-base hits of spring. The Cardinals' everyday shortstop heading into the regular season, Diaz will be a coveted fantasy asset in all formats, although it remains to be seen if the 17 home runs he blasted in 2016 were an outlier; prior to last season, Diaz had not posted more than 10 round-trippers in any of his five minor league stops.

Herrera was reassigned to minor league camp Thursday.

The 24-year-old pieced together a solid season at Double-A Hartford last season, but an average spring showing paired with little prospect pedigree punched his ticket back to the minor leagues. Herrera will likely split time between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

D'Arnaud is still sidelined after developing bronchitis, Kevin McAlpin of the Braves Radio Network reports.

The 30-year-old also received the instructions to stay away from camp until he's not contagious, so it seems like he'll be held out for another few days. It shouldn't be of long-term concern, however, so d'Arnaud should resume his spot as a utility player upon his return.

Rojas (face) has passed concussion tests, Matthew DeFranks of the Sun Sentinel reports.

Doctors cleared him after he was hit in the face with a throw while attempting to steal a base Tuesday. He should return to normal club workouts soon on his way to a likely roster spot as a utility infielder.