MLB Player News

Tejada left Thursday's spring training game with a quadriceps strain, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Tejada was brought in by the Cardinals to supplement their depth at shortstop with Jhonny Peralta set to be sidelined for most of the first half of the season. If Tejada's injury turns into something that causes him to miss time, the Cardinals will likely have to turn to Jedd Gyorko at short, which would be problematic for their defense up the middle.

The Phillies assigned Jackson to minor league camp Tuesday, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Jackson hit .265 (9-for-34) with one home run in 17 games this spring. He'll give the Phillies some infield depth at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Ciriaco was reassigned to minor league camp Tuesday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Ciriaco was playing very well this spring and had worked his way into the conversation for a roster spot as a utility infielder, but the Rangers have opted to go with Hanser Alberto for that role. The 30-year-old could make his way back up to the majors at some point if he continues to succeed in the minors, though.

Manager Walt Weiss named Story the starting shortstop for Opening Day on Tuesday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Story had an outstanding spring training, batting .378 with six home runs prior to Tuesday's spring tilt with the Diamondbacks, and since Jose Reyes is out of the picture for the time being, the rookie was able to take the spot for himself. He should get plenty of time in that role especially if Reyes is suspended for an extended period of time, and if he can continue putting up numbers anywhere near these during the regular season, he could prove to be a valuable commodity at a fairly thin position. Additionally, the Rockies may bat Story second in the order to begin the year, which Charlie Blackmon in the leadoff role and Carlos Gonzalez directly behind him in the third spot, according to the Denver Post.

Baez will begin the season on the disabled list with a left thumb contusion, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reports.

The Cubs were optimistic that Baez would be ready by Opening Day, but it appears as though he just ran out of time in the spring to work his way back. Manager Joe Maddon had previously indicated it was more of a short-term concern, so the 23-year-old figures to be ready to rejoin the roster shortly after the minimum 15 days.

Seager (knee) is expected to play in Thursday's spring game, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

After logging six innings in Monday's minor league game, Seager will take the final step toward proving that he's ready for Opening Day. He has three hits in just 13 at-bats this spring, as he hasn't played in a Cactus League game since March 11. The preseason favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors is expected to play exclusively at shortstop.

Seager (knee) logged another six innings in a minor league game Monday, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Seager has now accounted for six such innings twice in a three-day span, but it's unclear how the Dodgers intend to proceed with their starting shortstop when healthy. Whether he puts in a similar outing or moves up to one of the final major league games of the spring remains to be seen. If he's unable to recover in time for Opening Day next Monday in San Diego, Enrique Hernandez (oblique) is a candidate to receive the start in Seager's stead.

Baez (thumb) played catch Monday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

This shows some progress for the young prospect as he hopes to latch onto the big league roster as a utility player. He'll need to get some more game time logged in order to be ready for Opening Day, but if he does require a short stop on the disabled list, it could be backdated to March 25, which would allow him to return to the Cubs sooner.

Turner was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Monday.

Turner had a small shot to crack the Opening Day roster for Washington, but he'll head back to the minors after a tough spring at the plate. Although he'll start the season in the minors, there is a good chance that the top prospect will return to the Nationals early on in the season after his service time is low enough so that Washington can maintain an extra year of control over their young shortstop.

Sardinas, as expected, won the utility job as Chris Taylor was sent to Triple-A Tacoma on Monday.

Sardinas had a great spring and is a better shortstop than Shawn O'Malley, who was demoted Sunday, and better third baseman than Taylor. He should play all over the infield and could get some time in center field, too.