Rangers' Choice strengthens opening bid

Late Games

Rangers prospect Michael Choice was born in Fort Worth and drafted out of UT-Arlington. As Spring Training winds down, he's pushing for a homecoming.

Choice doubled and homered, driving in two and scoring two as Texas blanked the Cleveland Indians 5-0 Tuesday at Goodyear Ballpark. MLB.com's No. 72 prospect lifted his impressive spring average to .367 with his big day at the dish. Choice is now 6-for-11 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored, and eight RBIs in his last three games at the plate and is the leading candidate to open the season as the club's fourth outfielder.

Romero tallies three hits for M's: Seattle's Stefen Romero turned in his best day of the spring in a 9-6 Mariners win over the Royals. MLB.com's No. 15 Mariners prospect singled twice and belted his fourth home run of the Cactus League season as part of a 14-hit Seattle assault. Right-hander Carson Smith, the Mariners' No. 11 prospect, spun a perfect inning of relief, needing just eight pitches to breeze through the eighth with a strikeout.

Early Games

There aren't many prospects left in Major League camps, but several of those who are made strong cases on Tuesday afternoon to start the season on big league rosters.

With a stiff 22-mph breeze blowing from right to left at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla., top Mets prospect Travis d'Arnaud (No. 22 overall) clubbed a solo shot off Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg to open the scoring in a 7-3 Mets loss. It was his second homer of the spring.

Kolten Wong (MLB.com's No. 58 prospect) had an eventful day for the Cardinals in a 6-5 loss to Miami at their shared spring home of Roger Dean Stadium. The second baseman went 2-for-3 with a walk, a strikeout, an RBI and a run scored. He also committed a fielding error -- his first of the spring -- and was thrown out trying to steal third in the sixth inning.

In Lakeland, the host Tigers fell to the Braves, 12-3, despite a pair of doubles for third baseman Nick Castellanos. MLB.com's No. 15 prospect went 2-for-3, raising his average to .389 with two homers, nine doubles and 16 RBIs in 17 spring games.

The Red Sox dropped the Rays to 15-6 in Grapefruit League play with a 4-2 win at Charlotte Sports Park. Boston's Xander Bogaerts (MLB.com's No. 2 prospect) singled twice in four at-bats and drove in his sixth run of the spring. Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (No. 33) was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and saw his average drop to .173.