Escobar (personal) was not present at camp Friday because he went to Miami to take the U.S. citizen oath, and he should return Saturday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

The third baseman will resume normal duties this weekend and keeps his fantasy value as a late-round batting average asset in mixed leagues.

Escobar (personal) returned to the team Friday night after completing his naturalization test in Florida. He will bat leadoff in Saturday's spring training tilt against the White Sox, The Orange County Register reports.

EDGE Analysis

Escobar has to take a test in order to become a U.S. citizen. He returns to the club and will get a start at third base. Escobar is also batting leadoff -- something manager Mike Scioscia has done a couple times so far this spring -- and that could be a position in the lineup that he occupies during the regular season. The 34-year-old doesn't fit the bill as a traditional leadoff man, but his ability to get on base (.304 batting average and .355 on-base percentage in 2016) in front of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols is what makes him a viable candidate.

Escobar left camp Wednesday to take a citizenship test in Miami, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

He's expected to be back in camp by Thursday night, so it will likely serve as a rest day for the veteran infielder. Escobar is coming off another productive season, in which he slashed .304/.355/.391 and cemented himself as the Angels' everyday second baseman.

Escobar made his spring training debut in Monday's tilt against the Padres. He batted leadoff and started at third base, going 0-for-3 in a 5-3 loss.

EDGE Analysis

While the position in the batting lineup is unlikely to stick, the regular role at third base should. Escobar played in 132 games for the Angels last year, slashing .304/.355/.391 in 567 plate appearances. He had deep league value as a batting average booster and a solid source of runs, and the same should hold true if his at-bats remain constant. There is a possibility that the newly-acquired Luis Valbuena cuts into some of his playing time at the hot corner, so there is a bit of risk for those investing in deeper formats.

Escobar will return to the Angels for the 2017 season after they picked up his $7 million option, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Although he only managed to hit five home runs over the course of the year, Escobar's .304 batting average and 28 doubles more than made up for the lack of power, especially given the Angels' struggles during the 2016 season. The 34-year-old will likely man the hot corner for Los Angeles once again during the upcoming season.

Escobar (shoulder) is back in Saturday's lineup, leading off against the Astros, the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher reports.

EDGE Analysis

He missed two games with the shoulder ailment, but will finish out the season on a healthy note. Escobar has now hit above .305 in back-to-back seasons, and he is two runs shy of back-to-back 70-plus run seasons. It's a relatively empty batting average, but he seems to be a reliable anchor in that department going forward.

Escobar (shoulder) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Eric Kay of the Angels reports.

EDGE Analysis

Escobar will miss his second straight game as a result of the shoulder injury that forced him from Tuesday's contest. Jefry Marte will man the hot corner for the Angels on Friday night.

Escobar (shoulder) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game.

EDGE Analysis

Kaleb Cowart will start at third base Wednesday with Escobar still dealing with a shoulder injury. Escobar left Tuesday's contest in his throwing (right) shoulder and it's unclear when he'll get back on the field this season. Cowart figures to get most of the starts at third base should Escobar continue to miss time.

Escobar left Tuesday's game with right shoulder soreness, the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher reports.

EDGE Analysis

He went 0-for-2 before exiting with the shoulder ailment, getting replaced at third base by Kaleb Cowart. Consider Escobar day-to-day heading into Wednesday's action.

Escobar is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros.

EDGE Analysis

The Angels will give Escobar a day off for the Sunday matinee, with Cliff Pennington entering the lineup in his stead. Escobar has put together a seven-game hitting streak, going 10-for-30 (.333 average) with a homer and six runs scored in that span.