MLB Player News

McNeil will be the Mets' primary second baseman this season, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Robinson Cano will be returning from a PED suspension and will factor into the picture as well, but he'll also feature at designated hitter and potentially at first base. McNeil can play the outfield corners when Cano handles the keystone, but it sounds as if manager Buck Showalter experts to write McNeil in as his second baseman most nights. Performance will of course be a factor in how frequently McNeil plays this season, as he struggled to a .251/.319/.360 line last year after posting a .319/.383/.501 line in his first three years in the league, but fantasy managers can at least draft him as if he doesn't have major playing-time concerns to start the year.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Sunday that Garcia, who finished the 2021 season on the injured list with a strained oblique, is healthy again and will focus on playing shortstop during spring training, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Martinez added that Garcia will continue to get reps at second base as well, but the skipper noted that the 21-year-old slimmed down this offseason with the aim of improving his agility and being better equipped to handle shortstop. Even if Garcia isn't able to show enough defensive polish to stick at shortstop throughout the season, he should have a consistent role at one of the everyday spots, as the Nationals can always shift Cesar Hernandez over to third base to open up the keystone for Garcia if needed. While Garcia's production over his first two seasons with Washington hasn't been particularly fantasy-friendly, the fact that he's already accrued 386 plate appearances in the majors at an age when most his contemporaries are in the lower levels of the minors bodes well for his long-term outlook.

Rodriguez has been invited to big-league camp this spring.

Rodriguez progressed to High-A Winston-Salem in August of 2021 and finished the year by making four appearances at Double-A Birmingham. Across 33 games with the two clubs, he hit .346 with five homers, 21 runs, 19 RBI and five stolen bases. The 20-year-old will develop with the big-league coaching staff this spring but appears likely to begin the 2022 campaign in Birmingham.

Marte didn't participate in Monday's team workout after experiencing left eye irritation, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Marte labeled the eye issue as a minor concern and said he expects to be back on the field Tuesday. The 28-year-old switch-hitter is expected to make a full-time move to second base during the upcoming season, after he primarily played center field in 2021.

Manager David Bell confirmed Monday that India will remain the Reds' leadoff hitter for the 2022 season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The appointment atop the lineup comes as little surprise after India made all of his starts out of that position in the batting order from June 5 on last season, en route to slashing .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs, 98 runs, 69 RBI and 12 stolen bases. After dealing away No. 2 starter Sonny Gray to the Twins over the weekend, the Reds could look to embrace a rebuild and deal away more veteran pieces, but the reigning National League Rookie of the Year won't be going anywhere.

Boston manager Alex Cora said Hernandez could be the starting center fielder on Opening Day, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Cora left some wiggle room, stating the team is still looking to add bodies that could help improve the team, but the manager mentioned an outfield of Hernandez in center, Alex Verdugo in left and Jackie Bradley in right. Bradley, a defensive whiz who patrolled center field for several years in a Red Sox uniform, was originally seen as the starter there, but Cora is not locked into that. Hernandez could also start at second base, pending additional player acquisitions between now and Opening Day.

Andrus (lower leg) has been running the bases over the past month and could be free of restrictions to open spring training, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Andrus underwent two procedures to repair the fractured left fibula he sustained while scoring a game-winning run against the Astros on Sept. 25. While the 33-year-old should be able to take part in drills unencumbered based on manager Mark Kotsay's latest comments, Andrus will likely be eased into exhibition action. The veteran posted a .243/.294/.320 slash line across 146 games last season, but with his dependable defense and contact rate, he still projects to serve as the primary option at shortstop if healthy to open the season.

Manager Joe Girardi said Sunday that Stott will compete with Didi Gregorius for the starting job at shortstop during spring training, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Stott isn't on the 40-man roster but received an invite to big-league camp, and he'll apparently have a chance to secure a starting job outright. Gregorius is under contract for $14.5 million and should be the favorite to start, but the veteran is coming off a poor season in 2021. The Phillies seem likely to bring up Stott for his major-league debut later in the season, though there's a small chance he unseats Gregorius and opens 2022 as the starter.

Stott was invited to the Phillies' big-league camp Saturday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Stott looks like the shortstop of the future in Philadelphia, as he's coming off a year in which he hit .299/.390/.486 across the three highest levels of the minors before posting a .318/.445/.489 line in the Arizona Fall League. He may not get full consideration to break camp with the team, which could use the fact that he's only played 10 Triple-A games to justify keeping him in the minors long enough to delay his free agency by a year, but he's likely to spend a substantial portion of the season in the majors. He may not be as exciting of a fantasy option as you'd expect given his prospect pedigree, however, as his appeal is based more on the fact that he's roughly average at all facets of his game rather than any one standout tool.

Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said Saturday that Hernandez will have a chance to compete for the starting job at third base ahead of the regular season, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa entered spring training as the favorite to serve as the Rangers' starting third baseman on Opening Day, but he was traded to Minnesota on Saturday in exchange for catcher Mitch Garver. Hernandez saw his first major-league action in 2021, and he hit .217 with 15 runs, six RBI and 11 stolen bases across 43 games. Andy Ibanez likely enters camp as the slight favorite for playing time at the hot corner, but it sounds as though Hernandez will be given a chance to carve out at-bats.