MLB Player News

Altuve made his spring debut Monday, going 0-for-2 against the Mets.

Altuve, who had offseason knee surgery, served as the designated hitter and was pleased with his at-bats, one of which came against New York ace Noah Syndergaard. "I felt like myself," Altuve told Alyson Footer of MLB.com. "It's spring training, of course, I'm trying to get my timing back, and working really hard being 100 percent for the first game of the season. I really liked my at-bats and how I felt today." There's no word yet on when Altuve will play the field.

Solarte went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Monday's Cactus League action against the White Sox.

Solarte mashed a solo home run in the first inning and drove in a run during the fifth on a single. It's good to see him find early success at the plate, although Solarte will need to keep up this high level of play if he hopes to nail down a roster spot to begin the 2019 campaign.

Barreto played five innings in left field Saturday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Jurickson Profar was brought in via trade to replace Jed Lowrie at second base, leaving Barreto to compete for a utility role this spring. Barreto is looking to prove himself in the outfield to increase his chances at an Opening Day roster spot. His only other experience in the outfield came during winter ball. Manager Bob Melvin sounded pleased with what he saw Saturday, saying, "after the first ball he looked really good out there."

Chavis went 2-for-3 with a three-run, opposite-field home run in Saturday's game against the Yankees.

Chavis started at third base Saturday after playing three innings at second base Friday against Northeastern University. It's been a slow journey for Chavis, a first-round draft pick in 2014, but his bat really picked up the last two seasons. That's put him atop Boston's list of prospects entering 2019. "Since Day 1 (this spring) you can see the mechanics, and he has a pretty good idea what he wants to do at the plate," Alex Cora told Tom Keegan of the Boston Herald. "Very smart, too. Takes notes and all that stuff. He understands what he wants to do. That's a pretty good sign right there." The Red Sox are having him play multiple infield positions, which will improve the 23-year-old's chances of reaching the majors in 2019. He's expected to start the year at Triple-A Pawtucket, while guys like Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez are in line to be the utility infielders at the major-league level.

Altuve will make his spring training debut Monday against the Mets, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Altuve, who is coming back from offseason knee surgery, has not been limited since reporting to camp earlier this month. The plan calls for him to be the designated hitter Monday, per manager A.J. Hinch, who gradually will introduce his core regulars to game action during spring training.

Dubon will man second base and hit eighth Saturday in the Brewers' exhibition opener Saturday versus the Cubs.

The starting assignment marks Dubon's first competitive action since May 5, when he suffered a torn ACL while playing at Triple-A Colorado Springs. The young infielder has rehabbed hard over the last nine months to enter spring at full strength and should settle into an everyday role with the Brewers' new Triple-A affiliate at San Antonio once camp draws to a close. The 24-year-old is expected to make his big-league debut at some point in 2019, though his path to a consistent at-bats in the majors may be blocked so long as Travis Shaw, Mike Moustakas and Orlando Arcia all remain healthy and productive.

Chavis played three innings at second base in Friday's exhibition against Northeastern University, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Chavis has made the infield circuit since being drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft. He initially played shortstop, then moved to third base before playing first base during winter ball this offseason. His three innings at second base Friday represented his first exposure to the position as a professional and it showed, as he failed to cover second base on a stolen base and made a throwing error. He also turned a 4-6-3 double play, an encouraging sign in this experiment. "It's good for him to go out there and get a few innings," manager Alex Cora said. "No pressure, no expectations. Just to get his feet wet." Chavis will play all over the infield during the spring, including a start at third base Saturday when Boston kicks off its spring training schedule against the Yankees.

Ngoepe has yet to arrive at Phillies camp while he waits to secure a travel visa, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Ngoepe was already facing an uphill battle to win an Opening Day bench role with the Phillies by virtue of being a non-roster invitee, and the missed time to begin camp won't help his case. He'll likely be withheld from the Phillies' first handful of Grapefruit League contests until his visa issues are resolved.

Manager Mickey Callaway said Rosario will likely hit eighth, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Rosario spent most of his time hitting either first or last for the Mets in 2018. Following the offseason addition of veteran Jed Lowrie, it sounds like the youngster will begin the season situated near the bottom of New York's lineup, which could cut into his stolen base total -- he managed 16 of his 24 steals from the top of the order last season. Rosario made 22 starts from the eight hole in 2018, slashing .260/.333/.425 with two stolen bases in those appearances.

Frazier is set to start the 2019 season as the team's everyday second baseman.

He slashed just .239/.323/.355 in 156 plate appearances before the Pirates sent him to Triple-A in late June. After a month in the minors, Frazier returned and hit .306/.357/.533 in 196 plate appearances over the final three months. He isn't the strongest defender -- his .975 fielding percentage ranked 35th among 42 second basemen with 350 innings or more -- so he'll have to hit. The 27-year-old has no immediate competition at second base with Josh Harrison gone, so the opportunity for upside is possible.