MLB Player News

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.

Barreto's visa issues are settled and he is in camp Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Barreto was expected to be delayed for a few more days by the same visa issues which have affected many other Venezuelan players, but the problem evidently got sorted out fairly quickly. He's ready to go for the team's first full-squad workout and shouldn't be meaningfully set back in his preseason preparation.

Solarte signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Friday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

The Blue Jays declined to tender Solarte a contract in November, making him a free agent after the worst offensive performance of his major-league career with a .226/.277/.378 slash line. The 31-year-old played all four infield spots with Toronto last season and is likely to battle with the likes of Pablo Sandoval for a utility role in San Francisco. According to Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com, Solarte will receive $1.75 million, plus additional incentives, if he sticks in the majors.

McNeil is expected to primarily work in left field to start the 2019 season, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

McNeil spent much of 2018 at second and third base, making just two appearances in left field. However, with the additions of Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie during the offseason, the Mets decided to make McNeil an outfielder for 2019. As things stand, the Mets plan to employ McNeil in left field against right-handed pitching, with Brandon Nimmo in center field and Michael Conforto covering right field to begin the season. This likely means McNeil will be in a platoon situation with Keon Broxton or Juan Lagares, which could limit McNeil's at-bats over the course of the season.

Polanco agreed to a five-year, $25.75 million extension with the Twins on Thursday that includes two option years, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old had a decent season after he served an 80-game suspension, slashing .288/.345/.427 with six homers and seven stolen bases. With youth on his side and good production at the plate, the Twins decided to lock Polanco up for all of his arbitration years and potentially his first three years of free agency. As if it wasn't clear before the extension, Polanco is being considered the Twins' shortstop of the future and will look to expand upon the production from his first full seasons in the majors.