MLB Player News

Rendon didn't play in Friday's exhibition contest against Oakland, and the Angels plan to take it slowly with him early in the spring due to a recent issue with general soreness, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The organization doesn't appear to be concerned about the soreness Rendon felt at the start of spring training, and manager Joe Maddon emphasized Friday that the star third baseman is not injured. He'll likely ramp up as the spring continues and should be full go by Opening Day.

Chapman will bat cleanup and play third base Friday against the Angels, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Chapman has only faced slight limitations to start camp as he works his way back from September hip surgery. He's already played in two Cactus League games, though he was limited to designated hitter duties in both. He'll take the field with just shy of four weeks remaining until Opening Day, and it's expected he'll be up to full speed by the start of the regular season.

Urshela (elbow) will start at third base and will bat second Thursday in the Yankees' Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier in the week that Urshela would make his spring debut Thursday, but it wasn't certain whether the 29-year-old would play the field or serve as the team's designated hitter. With Urshela now confirmed to be playing the field, the Yankees evidently have no concerns about his right elbow coming off arthroscopic surgery in December. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, interim skipper Carlos Mendoza said that he expects Urshela to get two at-bats Thursday before leaving the contest.

Madrigal (shoulder) is expected to make his Cactus League debut against the Dodgers on Monday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Madrigal was expected to return to action in early March after undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason. He's on track to do so, as manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday that he's currently penciled in to start Monday. Barring any setbacks, Madrigal will have several weeks to ramp up his conditioning ahead of Opening Day.

Chapman could play third base during Friday's Cactus League matchup if he feels good after Wednesday's game, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman will serve as the designated hitter once again during Wednesday's matchup against the Rockies as the team continues to ease him back into action following offseason hip surgery. Assuming he checks out fine after Wednesday's game, he's expected to make his defensive debut after Thursday's off day. The 27-year-old has gone 1-for-3 with a double and one strikeout to begin Cactus League play.

Rendon (undisclosed) is starting Wednesday's Cactus League matchup against the Rangers.

Rendon was held out of the first few spring games of the season due to what was described as "soreness," but he'll play third base and bat fourth against Texas on Wednesday. Barring any setbacks, the 30-year-old should still have plenty of time to prepare for Opening Day following his brief absence.

Moncada started at third base and went 1-for-2 with two runs scored in Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers.

Moncada appeared for the first time in the field since he experienced arm soreness over the final week of February. "His stroke looks really good on both sides of the plate," manager Tony La Russa told Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "He's moving well." Moncada was limited to DH duties but should be back to normal at third base.

Rendon (soreness) will likely play his first spring training game either Wednesday or Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rendon has thus far been held out of action due to what has been described only as "soreness," but the issue appears to be a minor one given his looming debut. The veteran third baseman is slated to be a key offensive cog as the Angels' cleanup hitter behind Mike Trout.

Chapman started at designated hitter and doubled in three at-bats during Monday's Cactus League win over the Reds.

The Athletics had already announced their intention to ease Chapman back into his third-base role after offseason hip surgery, so the start at DH wasn't unexpected. The 27-year-old laced a thunderous two-bagger in his final at-bat before calling it an afternoon, and Martin Gallegos of MLB.com notes Chapman is slated to make his defensive debut following Oakland's off day Thursday.

Moncada (arm) will start at third base and will bat second in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.

After reporting to camp last week with a sore arm, Moncada was limited to designated-hitter duties in his Cactus League debut Sunday against the Brewers. He played all six innings of the White Sox's 7-2 loss, going 0-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored. The White Sox were apparently satisfied with how Moncada came out of that contest, so he'll now take on a defensive role in his second game of the spring. The 25-year-old looks like he'll face no further limitations due to the arm injury heading into Opening Day.