MLB Player News

Peterson went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI on Thursday against the Twins.

Peterson drove in a run during the fourth inning on a groundout and clubbed a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Orioles up by one. He's gone 8-for-25 in spring games to this point and will continue to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, although he'll likely serve as a utility man even if he does break camp with the big-league club.

Bregman went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Marlins.

Bregman belted a home run in the first inning to give the Astros a two-run lead, his second of spring training. Following Thursday's performance, he's 5-for-13 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Manager Kevin Cash said Thursday that he remains optimistic Duffy (hamstring) will be ready to play in the Rays' regular-season opener March 28 versus the Astros, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy has experienced multiple setbacks with his hamstring this spring and remains without a clear timeline to return to the Grapefruit League lineup, but he said he feels good after the latest recurrence of the injury. Per Topkin, Duffy was slated to run at about 70-percent speed Thursday and is expected to resume fielding drills Sunday. Cash noted that Duffy's veteran status means he won't necessarily require a full complement of at-bats to gear up for Opening Day, so even only a few game appearances over what's left of the Rays' spring schedule might be enough for the infielder to avoid a stint on the injured list.

Chapman went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two runs scored in a 12-11 Cactus League win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Chapman knocked Cubs starter Jon Lester around for both of his extra-base hits, his third and fourth of the spring. The 25-year-old is most lauded for his elite defensive prowess, but his .278/.356/.508 line last season -- which was partly comprised of 72 extra-base hits (42 doubles, six triples, 24 home runs) -- implies he's on the precipice of profiling as one of the best all-around players in the game.

Lewis (oblique) appeared in Wednesday's minor-league spring game and hit a linedrive double in his first at-bat, Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com reports.

He had been sidelined with an oblique injury, but is back to full health. Lewis appears to have added good weight this offseason and could be in for a power breakout. He should open the year at High-A, but could quickly earn a promotion to Double-A, where he figures to spend the bulk of the season.

Duffy (hamstring) is progressing in his return from a hamstring issue but remains without a return date, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy has played in just one game so far this spring and has suffered multiple setbacks. His progress Tuesday consisted of running on a treadmill in a pool, so he doesn't appear to be particularly close to a return. An extended absence would open up playing time for Daniel Robertson or Brandon Lowe.

Devers has slowly accepted the direction of teammates and coaches about being a more patient hitter, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

When Devers made his MLB debut before his 21st birthday, he was a raw, free swinger that got by on natural talent. The next step was for the free-spirited Devers to avoid swinging at bad pitches. The now 22-year-old third baseman has listened and adopted the coaching, and it's important that he doesn't fall back into old habits. "There's a two-way conversation now," hitting coach Tim Hyers said. "It's not just us feeding information to him. So now, as a hitting coach, I'm seeing the progression that we're onto something. That's a really good sign when he came in the other day and said, 'I want to work on this. I expanded in and want to make sure my sights are in this spot.' So he just worked on that for a while. For a young guy to use his time wisely like that. It was really neat to see." Manager Alex Cora has challenged Devers this spring, slotting him third in the batting order. If he's to become the primary three hitter, he knows he needs to control the strike zone and avoid getting himself out. "It would be an honor to hit third, but I have to keep working and show that I deserve to be there," he said. Judging from his spring numbers, Devers appears to have fully accepted what he's being told. He's batting .478 (11-for-23) with a 1.261 OPS.

Moncada went 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored in Sunday's game against Oakland.

Moncada had a good day in the field, executing all three of his chances, and continued to rake in the Cactus League. The 23-year-old third baseman is 10-for-27 (.370) with five walks, four extra-base hits and four RBI. The strikeouts are still an issue -- 10 in 32 plate appearances -- but not when he's posting a 1.098 spring OPS.

The Twins assigned Lewis (oblique) to minor-league camp Sunday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Lewis' oblique injury has prevented him from seeing any spring action with the Twins this year, but he was able to take swings Saturday, and if all goes well over the rest of March, he could get into a game before March comes to a close and be ready to go when minor-league games begin in early April.

Bregman (back) will serve as the Astros' designated hitter and will bat third in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros had held Bregman out of action the past two days after he experienced back stiffness during his appearance in Wednesday's exhibition versus the Marlins. He'll be eased back into the starting nine in a non-defensive role but should reprise his normal duties at third base within the next few days.