MLB Player News

Bregman (elbow) could return to game action next weekend if his progress continues, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in January but was always expected to be ready for Opening Day. As things stand, he could even withstand a minor setback and still likely have enough time to make the Opening Day lineup.

Chapman (illness) is not in the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Most of the Oakland regulars are in the lineup minus Chapman, who was sidelined with an unspecified illness earlier in the week. Cliff Pennington will man the hot corner in his absence. Chapman underwent left shoulder surgery in mid-December, but he was recently cleared for all baseball activities, so once he turns the page on this illness, he should be a full-go.

Duffy (hamstring) could make his spring debut Tuesday against the Orioles, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Duffy tweaked his hamstring early in spring training, though the issue isn't expected to be a significant one. A Tuesday return would see him miss the first four games of Grapefruit League action but still leave him more than enough time to build up for Opening Day.

Duffy will miss a few days of spring training action after tweaking his hamstring, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear how the injury occurred, but the team is confident it is minor. Duffy will likely miss the first few spring games before resuming his normal role as the Rays' starting third baseman once his hamstring stops acting up. In the meantime, Yandy Diaz may see a bit more time at the hot corner, allowing Ji-Man Choi to log some innings at first base to fill the void.

Bregman (elbow) took live batting practice for the second day in a row Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The star third baseman continues to ramp up his activity quickly, as he just started throwing across the diamond Tuesday and hitting live batting practice Wednesday. As things stand now, the Astros hope to deploy Bregman back into games during the first weekend of March barring any setbacks. An exact return date will likely be formulated as he progresses through his workouts in the next few days.

Chapman is not at practice Wednesday due to illness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This doesn't seem like a major issue for the third baseman. Chapman was scheduled to take Thursday off, but with this development, the Athletics will simply switch their plans and have Chapman take Wednesday off. Once he gets past this issue, the 25-year-old will be able to shift his focus back to preparing for the season opener March 20 in Tokyo.

Bregman (elbow) is scheduled to face live pitching Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros have been restricting Bregman's workload early in camp after he required arthroscopic surgery in January to remove a bone spur from his elbow. The 24-year-old didn't experience any setbacks Tuesday while throwing across the diamond for the second time all spring, so he'll be cleared to take another step forward in his rehab by taking batting practice. Bregman previously noted that the biggest test of his health will come with his swinging, so his comments after Wednesday's hitting session may bear monitoring.

Bregman (elbow) threw across the diamond Tuesday and indicated the session went "really well," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "I got a long way to go with my swing right now," Bregman said. "Other than that, my body feels great."

Bregman has now incorporated throwing from third to first base into his regimen of baseball activities twice during the early stages of camp, an encouraging sign as he works back from arthroscopic surgery. As his comments suggest, the real test for Bregman's health will come in the batter's box. He's expected to gradually increase his throwing distance and the rigorousness of his batting and fielding drills over the next two weeks before likely making his Grapefruit League debut in early March.

Madrigal could make his major-league debut in 2019, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Yoan Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez are expected to swap positions, opening up an avenue for Madrigal to potentially take over for Sanchez at the keystone sometime in 2019. The soon-to-be 22-year-old, who was the fourth overall pick in 2018, is expected to open the season at Double-A, but it sounds like he could make it to the majors earlier than expected if he continues to excel in the upper minors.

Manager Rick Renteria said Moncada could start at third base on Opening Day, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports. "Don't be surprised if you see him there Opening Day," the manager said.

Moncada has been working at third base recently, and it sounds like the White Sox are going to give him an opportunity to take over at the hot corner if he's able to hold his own there during camp. Per Gregor, Renteria noted that playing third base requires more focus, which the team hopes will carry over to Moncada's at-bats after he struck out in 33.4 percent of his plate appearances last season. Should Moncada open the season at third base, Yolmer Sanchez would slide over to cover the keystone.