MLB Player News

MRI results on Chapman's injured right hand came back negative, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Despite the good news, lingering inflammation in Chapman's hand will likely cause him to miss a portion of spring training, although that length of time remains undetermined. When healthy, the 24-year-old projects to be Oakland's starting third baseman this season.

Bregman will start at shortstop in Friday's Grapefruit League opener, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Bregman, who was Houston's primary third baseman last season, will be moved around the diamond this season. Bregman will get starts at shortstop and see some time at second base. Hinch appears determined to build a flexible unit after he announced Tuesday that he plans to have first baseman Yulieski Gurriel play multiple infield positions in 2018. Shortstop is nothing new to Bregman -- he played 30 games at the position last season, and it was his natural spot coming up the ranks.

Chapman underwent a precautionary MRI on his right hand in Los Angeles on Thursday, MLB.com's Jane Lee reports.

Chapman left the team's spring camp after he experience soreness in the palm of his hand. It doesn't appear as though there's too much concern over his status but more should be known once the results of his examination are released. In 2017, Chapman hit .234/.313/.472 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI in 84 contests.

Duffy (Achilles) is listed as the Rays' starting third baseman for the team's split-squad Grapefruit League game Friday against the Pirates, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

There haven't been any reports in the first week of spring training that Duffy has incurred any setbacks with his left Achilles' tendon, which sidelined him for the entire 2017 campaign while he recovered from a second surgery to address the injury. After Duffy was able to get in some at-bats during the Rays' fall instructional league without incident, it's not expected he'll face many limitations this spring as he aims to win an everyday role at third base. Duffy's history of foot issues may result in him abandoning the run game this season, but if he holds down a full-time gig, his solid contact skills could earn him a spot near the top of the Rays' order and make him an asset in both runs and batting average.

Bregman estimated that he reduced his body fat from roughly 14 percent to between eight and 10 percent during the offseason through improved dieting and training, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

Though the 5-foot-10 Bregman said he still checks in roughly around the 200 pounds he weighed a season ago, a before-and-after photograph posted on Twitter last week by Dynamic Sports Training, the Houston-based facility where he trained this offseason, reveals an improved physique for the infielder. Bregman is hopeful that his offseason work to strengthen his core will translate to a full season of power production, something that didn't really show up for the 23-year-old until the second half of 2017. After the All-Star break, Bregman slashed .315/.367/.539 and came up clutch in the postseason, producing four homers off three of the game's top pitchers -- Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen -- to help lead the Astros to their first World Series title. If his offseason training regimen is any indication, Bregman looks primed to carry his momentum into 2018 and should be better equipped to avoid another early-season lull without the World Baseball Classic on the docket this spring.

Plouffe will attend the Rangers' spring training as a non-roster invitee.

With Adrian Beltre starting at third base, Plouffe will try to earn a spot on the roster as a reserve. However, if he wants to do so, he'll need to turn things around after a disappointing 2017. Plouffe hit .198 with a .590 OPS over 100 games last season, his worst marks since reaching the majors in 2010.

Plouffe agreed to a minor-league deal with the Rangers on Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Plouffe's performance at the plate regressed drastically during the 2017 season. He split time between the Rays and A's, over which he played in a combined 100 games. His dismal .198/.272/.318 line accompanied a 28.1 percent strikeout rate. Plouffe has experience at the hot corner, second base, first base and the outfield, so his defensive versatility could provide some value to the Rangers. However, he'll need to show improvement on offense before being much of a fantasy asset.

Urshela heads into spring training in the mix for one of the final 25-man roster spots, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

At this time, it seems like the Indians are planning on carrying a four-man bench: a fourth outfielder, a backup catcher, a utility infielder and either a fifth outfielder or another infielder. Urshela seems to be battling with Erik Gonzalez for that final utility infielder spot under the assumption that Michael Brantley (ankle) won't be able to suit up on Opening Day, although Yandy Diaz (groin) could also be in the mix if Brantley is ready to go. Urshela's lack of minor-league options would normally work in his favor in this instance, but Gonzalez is also out of options, making that a moot point. Urshela will likely need a strong spring at the plate, as his past two seasons have left much to be desired in that respect (.587 career OPS in the majors).

Ramirez could play second base to start the season if Michael Brantley (ankle) isn't ready for Opening Day, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Manager Terry Francona said that Jason Kipnis is the top name on the second base depth chart, but Kipnis could move to the outfield to fill in for Brantley if needed. This would force Ramirez to slide over from third base to the keystone. This could work out nicely for fantasy owners, as it would likely help the 25-year-old maintain his eligibility at second base into the 2019 season. At this point, it's mostly speculation, but regardless of where he plays, Ramirez should hold plenty of value in 2018 after a breakout season in which he slashed .318/.374/.583 with 29 home runs and 17 stolen bases.

According to manager Buck Showalter, Machado will begin the season as the Orioles' starting shortstop while Tim Beckham moves to the hot corner, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Machado will move back to his "natural position" and although he lost shortstop eligibility for fantasy leagues heading into this campaign, he will regain it during the season. The 25-year-old recently avoided arbitration a couple weeks ago on a one-year, $16 million deal and should be primed for a big year after an impressive second half in 2017.