MLB Player News

Newman went 2-for-2 with a walk Thursday against the Braves.

He's in the middle of a three-way competition for time at shortstop with Cole Tucker and Erik Gonzalez. Newman, who bobbled away a ground ball for an error Thursday, needs to prove himself again both offensively and defensively after a miserable 2020. He slashed just .224/.281/.276 with one homer and no steals in 172 plate appearances after hitting .308 with 12 homers and 16 steals in 2019. Newman closed out last season on the injured list with a knee injury but is back to full health for 2021.

Arenado is 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk over his last two Grapefruit League games after going hitless in two at-bats during his Sunday debut.

The prize offseason acquisition got off to an inconspicuous start Sunday against the Nationals , booting a ball at third in addition to coming up empty in his pair of plate appearances. However, Arenado has subsequently broken the ice with hits in back-to-back exhibitions, with Wednesday's knock accounting for his first official RBI in a Cardinals uniform. Arenado previously stated he'd ideally be comfortable with approximately 50 spring training at-bats ahead of the regular season, and he seems to be firmly on track for that level of volume early.

Kieboom underwent LASIK surgery over the offseason, which hitting coach Kevin Long said Tuesday is already having a noticeable effect, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Kieboom clearly needed to do something, as he hasn't come close to delivering on his considerable prospect promise through his first 44 big-league games, hitting just .181/.309/.232. In addition to the eye procedure, he also tweaked his batting stance over the winter. It's certainly possible those two changes help him reach a new level this year, especially as he's still just 23 years old, though it's of course far from guaranteed that either change will have the desired effect on his stat line.

Farmer is batting leadoff and playing shortstop in the Reds' spring training opener.

The Reds didn't get sign or trade for a full-time major league shortstop this offseason, adding only Dee Strange-Gordon and Rule 5 pick Kyle Holder as contenders to Farmer and Jose Garcia for the starting shortstop job. The Reds would prefer to have Garcia begin the season in the minors, but they hope he's their long-term option at the position.

Machado underwent laser eye surgery in the offseason, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Judging by Machado's .304/.370/.580 slash line last season, the veteran didn't exactly struggle to pick up pitches, though he noted that his vision wasn't 100 percent during night games in recent campaigns. Machado's .310 batting average under the lights last season was actually better than his .288 mark during day games, so the effects of the surgery are likely to be minimal for the career .280 hitter.

Arenado will make his Grapefruit League debut in Sunday's exhibition opener against the Nationals, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Arenado's integration into spring training with his new club has been ideal, as the star third baseman arrived a week early to get acquainted and has looked healthy in batting practices after dealing with a nagging shoulder issue most of last season. Sunday will bring the first opportunity for Arenado to start building in-game chemistry with his new infield mates and begin his march toward the approximately 50 at-bats he hopes to log this spring to get his timing down.

Riley admitted that the quadriceps strain that cost him the final two games of the 2020 regular season had been bothering him much longer than that, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. "I hate making excuses any time, but I definitely was feeling it," said Riley.

The third baseman posted a .609 OPS over his final 18 games in the regular season and then a .489 OPS in the playoffs while playing at less than 100 percent. Atlanta is hoping Riley can take a big step forward in what will be his first full season in the majors after he managed a .232/.288/.448 line with 16 homers and a 31.2 percent strikeout rate through his first 131 big-league games, and knowing that last year's season-ending slump was at least partly due to injury offers some reassurance that the league simply hasn't figured him out at the plate.

Moustakas reported to spring training fully healthy after having a season marred by multiple issues, including a quadriceps bruise, a foot contusion and a false-positive COVID test, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "It definitely factored into it. I'm not going to be one to sit here and make excuses for my performance on the field," Moustakas said. "If I'm on the field, that means in my mind that I'm 100 percent ready to go. Last year, I didn't play as well as I wanted to play and I think that goes from offensively, top to bottom. We didn't do as well as we wanted to do offensively."

Moustakas was one of many Reds players who struggled to hit for average, posting a .230/.31/.468 line in 44 games. On the bright side, he had a .914 OPS in September, suggesting that better times could be ahead.

Senzel is considered the Reds' starting center fielder, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Senzel's exact status in a crowded Reds' outfield wasn't entirely clear, and a platoon between him and the left-handed Shogo Akiyama may have made some sense, but manager David Bell made it clear that Senzel has a true starting role. Senzel had plenty of hype as a prospect but has yet to put fully put things together at the highest level, hitting a modest .245/.305/.416 in 127 career games. He's still just 25, so he has plenty of room for growth, but he may need a run of good health to sort things out and fulfill his potential, something that's avoided him in recent years. His 14 homers and 16 steals thus far in his career hint at cross-category potential if he can just manage to stay on the field.

Davis worked with Mets hitting coach Chili Davis over the offseason to correct some issues in his swing, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Coach Davis felt that the 27-year-old become too "rotational" last summer, relying more on his torso than his hands to generate bat speed. The team can live with his defensive limitations now that Francisco Lindor is patrolling shortstop. If Davis can regain the form that produced a .307/.369/.527 slash line in 2019, he will lock down the starting job at the hot corner for the Mets, as well as become a huge bargain at his current ADP.