MLB Player News

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.

Kieboom made some tweaks to his batting stance in the offseason, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Working with trainer Jay Hood, the 23-year-old noticed on video that his hands were lower and closer to his body in his stance compared to his best minor-league seasons. "The feeling I had wasn't free, you could say," Kieboom said Wednesday. "It wasn't this loose, free feeling at the plate. It felt very tied up at times, and that's not a feeling I used to have, that I've ever had until really last year." Kieboom hasn't had any kind of success in the majors yet in his brief career, but the Nats still believe he can emerge as a reliable offensive threat at the hot corner. If he struggles again out of the gate in 2021, however, the front office may have little choice but to consider other alternatives at third base.

Escobar said Wednesday that he reported to spring training at 193 pounds, down from 214 pounds a season ago, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.

After Arizona brought in Asdrubal Cabrera in free agency over the winter, Escobar is expected to see more time at second base during the upcoming season. The increased work at the keystone likely factored into Escobar's decision to cut weight, but the 32-year-old's brutal showing at the plate in 2020 may have also played a factor in him changing his diet. After turning in a 113 wRC+ between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Escobar slumped to a .212/.270/.335 slash line (56 wRC+) over his 222 plate appearances in 2020. Escobar's underlying numbers painted a slightly rosier picture (.263 xBA, .395 xSLG) of his performance, but fantasy players shouldn't be counting on a major bounceback from a slimmed-down Escobar in 2021, especially in the power department.

Suarez said Wednesday that he reported to spring training about 15 pounds lighter than he was at the conclusion of the 2020 season, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Suarez said he put a greater emphasis on his diet during the offseason after he indicated he felt slower and was dissatisfied with his footwork in 2020. The weight loss shouldn't have any major implications on Suarez's outlook heading into 2021, as the 29-year-old has never been a major contributor in the run game, even in his younger days. More than anything, Suarez's improved health this spring should put him in position for a bounce-back campaign. After missing most of last spring while recovering from right shoulder surgery, Suarez was cleared for summer camp, but he finished with a disappointing .202/.312/.470 slash line in 57 games.

Hayes is looking to build upon a 2020 debut during which he batted .376 with five homers and 11 RBI in 24 games, the Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Prior to last season, the 24-year-old revamped his swing in search of more power. He lowered his hands while opening up his stance. "I feel like I've always had the power," Hayes said. "I just feel like I wasn't putting my body in a consistent position to hit the ball hard." It will be interesting to see if the power surge continues. Hayes never hit more than 10 home runs in any of his five minor-league seasons. A Gold-Glove caliber defender, he looks to become a cornerstone in the organization's rebuild.

Vargas will be competing for the starting job at second base this spring but will likely fill a bench role, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Vargas will compete with David Bote and Nico Hoerner for the starting job at second base, but the former will most likely serve as a utility infielder. That doesn't give Vargas a ton of fantasy appeal, especially after posting a .196/.222/.314 line in 2020, but he could be an injury or two away from more regular at-bats.