MLB Player News

Davis has gone 5-for-22 (.227) through 10 Grapefruit League games and has yet to collect an extra-base hit.

His 8:4 BB:K is impressive, but otherwise Davis hasn't quite gotten his swing in sync this spring. The 27-year-old is still expected to open the season as the Mets' starting third baseman, but he'll need to supply something closer to his 2019 OPS of .896, rather than the tepid .760 mark he managed last year, to hang onto the job.

Longoria (foot) could take the field by the middle of next week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Longoria has been dealing with plantar fasciitis since the start of camp. He's been able to participate in spring training games but has been limited to designated hitter duty. If he does wind up being ready to field his position soon, he should still have enough time to be ready to go by Opening Day, but time is getting tight.

Newman is 9-for-14 with a 4:0 BB:K in Grapefruit League action.

Since returning from a hamstring injury two games ago, he has three hits in six at-bats. Newman struggled mightily in 2020 with a .224 batting average in 156 at-bats, but he posted a .308 mark in 493 at-bats in his rookie campaign. While he doesn't have glove skills of his competitors for the Pirates' shortstop job, Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker, his bat plays much better. He played nearly as much second base (20 games) as shortstop (23) last summer, so he could also slide over to the right side of the infield, especially if the team eventually trades starting second baseman Adam Frazier.

Kieboom still appears set to be the Nationals' starting third baseman this season despite his poor spring, as potential alternative Starlin Castro has yet to take any reps at the position in camp, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

With Castro seemingly locked in as the starting second baseman, Kieboom's top competition comes from utility man Josh Harrison. Kieboom has demonstrated none of his prospect promise in 44 career major-league games, hitting .181/.309/.232, and his .160/.222/.240 line through 10 games this spring hardly suggests he's on the verge of a breakout.

The Pirates optioned Castro to minor-league camp Tuesday.

The switch-hitting infielder has gone 3-for-19 in Grapefruit League action, but he hit home runs on consecutive days in his most recent pair of games. Known for his elite exit velocity, the 21-year-old will likely begin 2021 at Double-A Altoona. Castro hit 19 homers in 2019 while splitting time between Low-A and High-A ball.

Muncy has played only at first base during spring training, Pedro Moura of The Athletic reports.

Muncy has bounced around the diamond over the past three seasons, logging a total of 184 games at first base, 95 games at second and 89 games at third. However, the Dodgers seem to have settled on a more consistent infield rotation this season, potentially allowing Muncy to concentrate solely on his primary position. While the slugger hasn't hit well this spring, he is tied for the team lead with five walks and should be given a long leash even if his Cactus League struggles carry over into the start of the campaign.

Arenado is now hitting .308 (7-for-23) across his first 10 Grapefruit League games after going 2-for-3 with an RBI single in a win over the Nationals on Monday.

Arenado is still in search of his first home run as a Cardinal, but his 3-for-6 tally over the last two games seems to hint at him rounding into regular-season form. Arenado previously said he ideally needs about 50 spring at-bats to feel prepared, and with 26 Grapefruit League plate appearances thus far, he's about halfway to that mark. Most important, Ben Fredrickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the veteran slugger appears to be completely past the AC joint issues that plagued him in 2020. "Feels great," Arenado said. "Letting it rip. This whole spring it hasn't bothered me."

The Phillies optioned Maton to their minor-league camp Tuesday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Didi Gregorius is locked in as the Phillies' top shortstop, and Jean Segura and Scott Kingery are both capable of playing the position in a pinch, so Maton didn't have a real shot at winning a spot on the Opening Day roster. Maton will likely spend the entire 2021 season in the minors, playing on an everyday basis in the middle infield at either Double-A Reading or Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Kieboom has gone 4-for-22 (.182) with only one extra-base hit, a triple, through his first nine Grapefruit League appearances.

The 23-year-old also has an uninspiring 2:6 BB:K. Kieboom is still penciled in as the Nats' starting third baseman to begin the season and left no stone unturned this offseason as he looked for ways to improve at the plate, undergoing LASIK surgery and working to smooth out his swing, but so far those efforts haven't paid off. If he struggles again in 2021, bench options like Josh Harrison could cut into Kieboom's playing time significantly.

Hayes went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI against Baltimore on Monday.

He's hitting .417 in 24 spring at-bats with five doubles, one triple and one home run. Hayes is also showing plate discipline, compiling a 2:2 BB:K. The 24-year-old is quickly becoming the face of the franchise. Projections for the third baseman aren't easy because while he's done very well in 24 MLB games (.376 batting average in 85 at-bats), he's hit .279 overall in five minor-league campaigns.