MLB Player News

Muncy is considered day-to-day after getting hit by a ball on his left ring finger, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

It doesn't sound as though Muncy is dealing with a serious issue such a fracture, so his readiness for Opening Day doesn't appear to be significantly threatened. Still, any lost preparation time given the brief period that players have to get in game shape certainly isn't a good thing, with the Dodgers set to open play against the Giants in just over two weeks on July 23.

Braves manager Brian Snitker mentioned Riley, Adam Duvall and Johan Camargo as possible first-base options in the event Freddie Freeman (illness) isn't available for the start of the season, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Freeman has reportedly experienced some serious side effects since testing positive for COVID-19 a few days earlier and may not be back to full strength for the Braves' Opening Day game July 23 and 24, prompting Snitker to explore potential replacement options in summer camp. The implementation of the universal designated hitter already looked like it would give Riley a clear path to an everyday role, and Freeman's potential absence may only further solidify the 23-year-old's spot in the lineup. After an up-and-down rookie season, Riley was one of the Braves' top performers in spring training, slashing .357/.438/.643 while striking out in only five of his 28 at-bats.

Kieboom will be the Nationals' starting third baseman to open the season, Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington reports.

The 22-year-old failed to impress in a brief, 11-game stint at the big-league level last season, hitting .128/.209/.282 with a 37.2 percent strikeout rate. He's evidently going to be handed an everyday role for the defending champions despite the fact that he's yet to establish himself, though the Nationals do have Asdrubal Cabrera available to take the job from him should he stumble early.

Hayes is not expected to serve as the team's Opening Day starter at third base, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Manager Derek Shelton said that he "doesn't think it's (the third base job) an open competition." Pittsburgh maintains six years of control with Hayes if it keeps him off the major-league roster for six days during the regular season. Colin Moran will likely get most of the hot corner starts during the first week of the season, but Hayes could see time thereafter.

Senzel (shoulder) is 100 percent healthy, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Senzel underwent shoulder surgery back in September. His health is hardly a surprise, as he'd been able to appear as a designated hitter before spring training play was paused and wasn't expected to miss much if any time even if the season wasn't delayed. The Reds' outfield got more crowded over the offseason with the additions of Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos, though the universal designated hitter should create enough extra at-bats to keep Senzel in the lineup for most games, as he appears to be the team's top option in center field.

Vargas is expected to be carried on the active roster to start the season, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Vargas was having a strong spring before the coronavirus pandemic prompted MLB to hit the pause button on the 2020 season. With a plan in place to play 60 games beginning in late July that includes an expanded active roster of 30 players, there should be room to Vargas and others that were competing for the final couple of spots on what was then a 26-man roster. Vargas along with Josh Rojas and Jon Jay should open the season on the active roster. Eventually, the roster limit drops to 28 then 26, so there will be some cuts during the first month of the season. A player like Vargas, who can play multiple positions, is in a good position to hang on to a spot.

Sosa has been included in the player pool that will report to Cardinals summer camp July 1, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The versatile utility asset's inclusion was to be expected, especially considering he proved capable as a hitter at the Triple-A level last season (.291/.335/.466 over 496 plate appearances) and is already on the 40-man roster. Assuming he makes the cut for Opening Day, Sosa could be utilized in a variety of positions in the truncated 2020 regular season.

The Pirates named Hayes to their 60-man player pool Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The third baseman has yet to make his MLB debut, but his inclusion in the player pool suggests he should assume an everyday role at some point in 2020. Veteran Colin Moran may start at third base at the beginning of the season, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Hayes take over, especially if the Pirates quickly fall out of contention. The 23-year-old slashed .265/.336/.415 with 10 homers and 12 stolen bases at Triple-A in 2019 and has since re-worked his swing for more power.

Reds general manager Dick Williams said Wednesday that Suarez (shoulder) is "100 percent" healthy, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Williams' comments offer further confirmation that Suarez won't face any restrictions when the MLB season resumes, even though the right shoulder surgery he required Jan. 28 prevented him from appearing in any Cactus League games before spring training was suspended. Before the shutdown, Suarez had resumed swinging without issue and was scheduled to serve as a designated hitter in a March 13 game that was later canceled, so it's no surprise that he's feeling healthy now that he's had an additional two and a half months off. Expect him to face a similar training regimen as the rest of his healthy teammates when teams are allowed to reconvene for workouts.

Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams said Monday that he expects Senzel (shoulder) to be "full go" when the season resumes, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "As always with rehab, there are periods of progress and then times to back off. Overall, we believe [Senzel has] benefited from the extra downtime," Williams said.

Senzel had a delayed start to camp while he advanced through the final stages of his recovery from his Sept. 24 surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Before MLB suspended spring training, Senzel was cleared to play in four exhibition games as a designated hitter, going 1-for-12 with a home run in those contests. He's since been able to accelerate his throwing program and should be ready to man his usual spot in center field when the Reds reconvene for workouts. While his health looks to be sound again, Senzel will still have to fight off the likes of Shogo Akiyama, Jesse Winker and Aristides Aquino for regular reps in the outfield, as only right fielder Nick Castellanos appears to have an everyday role locked down at the moment.