MLB Player News

Suarez (shoulder) fielded grounders and made light throws to first base Tuesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Suarez is gradually working his way back from January shoulder surgery. He's expected to get his first Cactus League action as a designated hitter Friday, with games at third base presumably coming not long after. He's certainly cutting it close to be ready for Opening Day but appears to still have a chance to avoid the injured list.

Asuaje was assigned to minor-league camp Tuesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Asuaje was in camp as a non-roster invitee but always seemed like a long shot to win a roster spot. He'll have a shot to add to his 586 career big-league plate appearances at some point this season, but with a career .240/.312/.329 slash line, the Cubs probably hope they don't have to turn to him.

Machado is hitting .087 (2-for-23) thus far in spring.

While one of Machado's hits is a home run, he has also struck out seven times. The Padres are counting on the third baseman to take a step forward this season after signing him to a 10-year, $300 million contract last February. Machado was a mild disappointment during his first campaign in San Diego, batting .256 with 32 home runs and 85 RBI.

Suarez (shoulder) is expected to make his spring debut either Thursday or Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Suarez continues to rehab from surgery on his right shoulder in late January, and it appears as though he could be ready to return to game action with his shoulder feeling good. The 28-year-old has been working on his throwing and swinging over the past several weeks, and manager David Bell said Monday that Suarez is scheduled to serve as the designated hitter Friday, but he could debut Thursday if his recovery continues to progress.

Kieboom went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

The two-bagger was his first extra-base hit this spring. Kieboom had a sluggish start to camp, but he appears to be getting comfortable in the batter's box and has pushed his slash line up to .250/.419/.292 through 31 plate appearances. The same can't be said for his defense, however -- the 22-year-old committed his third error in 11 games Sunday, a clear sign that his conversion to third base remains a work in progress. Kieboom still has a couple weeks to prove to the Nats' coaching staff that he's ready to handle the position right from Opening Day, and that he won't need more time in the minors to adjust.

Hayes, who walked in both of his plate appearances Sunday, is batting .318 with a 5:3 BB:K and one homer in Grapefruit League action.

The third baseman hit just 10 Triple-A home runs in 2019 despite inflated totals around baseball. In an effort to boost that power, Hayes has been working with hitting coach Rick Eckstein to stay in his backside rather than jumping out of it early when he starts his swing. The 23-year-old will almost surely begin 2020 in the minors, but he represents the future at third base within the organization. The disappointing offense and lack of power are the only areas holding back the prospect.

With Freddy Galvis fighting shoulder and quadriceps injuries, Farmer has been getting extra game reps at shortstop and has been giving the Reds more confidence in his ability to play the position, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds don't have a true backup shortstop, so every game that Farmer gets there is pretty important to the Reds, especially because Galvis isn't the most stable starter at the position to begin with.

Sosa, who hit his second home run of spring in a Grapefruit League win over the Astros on Saturday after entering the game as a pinch runner, has a better chance at an Opening Day roster spot now that Yairo Munoz (hamstring) has been placed on unconditional release waivers, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Munoz abruptly left the Cardinals and headed back to his home in the Dominican Republic without informing team officials, leading to the move. Munoz's departure is certainly to Sosa's potential benefit, especially since the latter impressed in winter ball and has already made an impact this spring. Sosa is capable of playing both shortstop and third base, and he thrived at the highest levels of the minors last season by slashing .291/.335/.466 with 40 extra-base hits (18 doubles, five triples, 17 home runs) and 62 RBI across 118 games with Triple-A Memphis.

Davis (shoulder) will start in left field Sunday against Houston, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Davis' availability for Opening Day appeared to be potentially at risk when he jammed his shoulder in late February, but he's steadily made progress in recent days and will now return to game action. With over two weeks left before the start of the regular season, he should have plenty of time to get up to speed despite the delay.

Riley went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

He crushed an Eduardo Rodriguez offering over the left-field wall in the fourth inning for his second homer of the spring. Riley is making a strong case for a roster spot so far, slashing .333/.364/.667 through 22 plate appearances with a reasonable 1:4 BB:K, but the 22-year-old will need to convince the coaching staff he's a better option at third base than Johan Camargo if he wants to avoid being sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett to begin the season.