MLB Player News

Farmer started at shortstop Sunday against the White Sox and went 0-for-1 with a walk, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

There were reports earlier in spring that Farmer would get work at shortstop in the hope that he could fill a super-utility role for the club this season. With presumed starter Freddy Galvis (shoulder) currently sidelined, Farmer has the opportunity to gain experience at the position. He made a few plays during the first inning, catching a soft liner to his right and also successfully fielding a groundball hit by Tim Anderson.

Suarez (shoulder) is scheduled to throw and take two-handed swings over the next few days, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 28-year-old has been limited to light, one-handed swings and non-throwing defensive work to this point, so this figures to be a significant step toward him receiving full clearance. Suarez is hoping to be ready in time for Opening Day after January shoulder surgery, but a more specific target date could come into focus soon if he continues his forward progression.

Anderson (finger) is starting at third base and batting second in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 26-year-old missed the final seven weeks of the 2019 campaign after suffering a broken finger on his left hand from a hit-by-pitch, but he's unsurprisingly good to go for spring training. Anderson appeared in 126 games last season and had a .261/.342/.468 slash line with 20 home runs, and he should be a fixture near the top of the lineup for the Marlins in 2020.

Senzel (shoulder) is taking live batting practice but is still working on a throwing program and will miss the Reds' early Cactus League games, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

There's some chance that Senzel might miss Opening Day, judging from manager David Bell's comments. "It's definitely day-to-day evaluation and kind of one step at a time," Bell said Friday. "We can't rush it, but we're hopeful that he'll be able to play games here." Senzel has two obstacles to playing time early -- his shoulder, and the Reds' crowded outfield. He has to clear the health issue first before he can win steady playing time.

Riley will play on an every-other-day basis in the early portions of spring training, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Riley will compete for a starting role at third base throughout the exhibition season. He'll square off against Johan Camargo, and the team will have plenty of opportunity to evaluate both players as they will alternate playing time to begin spring training. Riley made quite an impression in Atlanta by hitting 14 home runs in his first 174 plate appearances last season. However, he quickly came back to earth, striking out at a 42.3 percent clip across his final 123 plate appearances to close the campaign.

Segura is expected to start at third base this season provided he looks good there this spring, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Segura's minus-4 Outs Above Average easily beat new signee Didi Gregorius' minus-13 mark, but Gregorius appears to have been handed the starting shortstop job without a competition. That leaves Segura and Scott Kingery to split second and third base in some combination, and the feeling around Phillies camp according to Lauber is that the team strongly prefers Segura at third. The arrangement could shift at some point early this season if Alec Bohm impresses in the minors and claims the big-league third base job.

Suarez (shoulder) was able to do some light one-handed swinging and non-throwing defensive work during Sunday's team session, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The activity represents a small step forward for Suarez as he works back from right shoulder surgery, but until he's cleared to throw across the diamond, the Reds likely won't be able to pinpoint a target date for his return. Manager David Bell said a few days ago that it's "realistic" that Suarez may be ready to go for the Reds' Opening Day game March 26 versus St. Louis.

Farmer will get some work at shortstop this spring, with the hope that he can fill a super-utility role this season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The Reds are thin at shortstop this year -- behind Freddy Galvis they only have Farmer and Alex Blandino on the depth chart. It's debatable whether Farmer can handle the position, however.

Kieboom will have an opportunity to earn the Opening Day job at third base, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The 22-year-old made his big-league debut last April with Trea Turner (finger) on the injured list, but the organization's top prospect returned to the minors after struggling at the plate in 11 games with a .128/.209/.282 slash line. The offseason departure of Anthony Rendon leaves a significant hole at third base for the Nationals, and Kieboom could take over at the hot corner with a strong showing in spring training. However, the team has plenty of veteran infield depth (Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro, Wilmer Difo, Howie Kendrick) should Kieboom be unable to secure the starting job over the next month.

Senzel (shoulder) is hitting but is still rehabbing his shoulder when it comes to throwing, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

While Senzel should be ready for Opening Day, he's going to start spring training a little behind. "Nick is still going through his process," manager David Bell said. "I wouldn't say take it easy, but with the throwing, he's still on a program. He's actually kind of picking the throwing program back up today or tomorrow. He's another guy that's on pace and on target for Opening Day. He's swinging. He'll be able to have at-bats, obviously running and doing all the drills in the outfield as normal, but the throwing process will be a little bit slower than the other guys."