MLB Player News

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."

Manager David Bell said Thursday that it's "realistic" that Suarez (shoulder) could be ready to play in the Reds' Opening Day game March 26 versus the Cardinals, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Suarez required surgery just under three weeks ago after injuring his right shoulder in a swimming pool during the offseason. Though Suarez has yet to resume any meaningful activity, Bell said that the latest medical updates the team has received on the 28-year-old are encouraging, leaving the door open for the third baseman to avoid the injured list to begin the season. How Suarez's shoulder responds to him swinging a bat and throwing will ultimately prove more telling with regard to when he'll be ready to play in games, so don't expect a firmer target date for his return to emerge until later in spring training. If Suarez is sidelined to begin the season, Josh VanMeter will likely benefit from the biggest spike in playing time.

Newman, who finished eighth in 2019 in the NL batting race with a .308 average, is set to start the 2020 campaign as Pittsburgh's primary shortstop, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 26-year-old saw action at both shortstop (104 games) and second base (23) as a rookie last year. He stole 16 bases (in 24 attempts) and spent the offseason working on "speed and defense." As a result, it wouldn't be surprising to see him surpass his projected stolen bases total for 2020. Newman may eventually settle in as the team's second baseman -- his minus-6 DRS at shortstop demonstrates his lack of range -- but he'll qualify at both middle infield spots in many leagues for 2020 and represents sneaky end-game value on a potential cellar-dwelling team.

Senzel has reported early to camp and said that his shoulder feels good, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Senzel is coming off a season where he fell short of heightened expectations, though he held his own before injuring his shoulder. The Reds have to figure out Senzel's place in the lineup and the field following the acquisitions of Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos, so the greater his availability in spring training, the better.

Segura projects to open the year at second base after the Phillies signed Didi Gregorius in the offseason.

Segura does have experience at the keystone, having played 142 games at second base for Arizona in 2016. It only makes sense for him to shift to the other middle-infield position with Gregorius' arrival, with Scott Kingery slotting in at third, though Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia said back in December that the Phillies will "consider all options in spring training." Segura was below league average by wRC+ in 2019 and his running waned, but assuming he does secure full-time at-bats in spring training, Segura should gain multi-position eligibility early on in 2020.

Urias was designated for assignment by the Cardinals on Thursday.

This move frees up a roster spot for Ricardo Sanchez, who was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals on Thursday. Urias spent the majority of 2019 with Triple-A Memphis, appearing in 96 games and slashing .263/.369/.424 with nine home runs and four stolen bases.

Muncy and the Dodgers came to terms Thursday on a three-year, $24.5 million contract extension, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The contract includes a $13 million team option or a $1.5 million buyout for 2023.

Muncy didn't become a full-time regular at the MLB level until his age-27 season in 2018, so he was likely eager to accept a fairly modest extension rather than being subjected to the arbitration process for the next three years. The deal will also allow the Dodgers to potentially buy out his first year of free agency in 2023. Muncy, who has slugged 35 home runs in back-to-back years while showing the ability to play three infield spots, is expected to see most of his action at first base in 2020.