MLB Player News

Nevin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 7-1 loss to the Phillies.

Nevin has moved around the diamond during spring training in preparation for a versatile role. He's a natural first baseman, but he's also logged time at third base and in the corner outfield spots. Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports the players that remain in camp are either locked in as Opening Day options or competing for a spot, so Nevin remains in the mix to be a bench option. The 24-year-old is still unlikely to see an everyday role to begin the season. He's hitting .211 with five RBI and two runs scored in seven Grapefruit League games.

The Royals optioned Garcia to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Monday, MLB.com reports.

Garcia will move up a level to begin 2022 after he split time between Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities last season. Over 244 plate appearances for the latter affiliate, the 22-year-old infielder posted a .354 on-base average and went 11-for-14 on stolen-base attempts.

The Pirates announced Tuesday that Hayes is day-to-day after sustaining a minor right ankle sprain in a workout over the weekend, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

According to the update provided by the team, Hayes will continue with all baseball activities except baserunning in the short term and will be withheld from game action for a "brief period." With Opening Day a week and a half away, the timing of Hayes' injury is less than ideal, but so long as he isn't shut down from activity entirely and is cleared to begin running by early next week, he should be on track to avoid a trip to the injured list. While missing considerable time due to a wrist injury in his second MLB season in 2021, Hayes finished with a .257 average to go with six home runs and nine stolen bases across 396 plate appearances.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Donaldson could get some opportunities to bat leadoff, Erik Boland of Newsday reports. "Guy that controls the strike zone like he does, the ability to get on, power, great hitter...yeah, he's definitely someone I would consider," Boone stated.

Donaldson didn't hit leadoff at all last season with Minnesota, though he did frequently bat second in the order. The veteran finished with an above-average .352 OBP and and an excellent 13.6 percent walk rate, marking the sixth straight season his walk rate was north of 13 percent. Donaldson's patience and eye at the plate lend credence to the notion that he could succeed as a leadoff hitter, though players with his big power and lack of speed aren't typically used in that role.

Longoria will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a ligament in his right index finger, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports. A timeline for his return isn't clear, but his finger will be immobilized for at least 10 days before he's able to resume baseball activities.

The Giants might have a better sense about how long Longoria might be sidelined once the surgery is completed, but he won't be ready to go for Opening Day and appears likely to miss at least the first week or two of the regular season. The third baseman had yet to see any Cactus League action in spring training and will likely need at least a few rehab appearances before making his 2022 debut. Wilmer Flores, Thairo Estrada and Tommy La Stella are all candidates to pick up more work at the hot corner while Longoria is out of commission.

Wisdom went 2-for-2 with two home runs and four RBI in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Royals.

So much for a slow start to the spring, as Wisdom broke out in a big way. The Cubs added Jonathan Villar recently, which adds competition at third base, though Wisdom also has a path to playing time at designated hitter. If the 30-year-old continues to supply power like he did last season, when he blasted 28 home runs, he should be able to keep himself in the lineup most days.

The Mets reassigned Reynolds to minor-league camp Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

After signing a minor-league deal over the winter, Reynolds is back for a second stint with the Mets, who selected him in the second round of the 2012 first-year player draft. He made his MLB debut with the club in 2016 and has logged 251 plate appearances over parts of four years in the majors, compiling a .212/.282/.323 slash line. Reynolds is expected to serve as organizational depth at Triple-A Syracuse throughout the season and likely won't receive a promotion to the big club unless the team is simultaneously without several position players at a given time.

Moustakas (shoulder) will bat third and play third base Monday against the Cubs.

Moustakas missed time with a shoulder issue last week after hurting himself on a diving attempt in the field, but he's escaped without serious injury. He returned as the designated hitter Sunday and will be a full participant one day later.

Urias is hitting .500 through five Grapefruit League games.

Urias has flexed some power as well, posting three home runs and a double with four RBI and six runs scored. The Orioles' infield plans remain a bit muddied -- Urias is in contention for a starting job, but it's unclear if that will be at shortstop or third base. Richie Martin, Jorge Mateo and Kelvin Gutierrez are all also hitting well so far, as the competition for playing time seems to have brought out the best in all of them.

Machado (back) will start at third base and bat second in Monday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

After two days off to recover from back tightness, Machado will check back into the starting nine and keep himself on track to be ready to go for Opening Day. The 29-year-old has appeared in three Cactus League games thus far, going 2-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored.