MLB Player News

Sosa entered the spring in competition with Paul DeJong to be the Cardinals' Opening Day shortstop, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

DeJong has a slight edge for the starting role at this point, but Sosa is right in the mix. Through three spring games, Sosa is 2-for-7 with a double and three RBI, though he's also struck out four times. The 26-year-old may not win the starting job out of spring training, but he figures to keep the position a competition throughout 2022. Sosa hit a solid .271/.346/.389 with six home runs, 27 RBI, 39 runs scored and four stolen bases in 113 contests last season.

Chapman agreed Tuesday with the Blue Jays on a two-year, $25 million contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal buys out Chapman's final two years of arbitration and keeps him on track to reach free agency following the 2023 campaign. The Blue Jays will likely wait and see how Chapman fares during his first season in Toronto before potentially revisiting signing him to a longer-term extension next spring.

Kieboom has been diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his elbow in addition to a flexor mass strain in his forearm, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

The additional issue helps explain why the Nationals placed him on the 60-day IL. Kieboom will be shut down and rested for at least six weeks before being allowed to resume baseball activities, so his absence could extend well past 60 days, but the club is hoping he will be able to avoid Tommy John surgery -- which would be the likely next step if the ligament strain becomes a full tear. Non-roster invitee Maikel Franco is the current favorite to see most of the playing time at third base while Kieboom is out of action.

Rendon is expected to play in his first spring training game Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rendon's arrival at camp was slightly delayed, but as has been previously reported, it shouldn't have much of an impact on his status for Opening Day. The 31-year-old is in pursuit of a bounce-back season after appearing in only 58 games during the 2021 campaign due to a hamstring injury, struggling to a .240 average with six homers and 34 RBI over that stretch.

Farmer remains entrenched as the Reds' starting shortstop with Jose Barrero out for six weeks with a wrist issue, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

It's possible, maybe even likely, that Farmer will remain the starter at shortstop even when Barrero is healthy enough to play. In previous camps he'd get work at multiple positions in anticipation of being a utility player, but this year he's exclusively getting reps at shortstop.

Senzel and the Reds agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal Monday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Senzel has reached the arbitration stage of his career without fully establishing himself, largely due to injury. In 616 career plate appearances split across the last three seasons, he's homered 15 times and stolen 18 bases while hitting .246/.308/.396. Opportunities are available for him to carve out a major role for the rebuilding Reds this season, particularly in center field, but health remains his biggest question mark.

Kieboom (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Kieboom was diagnosed with a flexor mass strain in his right forearm this weekend, and the issue will force him to miss the first two months of the regular season. Maikel Franco is now the favorite to begin the year as Washington's primary third baseman, but Kieboom will be in the mix for the role once he's cleared to return.

Chapman went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

He crushed a Bryse Wilson offering deep to left field in the third inning for his first homer of the spring. Chapman is coming off a rough final stretch at the plate with Oakland, posting sky-high strikeout rates and feeble batting averages over the last two seasons in the aftermath of a hip injury, but his elite defense at third base will still an asset for the Blue Jays even if he never regains the form that saw him slash .263/.348/.507 over 301 games in 2018-19 for the A's.

McMahon signed a six-year, $70 million extension with the Rockies on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal buys out the final two years of McMahon's team control and adds an additional four seasons, keeping the infielder around through the end of 2027, his age-32 season. McMahon hit 23 homers last season while slashing .254/.331/.449, good for a career-best (but still below-average) 95 wRC+. The extension is great news for those who have McMahon on their dynasty teams, as he'll now continue to have his numbers boosted by Coors Field for six more years, barring a trade.

Madrigal (hamstring) will start at second base and bat leadoff in Monday's Cactus League game against the Reds.

Madrigal will be making his spring and Cubs debuts Monday, as he didn't appear in a game for the North Siders after coming over in a July 30 deal with the White Sox since he was still recovering from surgery to address a torn right hamstring. Though the Cubs could look to limit Madrigal's early-season exposure to the keystone and use him as a designated hitter in an effort to limit the strain on his surgically repaired hamstring, his inclusion in the field early in spring training suggests the team is confident he's back to 100 percent health. Whether he's deployed at second base or DH in a given game, Madrigal's blend of contact skills and decent speed could make him a fit as a leadoff man, though his low walk rates may not give him much staying power atop the lineup.