MLB Player News

Kieboom will compete with Maikel Franco for the starting job at third base during spring training, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals are hopeful that Kieboom will be able to serve as the Nationals' starting third baseman to begin the season, but manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that the 24-year-old will need to earn the job. The 24-year-old appeared in 62 games for Washington last year and slashed .207/.301/.318 with six homers, 26 runs and 20 RBI.

The Blue Jays acquired Chapman from the Athletics on Wednesday in exchange for right-handed starter Gunnar Hoglund (elbow), shortstop Kevin Smith, left-handed starter Zach Logue and lefty reliever Kirby Snead, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The rebuilding Athletics shipped out both of their star corner infielders just two days apart, as first baseman Matt Olson was moved to Atlanta earlier this week before Chapman was sent to Toronto. With the Blue Jays, Chapman will provide elite defense at the hot corner, and he'll also be tasked with replacing some of the production at the plate that the team lost with Marcus Semien's departure for the Rangers in free agency. Since he broke out with career-high marks in home runs (36), RBI (91) and runs (102) in 2019, Chapman's offensive outputs have been trending down while his strikeout rate has spiked considerably, but the move to a friendlier home park and a star-studded Toronto lineup should help his numbers recover to some degree.

The Blue Jays are expected to finalize a deal Wednesday to acquire Chapman from the Athletics in exchange for an unspecified prospect haul, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports.

Toronto had a big hole at the hot corner, and Chapman is one of the best defensive players in all of baseball, so he's an excellent real-life acquisition. Chapman, 28, has hit .230/.323/.466 over the past three seasons, but his strikeout rate spiked to 35.5 percent in 2020 and was 32.5 percent in 2021. As a right-handed hitter, he gets a slight upgrade in home park and a massive lineup upgrade.

Muncy (elbow) played first base in the Dodgers' simulated game Tuesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Muncy's health has been a major question mark since he injured his left elbow in last year's regular-season finale, but the recent news on that front has been encouraging. He's apparently 85 percent recovered from the injury and has been participating in workouts with the intention of being ready for Opening Day. While the introduction of the universal designated hitter should make it easier to keep him in the lineup early in the year if he's not yet at 100 percent, it looks as though he may not find himself limited to that role.

Rendon (personal) reported to camp Tuesday, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Rendon was absent for the start of camp for personal reasons, but it turns out that he'll miss just a single day. His preparation for the upcoming season shouldn't be meaningfully affected.

Madrigal (hamstring) will likely be one of several players that Chicago manager David Ross rotates into the designated hitter spot this season, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Madrigal was acquired by the Cubs at the trade deadline last summer but was already out for the year following surgery to repair proximal tendon tears in his right hamstring. He's expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, but the Cubs could still ease the 25-year-old back into action by using him as the DH from time to time. Willson Contreras, Ian Happ (elbow) and Clint Frazier were also identified as candidates to serve as the DH, as Ross seems intent on mixing and matching in the spot.

Toro is in line to begin the year as utility depth after the Mariners acquired Eugenio Suarez from the Reds on Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Toro had an everyday role for the Mariners in 2021 while mainly playing at second base, but it appeared as though he'd shift to the hot corner to begin the 2022 campaign after Kyle Seager announced his retirement and Seattle traded for Adam Frazier in November. While Toro is expected to see some outfield reps during spring training this year, it appears as though he'll see more sporadic playing time than he had to close out the season in 2021.

Suarez and Jesse Winker were traded from the Reds to the Mariners in exchange for Justin Dunn, Brandon Williamson and Jake Fraley on Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Suarez was an All-Star in 2018, but his results have declined across the last two seasons. He appeared in 145 games with the Reds in 2021 and had a career-low .198 batting average with 31 home runs, 79 RBI and 71 runs. Power has never been an issue for the 30-year-old, as he's averaged 32.3 home runs per year across the last four seasons. Suarez is in line to serve as the Mariners' starting third baseman on Opening Day in 2022.

Rendon's arrival at camp has been delayed due to personal reasons, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

The exact reason for Rendon's absence and his expected arrival date are not yet clear. If he reports soon, he'll likely have no issues getting ready for Opening Day, but it's possible he misses time if the delay stretches on.

Wisdom (wrist) took live at-bats against teammate Justin Steele during the Cubs' team workout Monday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The activity is evidence that Wisdom is good to go for the start of the 2022 campaign after he missed the final week of the 2021 season with a sore right wrist. Before the injury cropped up, the 30-year-old was one of the pleasant surprises in a non-contending season for the Cubs, as he paced the team with 28 home runs while driving in 61, scoring 54 times and chipping in four steals. However, a low walk rate (8.6 percent) and a bloated 40.9 percent strikeout rate made him less valuable from a real-life standpoint. Though the big power production he supplied in 2021 locks him into an everyday role heading into Opening Day, Wisdom may need to pare down his strikeouts to ensure he maintains a regular lineup spot for the balance of the season.