MLB Player News

Anderson has gone 9-for-31 (.290) through 12 Grapefruit League games with a double, a home run and a 0:14 BB:K.

The 27-year-old saw his strikeout rate rise to 28.8 percent last season, but Anderson's 45.0 percent rate this spring is something else entirely. There's little reason to put much stock in the small spring sample, as Anderson has wielded a consistent bat for the Marlins the last two years, slashing .259/.343/.467 with 31 homers and 104 RBI in 185 games. He still has time in camp to find his timing at the plate.

Davis has gone 5-for-22 (.227) through 10 Grapefruit League games and has yet to collect an extra-base hit.

His 8:4 BB:K is impressive, but otherwise Davis hasn't quite gotten his swing in sync this spring. The 27-year-old is still expected to open the season as the Mets' starting third baseman, but he'll need to supply something closer to his 2019 OPS of .896, rather than the tepid .760 mark he managed last year, to hang onto the job.

Moncada went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored in Saturday's spring game against Cleveland.

Moncada has reached base safely via a hit or walk in 12 straight Cactus League games, which is a welcome sign after a disappointing 2020. He tested positive for COVID-19 last year and had lingering fatigue because of it, finishing with a .705 OPS. This spring, Moncada is 10-for-32 with four extra-base hits and six walks.

Jung was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot Saturday and will be out for 6-to-8 weeks while recovering from surgery, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung had reportedly been playing through some discomfort for a few weeks, but the issue is apparently bad enough that he'll need a screw in his foot. He'll now be out until early or mid-May, though the delayed start to the minor-league season means he won't wind up missing too much development time. He's a candidate to make his big-league debut sometime this season given the weakness of the Rangers' third-base depth chart, though he'll need to prove his health and effectiveness before that happens.

Madrigal went 3-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's spring game against Seattle.

Madrigal recently returned from lingering soreness in his surgically-repaired shoulder and has been limited to 11 spring at-bats. With just under two weeks remaining before the regular season, he should have just enough time to log the plate appearances to be ready.

Longoria (foot) could take the field by the middle of next week, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Longoria has been dealing with plantar fasciitis since the start of camp. He's been able to participate in spring training games but has been limited to designated hitter duty. If he does wind up being ready to field his position soon, he should still have enough time to be ready to go by Opening Day, but time is getting tight.

Jung is unavailable Friday due to pain in his left foot, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The exact nature and severity of his injury are unclear. Jung has been reassigned to minor-league camp, so he won't be breaking camp on the active roster even if fully healthy. There aren't any particularly inspiring options blocking him at third base, however, so he has a chance to debut at some point this season if he's healthy and effective in the minors.

Newman is 9-for-14 with a 4:0 BB:K in Grapefruit League action.

Since returning from a hamstring injury two games ago, he has three hits in six at-bats. Newman struggled mightily in 2020 with a .224 batting average in 156 at-bats, but he posted a .308 mark in 493 at-bats in his rookie campaign. While he doesn't have glove skills of his competitors for the Pirates' shortstop job, Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker, his bat plays much better. He played nearly as much second base (20 games) as shortstop (23) last summer, so he could also slide over to the right side of the infield, especially if the team eventually trades starting second baseman Adam Frazier.

LeMahieu is expected to see some time at first and third base before the end of spring, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

LeMahieu is firmly locked in as the Yankees' starting second baseman, but manager Aaron Boone has mentioned the desire for the veteran to mix in reps at the corner infield spots simply because he's capable of playing there. The reigning MLB batting champ has been solid at the plate in Grapefruit League play, slashing .308/.357/.423 with a home run and three RBI.

Kieboom still appears set to be the Nationals' starting third baseman this season despite his poor spring, as potential alternative Starlin Castro has yet to take any reps at the position in camp, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

With Castro seemingly locked in as the starting second baseman, Kieboom's top competition comes from utility man Josh Harrison. Kieboom has demonstrated none of his prospect promise in 44 career major-league games, hitting .181/.309/.232, and his .160/.222/.240 line through 10 games this spring hardly suggests he's on the verge of a breakout.