MLB Player News

Newman (hamstring) served as the team's designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk Sunday against the Phillies.

While he didn't play in the field, Newman saw his first action in a week. He made it through the game without re-injuring himself and figures to see time at shortstop in the coming days.

Longoria (foot) is batting fifth as the designated hitter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 35-year-old has been battling plantar fasciitis throughout the early stages of camp and has been operating as a designated hitter for the past week. It's unclear when Longoria is expected to play the field, but there has yet to be much concern expressed about the injury.

Astudillo 1-for-3 with a home run in Saturday's spring training win over Tampa Bay. He's hitting .417 (5-for-12) this spring.

Astudillo is competing for a utility role in which he can serve as a third catcher and also play third base, second base and left field. Despite his hot start to the spring, it's not clear if the Twins will need a third catcher, and the team may prefer other utility options that provide better infield defense.

Peraza was optioned to High-A Hudson Valley on Friday.

Peraza was added to the 40-man roster in November, but he is only 20 years old and has yet to reach Double-A. He has gone 1-for-9 with an RBI over eight Grapefruit League games this spring.

Escobar started at third base and went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's spring game against the Angels.

Escobar launched his second spring homer in the sixth inning and is 6-for-19 with a triple, two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored over seven games. The offseason addition of Asdrubal Cabrera, who plays multiple infield positions, generated speculation about the division of playing time and where Escobar would see most of his starts. Adding to the uncertainty was the question of where the Diamondbacks would eventually deploy Ketel Marte, who can play second base or center field. Thus far in Cactus League play, Escobar's played third base five times and once each at second base and DH. When the regular season kicks off, expect Escobar to be the primary third baseman while both he and Cabrera get time at third and second base.

Manager Dusty Baker hopes Bregman (hamstring) will be able to play in spring training games next week, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old has yet to make his spring debut due to a left hamstring issue, and he won't be joining the lineup this weekend. Bregman said last week he feels about 90 percent healthy while taking live batting practice and participating in pregame work, but the Astros continue to slow play his progression in camp. There doesn't appear to be much concern about his availability for Opening Day at this point, though it's worth keeping an eye on his status until he actually takes the field.

Jung was assigned to minor-league camp Friday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The Rangers don't have many compelling options competing for playing time at third base, with Rougned Odor, Brock Holt and Charlie Culberson among the top candidates. They could have theoretically turned to Jung, who earned rave reviews at the alternate site last season and is expected to debut at some point this year. Sending him down for now makes sense, as he's played in just 44 professional games, none of which have come above the Low-A level, but it may not be too long before he's knocking on the door if he looks good in the minors to start the season.

Urias is battling to earn a roster spot as a bench player, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Urias proved himself capable of playing across the infield while coming up through the Cardinals' farm system, and he spent time at second base and shortstop during his major-league debut in 2020. That versatility is something that manager Brandon Hyde stressed when discussing the traits he is looking for in bench bats heading into the 2021 campaign. Urias is in the thick of competition with Pat Valaika and Stevie Wilkerson for the role, though he may see limited playing time initially even if he breaks camp with the big-league club.

Devers went 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Wednesday's spring game against Atlanta.

Devers went opposite field off left-hander Max Fried in the first inning -- a positive sign for the young third baseman, who had a mere .613 OPS off southpaws in 2020. Last season was a down year overall for Devers after a breakout 2019, and he's continued to struggle during 2021 spring training, going just 3-for-18 (.167) so far. It looks like manager Alex Cora is banking on a bounce back, as Devers has hit cleanup in all seven of his Grapefruit League appearances.

McMahon went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and one strikeout in Wednesday's spring win over the Padres.

McMahon got off to a somewhat slow start to spring training, but he's now hit solo home runs in each of the past two Cactus League matchups. In total, the 26-year-old has gone 4-for-16 with two home runs, one double, four runs, two RBI and two strikeouts across seven spring games. McMahon should serve as the Rockies' primary third baseman to begin the season after Nolan Arenado was traded to the Cardinals during the offseason, but Josh Fuentes could also contend for playing time at the position.