MLB Player News

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.

The Blue Jays reassigned Groshans to their minor-league camp Thursday.

Groshans was one of 25 players the Blue Jays sent to minor-league camp in their latest round of roster cuts. The 21-year-old third baseman is one of the top position prospects in the organization, but the Blue Jays likely aren't counting on him making any contributions in the majors in 2021 with Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero slated to handle most of the work at the hot corner. Groshans will likely head to Double-A New Hampshire or High-A Vancouver when the minor-league season begins.

The Pirates optioned Castro to minor-league camp Tuesday.

The switch-hitting infielder has gone 3-for-19 in Grapefruit League action, but he hit home runs on consecutive days in his most recent pair of games. Known for his elite exit velocity, the 21-year-old will likely begin 2021 at Double-A Altoona. Castro hit 19 homers in 2019 while splitting time between Low-A and High-A ball.

Bregman started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's spring game against the Mets.

Bregman made his spring debut Tuesday after dealing with a sore hamstring. He faced pure heat from Jacob deGrom and flied out three times, including one deep shot that would have been for extra bases had Brandon Nimmo not hauled it in. It's a positive sign that he was able play the field immediately and not be eased in as a DH. He will be held out of Wednesday's game as a precaution, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. With a team day offThursday, Bregman is not expected to play again until Friday.

Muncy has played only at first base during spring training, Pedro Moura of The Athletic reports.

Muncy has bounced around the diamond over the past three seasons, logging a total of 184 games at first base, 95 games at second and 89 games at third. However, the Dodgers seem to have settled on a more consistent infield rotation this season, potentially allowing Muncy to concentrate solely on his primary position. While the slugger hasn't hit well this spring, he is tied for the team lead with five walks and should be given a long leash even if his Cactus League struggles carry over into the start of the campaign.

Urshela started at shortstop in Tuesday's Grapefruit League contest versus Detroit and went 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

Urshela is locked in as the Yankees' starting third baseman this season, but he stated after Tuesday's game that he feels comfortable at shortstop and is willing to play there if needed, per Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated. The 29-year-old last played the position in 2018, when he logged eight games there while a member of the Blue Jays.