MLB Player News

Newman went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs in Monday's loss to the Orioles.

He's batting a healthy .700 in 20 spring at-bats. Perhaps more importantly, he's running the bases well and playing solid defense, showing that he's healthy entering the season. Barring an injury during the final week of Grapefruit League, Newman is likely to begin 2021 as the team's starting shortstop, ahead of Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker. Fantasy owners might recall that the 27-year-old stole 16 bases in 2019, so he could prove to be a sneaky source of steals in 2021.

McMahon went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's spring win over the Rangers.

McMahon hit his third Cactus League home run of the year with a solo blast in the first inning to put the Rockies on the board. The 26-year-old has hit .250 with four extra-base hits, four walks, seven RBI, seven runs and eight strikeouts over 15 spring games this year. McMahon should see most of his playing time at third base throughout the regular season but will also be a top option to fill in at second base over the first few weeks of the year while Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) is sidelined.

Candelario is batting .353 with an .807 OPS across 14 Grapefruit League games.

Candelario doesn't have a ton of counting stats with just two runs scored, an RBI and no home runs, but it's still been a solid spring. The 27-year-old should be the regular first baseman for the Tigers this season, with Renato Nunez and potentially Miguel Cabrera picking up some starts when Candelario rests.

Duffy went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Monday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

Duffy has been steady if not spectacular this spring, registering a .300 average and .650 OPS across 20 at-bats. The veteran infielder is on a minor-league deal and likely won't figure into the Opening Day mix for the Cubs, though he gives them a depth option for later in the season. Duffy last appeared in the majors in 2019 with the Rays, slashing .252/.343/.327 across 46 games.

Entering play Monday, Ramirez has gone 8-for-29 with two doubles and two stolen bases in as many attempts.

The home-run production isn't there yet for Ramirez this spring, but his continued involvement on the basepaths is an encouraging sight with stolen bases seemingly becoming increasingly rare MLB-wide every year. Though his batting average has been highly volatile in recent seasons, Ramirez's track record of durability, prime lineup placement and power/speed combination makes him a fine selection in the first round or early second round of fantasy drafts.

Peterson aggravated his thumb injury and has been informed he won't make the Opening Day roster, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The 30-year-old dealt with the thumb issue earlier in spring training, and the issue has resurfaced since he returned to action March 10. Peterson is in camp as a non-roster invitee and will focus on getting healthy in hope of an early-season promotion after failing to make the Opening Day roster.

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.