MLB Player News

Newman went 2-for-2 with a walk Thursday against the Braves.

He's in the middle of a three-way competition for time at shortstop with Cole Tucker and Erik Gonzalez. Newman, who bobbled away a ground ball for an error Thursday, needs to prove himself again both offensively and defensively after a miserable 2020. He slashed just .224/.281/.276 with one homer and no steals in 172 plate appearances after hitting .308 with 12 homers and 16 steals in 2019. Newman closed out last season on the injured list with a knee injury but is back to full health for 2021.

Urshela (elbow) will start at third base and will bat second Thursday in the Yankees' Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier in the week that Urshela would make his spring debut Thursday, but it wasn't certain whether the 29-year-old would play the field or serve as the team's designated hitter. With Urshela now confirmed to be playing the field, the Yankees evidently have no concerns about his right elbow coming off arthroscopic surgery in December. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, interim skipper Carlos Mendoza said that he expects Urshela to get two at-bats Thursday before leaving the contest.

Arenado is 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk over his last two Grapefruit League games after going hitless in two at-bats during his Sunday debut.

The prize offseason acquisition got off to an inconspicuous start Sunday against the Nationals , booting a ball at third in addition to coming up empty in his pair of plate appearances. However, Arenado has subsequently broken the ice with hits in back-to-back exhibitions, with Wednesday's knock accounting for his first official RBI in a Cardinals uniform. Arenado previously stated he'd ideally be comfortable with approximately 50 spring training at-bats ahead of the regular season, and he seems to be firmly on track for that level of volume early.

Madrigal (shoulder) is expected to make his Cactus League debut against the Dodgers on Monday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Madrigal was expected to return to action in early March after undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason. He's on track to do so, as manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday that he's currently penciled in to start Monday. Barring any setbacks, Madrigal will have several weeks to ramp up his conditioning ahead of Opening Day.

Chapman could play third base during Friday's Cactus League matchup if he feels good after Wednesday's game, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman will serve as the designated hitter once again during Wednesday's matchup against the Rockies as the team continues to ease him back into action following offseason hip surgery. Assuming he checks out fine after Wednesday's game, he's expected to make his defensive debut after Thursday's off day. The 27-year-old has gone 1-for-3 with a double and one strikeout to begin Cactus League play.

Rendon (undisclosed) is starting Wednesday's Cactus League matchup against the Rangers.

Rendon was held out of the first few spring games of the season due to what was described as "soreness," but he'll play third base and bat fourth against Texas on Wednesday. Barring any setbacks, the 30-year-old should still have plenty of time to prepare for Opening Day following his brief absence.

Moncada started at third base and went 1-for-2 with two runs scored in Tuesday's spring game against the Rangers.

Moncada appeared for the first time in the field since he experienced arm soreness over the final week of February. "His stroke looks really good on both sides of the plate," manager Tony La Russa told Scott Merkin of MLB.com. "He's moving well." Moncada was limited to DH duties but should be back to normal at third base.

Rendon (soreness) will likely play his first spring training game either Wednesday or Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rendon has thus far been held out of action due to what has been described only as "soreness," but the issue appears to be a minor one given his looming debut. The veteran third baseman is slated to be a key offensive cog as the Angels' cleanup hitter behind Mike Trout.

Chapman started at designated hitter and doubled in three at-bats during Monday's Cactus League win over the Reds.

The Athletics had already announced their intention to ease Chapman back into his third-base role after offseason hip surgery, so the start at DH wasn't unexpected. The 27-year-old laced a thunderous two-bagger in his final at-bat before calling it an afternoon, and Martin Gallegos of MLB.com notes Chapman is slated to make his defensive debut following Oakland's off day Thursday.

Kieboom underwent LASIK surgery over the offseason, which hitting coach Kevin Long said Tuesday is already having a noticeable effect, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Kieboom clearly needed to do something, as he hasn't come close to delivering on his considerable prospect promise through his first 44 big-league games, hitting just .181/.309/.232. In addition to the eye procedure, he also tweaked his batting stance over the winter. It's certainly possible those two changes help him reach a new level this year, especially as he's still just 23 years old, though it's of course far from guaranteed that either change will have the desired effect on his stat line.