MLB Player News

Bregman said Monday that he trimmed down from 215 pounds to 195 this offseason with a focus on increasing his mobility, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Perhaps in part due to the heftier build, Bregman saw his stolen bases fall for a second straight season, dropping from 10 in 2018 to only five in 2019. The strength of the Astros' lineup from top to bottom should again put a natural limit on Bregman's running opportunities, but even a modest bounce back in steals would help compensate for some expected regression in the power department after he clubbed a career-high 41 home runs last season. Though his role in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal has made Bregman a controversial figure this winter, his well-rounded profile still makes him a comfortable top-two-round selection in fantasy.

Segura is expected to start at third base this season provided he looks good there this spring, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Segura's minus-4 Outs Above Average easily beat new signee Didi Gregorius' minus-13 mark, but Gregorius appears to have been handed the starting shortstop job without a competition. That leaves Segura and Scott Kingery to split second and third base in some combination, and the feeling around Phillies camp according to Lauber is that the team strongly prefers Segura at third. The arrangement could shift at some point early this season if Alec Bohm impresses in the minors and claims the big-league third base job.

Paredes, who split last season between third base and shortstop, is focusing on third this spring, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The 20-year-old is not known as a strong defender at shortstop, and his 5-foot-11, 225-pound frame likely plays better at third base moving forward. Paredes is expected to begin the year at Triple-A Toledo, and if he plays well there, he could debut with the Tigers at some point this season.

Suarez (shoulder) was able to do some light one-handed swinging and non-throwing defensive work during Sunday's team session, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The activity represents a small step forward for Suarez as he works back from right shoulder surgery, but until he's cleared to throw across the diamond, the Reds likely won't be able to pinpoint a target date for his return. Manager David Bell said a few days ago that it's "realistic" that Suarez may be ready to go for the Reds' Opening Day game March 26 versus St. Louis.

Devers will make a delayed arrival to spring training since his girlfriend recently gave birth to their daughter, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear when exactly Devers is expected to join the team, but his absence shouldn't impact much for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old took a major step forward in 2019 with a .311/.361/.555 slash line, 32 home runs, 54 doubles, 115 RBI and eight stolen bases in 156 games.

Moncada said he's not a fan of batting leadoff and prefers to hit second in the order, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

As manager Rick Renteria considers lineup possibilities, particularly the leadoff spot, he'll consider a player's comfort level. Moncada, who profiles as a candidate anywhere in the top four of the order, had a monstrous 2019 while hitting mostly out of the second spot. More than batting-order position, it was a change in plate approach that made the most difference. Moncada attacked hittable pitches earlier in his at-bats, resulting in a significant rise in production and a dramatic decrease in strikeouts (from 217 to 154). It should also be noted that his .315/.367/.548 slash was fueled by an astronomical .406 BABIP, which led MLB, so fantasy owners may want to factor in some regression in batting average. Still, the 24-year-old third baseman cranked 25 home runs and vows to steal more than the 10 bases he had in 2019.

Farmer will get some work at shortstop this spring, with the hope that he can fill a super-utility role this season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The Reds are thin at shortstop this year -- behind Freddy Galvis they only have Farmer and Alex Blandino on the depth chart. It's debatable whether Farmer can handle the position, however.

Kieboom will have an opportunity to earn the Opening Day job at third base, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The 22-year-old made his big-league debut last April with Trea Turner (finger) on the injured list, but the organization's top prospect returned to the minors after struggling at the plate in 11 games with a .128/.209/.282 slash line. The offseason departure of Anthony Rendon leaves a significant hole at third base for the Nationals, and Kieboom could take over at the hot corner with a strong showing in spring training. However, the team has plenty of veteran infield depth (Asdrubal Cabrera, Starlin Castro, Wilmer Difo, Howie Kendrick) should Kieboom be unable to secure the starting job over the next month.

Senzel (shoulder) is hitting but is still rehabbing his shoulder when it comes to throwing, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

While Senzel should be ready for Opening Day, he's going to start spring training a little behind. "Nick is still going through his process," manager David Bell said. "I wouldn't say take it easy, but with the throwing, he's still on a program. He's actually kind of picking the throwing program back up today or tomorrow. He's another guy that's on pace and on target for Opening Day. He's swinging. He'll be able to have at-bats, obviously running and doing all the drills in the outfield as normal, but the throwing process will be a little bit slower than the other guys."

Manager David Bell said Thursday that it's "realistic" that Suarez (shoulder) could be ready to play in the Reds' Opening Day game March 26 versus the Cardinals, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Suarez required surgery just under three weeks ago after injuring his right shoulder in a swimming pool during the offseason. Though Suarez has yet to resume any meaningful activity, Bell said that the latest medical updates the team has received on the 28-year-old are encouraging, leaving the door open for the third baseman to avoid the injured list to begin the season. How Suarez's shoulder responds to him swinging a bat and throwing will ultimately prove more telling with regard to when he'll be ready to play in games, so don't expect a firmer target date for his return to emerge until later in spring training. If Suarez is sidelined to begin the season, Josh VanMeter will likely benefit from the biggest spike in playing time.