MLB Player News

Bregman (elbow) could return to game action next weekend if his progress continues, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in January but was always expected to be ready for Opening Day. As things stand, he could even withstand a minor setback and still likely have enough time to make the Opening Day lineup.

Chapman (illness) is not in the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Most of the Oakland regulars are in the lineup minus Chapman, who was sidelined with an unspecified illness earlier in the week. Cliff Pennington will man the hot corner in his absence. Chapman underwent left shoulder surgery in mid-December, but he was recently cleared for all baseball activities, so once he turns the page on this illness, he should be a full-go.

Duffy (hamstring) could make his spring debut Tuesday against the Orioles, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Duffy tweaked his hamstring early in spring training, though the issue isn't expected to be a significant one. A Tuesday return would see him miss the first four games of Grapefruit League action but still leave him more than enough time to build up for Opening Day.

Machado has agreed to play third base for the Padres, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

After making only 16 starts at third base a season ago for the Dodgers, Machado will move back to the hot corner for the 2019 campaign and beyond, per Heyman. He spent the majority of 2018 at shortstop, and although he put together quite a highlight reel there, his transition back to third base will work in San Diego's favor, especially if their No. 1 prospect, Fernando Tatis Jr., surfaces in the big leagues in the near future.

Duffy will miss a few days of spring training action after tweaking his hamstring, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear how the injury occurred, but the team is confident it is minor. Duffy will likely miss the first few spring games before resuming his normal role as the Rays' starting third baseman once his hamstring stops acting up. In the meantime, Yandy Diaz may see a bit more time at the hot corner, allowing Ji-Man Choi to log some innings at first base to fill the void.

Bregman (elbow) took live batting practice for the second day in a row Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The star third baseman continues to ramp up his activity quickly, as he just started throwing across the diamond Tuesday and hitting live batting practice Wednesday. As things stand now, the Astros hope to deploy Bregman back into games during the first weekend of March barring any setbacks. An exact return date will likely be formulated as he progresses through his workouts in the next few days.

Plouffe signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Wednesday which includes an invitation to spring training, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Plouffe opted to return to Philadelphia after spending the majority of the 2018 season on the team's farm, hitting .230/.347/.460 across 73 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The veteran infielder joined the big club briefly over summer but was designated for assignment after appearing in just seven games (going 3-for-12 with a homer). He figures to serve as infield depth again in 2019.

Chapman is not at practice Wednesday due to illness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This doesn't seem like a major issue for the third baseman. Chapman was scheduled to take Thursday off, but with this development, the Athletics will simply switch their plans and have Chapman take Wednesday off. Once he gets past this issue, the 25-year-old will be able to shift his focus back to preparing for the season opener March 20 in Tokyo.

Bregman (elbow) is scheduled to face live pitching Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros have been restricting Bregman's workload early in camp after he required arthroscopic surgery in January to remove a bone spur from his elbow. The 24-year-old didn't experience any setbacks Tuesday while throwing across the diamond for the second time all spring, so he'll be cleared to take another step forward in his rehab by taking batting practice. Bregman previously noted that the biggest test of his health will come with his swinging, so his comments after Wednesday's hitting session may bear monitoring.

Bregman (elbow) threw across the diamond Tuesday and indicated the session went "really well," Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "I got a long way to go with my swing right now," Bregman said. "Other than that, my body feels great."

Bregman has now incorporated throwing from third to first base into his regimen of baseball activities twice during the early stages of camp, an encouraging sign as he works back from arthroscopic surgery. As his comments suggest, the real test for Bregman's health will come in the batter's box. He's expected to gradually increase his throwing distance and the rigorousness of his batting and fielding drills over the next two weeks before likely making his Grapefruit League debut in early March.