MLB Player News

Moustakas agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Brewers on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal will become official following a physical exam. Moustakas elected free agency after turning down his 2019 option with Milwaukee, but he'll return with the Brewers and should be their premier option at third base, especially against right-handed pitching. This means Travis Shaw will once again see time at second base as he did in the second half of the 2018 campaign. The keystone will become a bit more crowded with Moustakas back in the picture, as Cory Spangenberg, Hernan Perez and Tyler Saladino could all compete for backup work at second behind Shaw.

Moncada reported to camp Saturday and took grounders at second and third base, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Moncada may be asked to play some third base this season, and that will become a greater possibility if free agent Manny Machado eschews Chicago's offer. The 23-year-old infielder played third base while in Boston's organization, and the White Sox have a glaring need at the hot corner, so having him split time between the two positions makes roster sense. The position versatility will help fantasy owners, but Moncada will get his plate appearances regardless of where Machado decides to sign. The bigger issue for Moncada in 2019 is if he can cut down on his MLB-high 217 strikeouts. That limited his ability to get on base, steal bases and use his speed to create offense.

Chapman (shoulder) completed a 20-swing batting practice session Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman returned to facing live pitching Thursday with a 10-swing session and continued his progression Friday with no issues. A return for the March 20 season opener in Tokyo against the Mariners remains a distinct possibility for the 25-year-old.

Newman is current;y positioned to either start at shortstop or serve as a backup middle infielder heading into the 2019 campaign.

The 2015 first-round draft pick will compete with newcomer Erik Gonzalez for the starting shortstop spot. "He's a different guy this spring than we saw last September," general manager Neal Huntington said. Newman lost 15 pounds during the course of last summer and was likely physically sapped by the time he made his major-league debut in August. Since then, he's worked with the team's nutrition director to help him maintain his weight. Newman slashed .302/.350/.407 at Triple-A and stole a career-high 28 bases in 39 attempts. While he disappointed during his short time in Pittsburgh -- he hit .209 in 91 at-bats with zero steals -- the 25-year-old holds a .288 career batting average in the minor leagues.

Astudillo will report to spring training Saturday.

Astudillo was held up due to visa issues, but he's set to travel to Ft. Myers on Friday before reporting to camp over the weekend. The 27-year-old backstop will look to carve out a larger role for himself after impressing in his major-league debut last season (.355/.371/.516 with three homers in 97 plate appearances).

Bregman (elbow) hit, threw and fielded groundballs Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The star infielder continues to progress well following arthroscopic elbow surgery in January. Bregman has yet to throw to first base after fielding the groundballs, but he did comment that he is throwing harder and farther than he expected to be doing at this point. As long as he doesn't encounter any setbacks, he figures to be fully ready by Opening Day.

Chapman (shoulder/thumb) will progress to taking batting practice Thursday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Chapman is moving quickly in his swinging progression, as he managed to take 50 hacks in the batting cage as recently as Tuesday. For Thursday's workout, the third baseman is scheduled to take 10 swings against live pitching after going through tee and flip work in the batting cages. No official word has come forth, but this progress gives even more optimism that he'll be ready by the Athletics' season opener in Tokyo on Mar. 20.

When asked about whether Senzel would start the year with the big club or in the minors (for arbitration purposes), Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams said "I anticipate putting the best team out there that we can [for Opening Day]," Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The quote probably means less than you might think -- of course no general manager is going to admit to keeping a player down to preserve his arbitration clock, even if that's precisely what they're doing. Given that Senzel is learning a new position and didn't spend much time playing this offseason, the Reds already have a perfect reason to send him down to begin the year. But if he bangs down the door in spring training, then maybe they'll still keep him up.

Burger (Achilles) remains on target to return to an affiliate June 1, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The date remains a loose target, but it's at least a positive that his timetable hasn't gotten pushed back after he re-tore his tendon in May. The 2017 11th overall pick posted strong numbers in his first professional season but missed the entirety of last year due to the injury.

Astudillo has not arrived at spring training yet due to visa issues, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

With the political turmoil going on in Venezuela, many players are having trouble getting their visas in a timely manner. Astudillo is no different, though the Twins are hopeful that he'll be back with the team this weekend.