MLB Player News

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.

Kieboom was invited to the Nationals' major-league camp Tuesday.

Kieboom has yet to play above Double-A, so he isn't a real candidate to break camp with the big club, but that won't stop the Nationals from getting a look at the youngster against big-league competition. The 21-year-old split time between High-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg in 2018, hitting a combined .280/.357/.444 with 16 homers and nine stolen bases in 123 games. If Kieboom can translate his success to the highest level of the minors, he could earn a promotion to the majors at some point in 2019.

Manager Bob Melvin said that Chapman (shoulder/thumb) took approximately 50 swings in the batting cage Tuesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman will be limited to begin spring training while he eases himself back from offseason thumb and shoulder surgeries, but the fact that he's already swinging the bat offers early optimism that he'll be ready to go for the Athletics' season opener March 20 versus the Mariners in Tokyo. Assuming he endures no noteworthy setbacks in the next month, Chapman profiles as a comfortable fantasy investment in the corner infield. The third baseman made significant strides at the plate in his second season in the majors, cutting his strikeout rate down by 4.5 percentage points from his rookie campaign while racking up 72 extra-base knocks across 616 plate appearances.

Chapman (shoulder/thumb) is slightly behind schedule for the start of spring training but is still hopeful that he'll be ready by Opening Day in Tokyo on March 20, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Chapman underwent a pair of surgeries this offseason -- thumb surgery in October and shoulder surgery in December -- and was initially expected to be fully ready for the start of spring training. While those plans haven't come to fruition, it doesn't seem like the team is overly concerned about its third baseman. Chapman is swinging a bat and hopes not to miss too many spring games. More information on his status will likely come forth as he progresses more in his rehab program.

President of baseball operations Michael Hill said Saturday that the Marlins plan to deploy Anderson as their primary third baseman this season, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Anderson opened 2018 as the team's everyday third baseman but moved to right field for a large portion of the season to create room in the lineup when Martin Prado returned from the disabled list. Prado still remains on the Miami roster, but it appears the Marlins may be envisioning the oft-injured veteran as more of a part-time utility player at this stage of his career. Since Anderson maintains eligibility at both third base and the outfield in most leagues after starting 70-plus games at both spots last season, a permanent deployment at the hot corner won't have much impact on his fantasy outlook. Instead, it's more likely to be beneficial to corner-outfield options such as Austin Dean, Curtis Granderson, Peter O'Brien and Garrett Cooper, whose path to at-bats may have been more blocked if Anderson was a fixture there.

Asche signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Thursday.

It's unclear if the deal includes an invitation to spring training, but Asche figures to open (and spend most of) the season in the minors either way. The 28-year-old split time between Triple-A Las Vegas (Mets) and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2018, hitting a combined .220/.304/.399 with 11 homers in 105 games. Across parts of five major-league seasons (390 games), Asche owns a career .234/.293/.376 slash line.

Nevin was invited to join the Rockies' major-league camp Wednesday.

Nevin hasn't yet appeared above High-A, so he won't be considered for a big-league roster spot this spring. His .328/.386/.503 line at High-A Lancaster last season earned him the chance to spend a few weeks with Colorado's major-league staff, a staff he'll be hoping to play for on a regular basis in a year or two.

Bregman (elbow) resumed hitting Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman underwent arthroscopic surgery in mid-January to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. He was expected to be limited to start spring training, which still appears likely, given that players are due to report in less than two weeks. Barring setbacks, he should be ready to go by Opening Day.

Devers hired a nutritionist over the offseason and has focused on improving his conditioning throughout the winter, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports. "I feel healthy right now," Devers said in January. "I think I'm in a good place. Last year, I had a lot of injuries and I think it was a product of the weight."

Officially listed at six-foot, 237 pounds, Devers hasn't tracked his weight loss over the last few months, but Cotillo notes that the third baseman is noticeably slimmer than he was during his first two seasons with Boston. Conditioning issues may have contributed in part to Devers requiring three stints on the disabled list between last July and August, with a pair of hamstring injuries in particular proving problematic. The missed time coupled with a 44-point slide in batting average made Devers' sophomore season a disappointing one, but improved health and another year of experience should increase the 22-year-old's odds of tapping into more of his considerable upside in 2019.

Senzel "will be given every opportunity to focus on center field, play center field, learn center field [and] improve in center field to see where he stacks up against our other options," according to general manager Dick Williams, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Senzel has been exclusively an infielder in the minors, but the Reds appear happy with Scooter Gennett at second base and Eugenio Suarez at third. With Billy Hamilton now in Kansas City, the team lacks a player with significant experience in center, so it makes sense to have Senzel learn the position in order to get his bat in the lineup. It sounds as though the plan is for the 23-year-old to eventually be the primary starter at that position, provided he proves he can handle the switch, though it's not guaranteed he'll be there on Opening Day. Cincinnati may keep him in the minors to start the year to secure an extra year of team control and to give him more reps in the outfield.