MLB Player News

Busch, who primarily played second and third base the last few years, said recently he is feeling more comfortable at first, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Busch is expected to make an impact with his bat, but the Cubs would also like to get solid defense at first base. Manager Craig Counsell noted that Busch's athleticism is helping him make the transition, and the team seems to be happy with what it is seeing so far in camp. If Busch can hold his own at the position, he should be in line for a fairly steady amount of playing time this season.

Collier went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Thursday's Spring Breakout game against the Rangers.

Collier showed opposite field power in taking a fastball out to left field, then struck out twice on fastballs in his next two plate appearances. Keith Law of The Athletic said the 2022 first-round pick has gotten thick around the middle, and it could be impacting Collier's defense at third; he was slow on a grounder then rushed a throw and pulled the first baseman off the bag. Collier has appeared in two Cactus League games, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Toro, who's been impressing in his bid for an Opening Day roster spot in Cactus League play, could be impacted by Friday's signing of J.D. Davis, Manny Randhawa and Martin Gallegos of MLB.com report.

Toro has posted a .367 batting average and .924 OPS across 35 plate appearances. The 27-year-old last saw extended regular-season playing time in 2022 for Seattle and produced a .185 average and .563 OPS alongside 24 extra-base hits and 35 RBI across 109 games. Toro could still hang on to an Opening Day spot thanks to his ability to also play first base and second base in addition to third, but Davis is projected to log the majority of starts at the hot corner to open the season.

Davis signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Athletics on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The Matt Chapman signing squeezed Davis out of San Francisco, but he will remain in the Bay Area. With a .760 OPS across the past three seasons, Davis instantly becomes one of the best bats in Oakland's lineup and is sure to see regular action at third base. However, the Athletics don't project to be competitive in 2024, so the 30-year-old could be flipped to a contender at the trade deadline in order to add to the team's pool of minor-league prospects.

Rivera started at shortstop and went 0-for-1 with two walks in Thursday's spring game against Kansas City.

Rivera filled in for the injured Geraldo Perdomo (lower body), who missed the team's previous two Cactus League games. Jace Peterson started at shortstop Tuesday and Wednesday before Rivera. Perdomo's injury is not considered serious, and he's expected back in the lineup this weekend. There was a report early in camp that the Diamondbacks want Rivera to be the backup shortstop, but he's only played the position in winter ball and just a few innings this spring. That may partially be the reason why Arizona signed well-seasoned shortstop Elvis Andrus.

Escobar went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The 35-year-old switch-hitter is trying to win a spot on Toronto's bench, and Wednesday's long ball in the seventh inning off Carmen Mlodzinski can only help his case. Escobar also struck out in his other at-bat, and through 11 spring appearances he's batting just .103 (3-for-29) with a brutal 1:12 BB:K. He may be running out of time to prove he can still make a contribution on a big-league roster.

The Tigers optioned Kennedy to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Kennedy was claimed off waivers in late February and wasn't able to push for an Opening Day roster spot. The infielder will likely bounce between second and third base while at Toledo.

Peterson has started at shortstop in spring games Tuesday and Wednesday while Geraldo Perdomo (lower body) was rested.

Perdomo tweaked his lower half while sliding in Monday's game and has not played since, with the Diamondbacks giving him time off until the weekend. Peterson is among several players in camp capable of playing shortstop, including Elvis Andrus, Kevin Newman and Emmanuel Rivera.

Baty (back) will start at third base and bat cleanup in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

The Mets scratched Baty from Wednesday's lineup due to back tightness, but the issue was described as minor and he seems to have already turned the page. Baty is sitting with a .669 OPS this spring, and while he still projects as the primary starter at third base, there have been rumors that the Mets are looking at bringing in J.D. Davis after Davis was cut loose by San Francisco.

Madrigal (hamstring) had resumed some baseball activity, including taking batting practice, Cubs.com reports.

Madrigal has been sidelined since March 4 due to the right hamstring strain, but he seems to be making progress. The utility player is expected to be back later this month, and with the Cubs beginning their year March 28 in Texas, he may not have to miss the start of the regular season. The team will likely be cautious with Madrigal for the rest of the spring schedule, however.