MLB Player News

McMahon is likely to hit third in the Rockies' lineup to begin the season, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

The Rockies have shown significant belief in McMahon, as they signed him to a lucrative six-year, $70 million contract entering the 2022 season. He's coming off a disappointing campaign during which he maintained only a 95 wRC+ across 597 plate appearances, but the club still has high expectations for him. If McMahon continues to struggle with the bat, he'll likely slip down the order as the season progresses, but he'll begin with a strong opportunity to rack up both RBI and runs.

The Pirates could begin the season with Castro in a rotation at second base, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Castro was viewed as the favorite to land the second-base job out of spring training, but he's struggled to a .226 average while striking out 19 times across 56 plate appearances. Neither Ji Hwan Bae nor Mark Mathias has stood out this spring either, so Castro should still see some playing time early on. However, he'll have to perform well to maintain his job.

Peraza was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

Peraza opened camp as the favorite to serve as the Yankees' starting shortstop, but the team made it clear that would be an open competition during spring training. Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera were informed Sunday that they made the team's Opening Day roster, which put Peraza on the roster bubble. The 22-year-old hit .190 with a homer, nine runs and two stolen bases across 15 Grapefruit League games this year but will get consistent at-bats in the minors and should be one of the first names on the list of potential call-ups if the Yankees need assistance in the infield at some point during the regular season.

The Yankees indicated Sunday that a decision has yet to be made on whether Peraza will be on the Opening Day roster, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.

Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera were both informed they made the Opening Day roster Sunday, but Peraza's status remains in limbo. Peraza played in 18 games during his first taste of the big leagues last year and had an .833 OPS in 57 plate appearances, but he batted just .205 over 14 games during spring training. The 22-year-old would likely fill a bench role if on the MLB roster, so the Yankees could prioritize getting him consistent playing time in the minors.

Moncada exited Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies due to lower back stiffness.

Moncada struck out in his lone at-bat prior to being removed from Sunday's spring matchup, and he's considered day-to-day following his departure. It's unclear whether he'll be available for Chicago's final two Cactus League matchup or whether the issue will impact his availability for the team's Opening Day matchup against the Astros on Thursday.

Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday in an interview with Jomboy Media's "Talkin' Yanks" podcast that LeMahieu will be the Yankees' Opening Day leadoff hitter.

Though LeMahieu isn't expected to be the primary starter at any one position, his ability to play either corner-infield spot as well as second base essentially guarantees him a near-everyday role while the Yankees rotate off days between him, Josh Donaldson, Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo. LeMahieu's production at the plate has taken a step back the past two seasons, but he reported to spring training 100 percent healthy and has looked the part during Grapefruit League play. In 12 games this spring, LeMahieu has slashed .371/.421/.486 while striking out in only seven of his 38 plate appearances (18.4 percent). LeMahieu doesn't project to run much or hit for much power at this stage of his career, but he should be a strong source of runs and batting average if health prevails and he can stick as the Yankees' leadoff man for the bulk of the season.

De La Cruz suffered a left hamstring strain March 18 and will miss the start of the minor-league season, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The 21-year-old apparently suffered the injury shortly after being reassigned to minor-league camp in mid-March, and he has a tentative return date of April 12. De La Cruz is one of the top prospects in baseball, and he's poised to play for Triple-A Louisville once healthy after he posted a .947 OPS between the High-A and Double-A levels last year.

Wisdom is batting .343 with a 1.036 OPS and two home runs across 35 Cactus League at-bats.

Wisdom has had a strong spring to solidify his spot as the Cubs' regular third baseman. The team added infielders Dansby Swanson and Eric Hosmer in the offseason, which pushed Nick Madrigal out of a starting role, but it appears that Wisdom will stick at the hot corner with Madrigal likely more of a utility player off the bench. Wisdom blasted 53 home runs over the last two seasons, so he should give fantasy managers some power production, though he typically struggles to maintain a high batting average.

Rivera was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Rivera was acquired by Arizona at the trade deadline last season and had a .227/.304/.424 slash line with six home runs in 39 games, but he won't begin the 2023 campaign in the majors. The 26-year-old should be one of the top candidates for a call-up if the Diamondbacks require depth in the corner infield.

The Marlins optioned Groshans (shoulder) to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Groshans' bid for a spot on the Marlins' Opening Day roster may have been derailed by a left shoulder injury that sidelined him for two weeks earlier this month, but he returned to Grapefruit League action Friday and Saturday, going 0-for-2 between those games while also seeing some time in the field at third base. He'll ultimately head to Triple-A to continue playing on an everyday basis, but Groshans could be first in line for a promotion if the Marlins are without one of their regulars in the infield for any period of time this season.