MLB Player News

Baty has played well enough this spring at third base to give the Mets a tough decision to make between him and incumbent starter Eduardo Escobar, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Baty's thumped the ball all spring, batting .325 (13-for-40) with a home run and two stolen bases, but the 23-year-old has struck out 14 times in 50 plate appearances, a sign he could potentially use more time at Triple-A. Escobar, on the other hand, hasn't been able to get going at the plate at all and is hitting just .133 (4-for-30) with one extra-base hit, a double. The veteran Escobar remains the likely Opening Day starter at the hot corner, but a slow start could prompt the Mets to make a quick switch and give Baty a chance to take the job, as there's little margin for error in what should be an ultra-competitive NL East.

Escobar's poor spring, as well as a big performance from Brett Baty, have given the Mets a tough decision to make at third base, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

Escobar's 4-for-30 (.133) spring comes with just one extra-base hit, a double, while Baty has raked to the tune of a .325 batting average (13-for-40) with a home run and two stolen bases, although the 23-year-old has struck out 14 times in 50 plate appearances. Escobar remains the favorite to start at the hot corner Opening Day while Baty heads back to Triple-A for more seasoning, but a slow start from the veteran could prompt the Mets to make a quick switch, as there's little margin for error in what should be an ultra-competitive NL East.

Urias (thumb) was scratched from the Orioles' Grapefruit League lineup again Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Urias remains sidelined because of a bruised right thumb, though O's manager Brandon Hyde downplayed the issue Thursday. Terrin Vavra will start at second base Friday night against the Yankees.

Nevin (oblique) is expected to return to game action this weekend, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

It's not clear whether that will be a minor-league game or Grapefruit League contest, but either way Nevin has pretty much put his oblique injury behind him. He would seem to have a shot to be ready for Opening Day, but it will be close.

Miranda (shoulder) will start at third base for the Twins during Saturday's Grapefruit League game versus Atlanta, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Miranda has been limited to designated hitter and, more recently, first base duties while coming back from a sore right shoulder, but he's finally ready to test things out from the hot corner. He's slated to see most of his playing time at third base during the regular season, although Miranda could be eased into the position in the early going.

Senzel (toe) started Thursday's spring training game at third base and played three innings, going 0-for-1.

Senzel will begin the season on the IL, but when he's eventually activated it doesn't appear he'll be stepping into the starting lineup. Instead he'll be a utility player, getting time in center field, third and second. Third base is where he actually played in college, though he's always been blocked there at the big-league level.

Urias (thumb) is back in the Orioles' lineup for Friday's Grapefruit League matchup versus the Yankees, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Urias was scratched from Thursday's lineup with a bruised right thumb, but he's back out there a day later, batting seventh and playing second base. The 28-year-old is sporting just a .619 OPS with no home runs this spring.

Urias was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to a bruised right thumb, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Urias suffered the injury while fielding batting practice. Manager Brandon Hyde downplayed the significance of the issue, and it doesn't appear likely to hinder Urias' availability for Opening Day. He's projected to fill a utility role along Baltimore's infield to start the campaign.

Urias was scratched from the Orioles' lineup ahead of Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit, Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Sun reports.

It's unclear why Urias was removed from the lineup in favor of Daz Cameron, but the team will likely provide an update in the near future. The 28-year-old infielder has slashed just .214/.333/.286 over 33 plate appearances this spring.

Sosa is likely to be needed more at third base with Rhys Hoskins (knee) possibly facing a lengthy IL stay, Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Sosa had been slated for a super-utility role, but the Phillies might have to regularly play Alec Bohm at first base to account for the loss of Hoskins, who went down with an ugly-looking left knee injury Thursday in camp. Sosa has played all around the diamond defensively this spring while delivering a stellar .457/.558/.857 batting line with four home runs and two stolen bases through 43 plate appearances. That kind of power can't be counted on in the regular season, but he does have great speed.