MLB Player News

Peraza is the favorite to begin the 2023 season as the Yankees' starting shortstop, MLB Pipeline reports.

This has been the general assumption, as Peraza brings a strong glove to rival Isiah Kiner-Falefa but with more offensive potential and has been a step ahead of Anthony Volpe on the climb through the minors. Peraza hit .311/.378/.555 with 14 home runs and a 21.4 percent strikeout rate over his final 53 games at Triple-A last season, and he got on base at a .404 clip during a brief cup of coffee in the majors. However, what makes him particularly intriguing in fantasy is the fact he went 35-for-40 on stolen-base attempts and has a 90th percentile sprint speed.

Longoria was away from camp on Wednesday due to illness, Nick Piecoro of the AZ Central reports.

There's no timetable for when Longoria will be back, but it doesn't sound like something that will carry over into the regular season. The 37-year-old third baseman joined the Diamondbacks over the winter after slashing .244/.315/.451 with 14 homers over 89 games for the Giants in 2022.

Kreidler may make the Tigers' Opening Day roster in a reserve role, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The Tigers have some roster uncertainty, particularly with Nick Maton and Matt Vierling coming over in the trade for reliever Gregory Soto. Kreidler played in 26 games for Detroit last year and batted just .178, though his defensive versatility could help him carve out a utility role off the bench. The righty Kreidler could also settle into a platoon role at second or third, possibly with the left-handed-hitting Maton.

Newman is away from Reds camp Tuesday due to food poisoning, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Newman should be fine after a day or two of rest and treatment. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $2.662 million free-agent contract with Cincinnati in January and will likely open the 2023 season as the club's everyday shortstop.

Rafaela will see most of his playing time in center field this spring, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Rafaela has experience all over the diamond and will also see some action at shortstop this spring. However, Red Sox manager Alex Cora views the top prospect's defense in center field as "plus plus" and that's where he'll be stationed more often than not. The 22-year-old was added to Boston's 40-man roster over the offseason following a breakout 2022 campaign which saw him post an .880 OPS with 21 homers and 28 steals between High-A and Double-A.

Sosa is being looked at in center field, Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Enquirer reports.

As Coffey notes, both Nick Maton and Matt Vierling were traded to Detroit in the Gregory Soto deal over the winter, so there's no obvious backup option behind Brandon Marsh in center. Enter Sosa, who certainly has the athleticism for the position, and would also provide a right-handed bat that could play in the middle of the outfield against southpaws. Sosa is battling for a spot on Philadelphia's Opening Day roster, and if he can help in the outfield, it would obviously increase those chances substantially.

Freeman will play some outfield during spring training to gain positional versatility, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

When the Guardians are fully healthy, there doesn't appear to be an everyday spot available for Freeman. The 23-year-old will look to add more positions to his ledger, making him an option when injuries occur, though he still needs to hit well enough to grab a bench spot out of camp.

Wisdom will likely begin the year as the Cubs' regular third baseman despite the team adding some new players in the infield, Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic report.

Dansby Swanson was added to play shortstop while Eric Hosmer will begin the year at first. That shifts Nico Hoerner to second base and Nick Madrigal to a bench role. Wisdom should have the edge at the hot corner over Madrigal, but the latter could push for more playing time, especially if Wisdom struggles to make consistent contact.

Manager David Bell said Sunday that Senzel (toe) will likely miss the Reds' first handful of Cactus League games while the center fielder begins ramping up, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Though Senzel received a clean bill of health entering the spring following a pair of surgeries to address a fractured toe, the Reds aren't keen on immediately throwing him into the fire during Cactus League play. Instead, Senzel will use the first week or two of camp to take some reps in the outfield and face pitching in a more controlled setting, allowing him to make up to some degree for the time he lost due to injury in 2022. Senzel noted last week that his toe surgeries prevented him from testing out a reworked swing late in the 2022 season and during the offseason, so his upcoming workouts over the next few days should afford him the opportunity to do so. Assuming Senzel experiences no setbacks with his toe and is worked into the spring lineup by early-to-mid-March, he'll be the most likely candidate to open the season as Cincinnati's primary center fielder.

Manager David Bell said Sunday that Reynolds is expected to sit out at least the first few games of Cactus League action due to back and knee soreness, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

It's unclear when the issues first surfaced for Reynolds, but he'll have a delayed start to camp as a result. The 32-year-old was removed from Cincinnati's 40-man roster during the offseason, so a lengthy absence during spring training will significantly affect his chances of making the Opening Day roster.