Donovan is expected to assume a super utility role this season for the Cardinals, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Had the club been able to trade Nolan Arenado, it was prepared to play Nolan Gorman at third base and give Donovan the lion's share of reps at second base. The keystone might still be where Donovan plays most, but Gorman will also receive starts there, with Donovan seeing plenty of action in left field, as well, particularly on days Lars Nootbaar plays center field. Donovan is also capable of handling third base, first base and shortstop.

Durbin (forearm) will start at third base and bat eighth in Thursday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Durbin has been sidelined for the past several days after getting hit in the forearm by a foul ball over the weekend, but a few days of rest now has him ready to return to game action. The 25-year-old has slashed .172/.273/.379 with two home runs and seven runs scored this spring, and Thursday will mark the fourth consecutive game he's started at third base rather than second.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that Durbin has been out of the Cactus League lineup since Saturday after the 25-year-old infielder was struck in the forearm by a foul ball over the weekend, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The Brewers aren't overly concerned about the injury, with Murphy noting that X-rays on Durbin's forearm returned negative. Durbin could have played in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Cubs if needed, but the Brewers instead opted to take advantage of Wednesday's off day to give him some extra time to heal. If he's able to play Thursday against the White Sox, Durbin will look to build momentum in his bid to win a spot on the Opening Day roster. He's flashed power (two home runs) and speed (two stolen bases) through his first 10 games this spring, but he's hitting just .172.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that Acuna is among the players who could step into larger roles in the infield with Jeff McNeil (oblique) expected to begin the season on the injured list, SNY.tv reports.

Mendoza also listed Brett Baty, Donovan Walton and Luis De Los Santos as candidates to help replace McNeil, though Walton and De Los Santos are attending spring training as non-roster invitees and may be less likely than Acuna and Baty to break camp with the big club. After getting a call-up from Triple-A Syracuse last September, Acuna exclusively filled in at shortstop for an injured Francisco Lindor and hit .308 with three home runs in 40 plate appearances to close out the regular season, but he made all seven of his postseason appearances at the keystone while McNeil was recovering from a fractured wrist. Acuna has dabbled at both middle-infield spots as well as third base during Grapefruit League play, but expect most of his reps to come at the keystone for the rest of the spring as he looks to solidify himself as the top option at the position until McNeil returns.

Manager Carlos Mendoza announced Thursday that McNeil is recovering from a low-grade right oblique strain and will be out for 3-to-4 weeks, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

After missing time late last season with a wrist injury, McNeil reported to camp at full health and was poised to begin the 2025 season as the Mets' everyday second baseman until he presumably suffered the oblique strain earlier this week. Mendoza said that McNeil will be shut down from baseball activities for the next 7-to-10 days, and the 32-year-old will then need about two or three weeks to complete a hitting progression before being ready to make his season debut. With McNeil potentially headed for a stint on the 15-day injured list, Luisangel Acuna could be in line to open the season as the Mets' primary option at the keystone.

Atlanta reassigned Leblanc to minor-league camp Thursday.

Leblanc faced an uphill battle to make the roster out of spring training. He fared reasonably well in the Grapefruit League, going 5-for-16 with a home run and a steal, but it wasn't enough to break camp with the big club. The 28-year-old will likely open the season at Triple-A Gwinnett after spending most of last season with Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization.

Gonzales is expected to serve as the Pirates' primary second baseman in 2025, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Gonzales got his first prolonged look in the majors in 2024 and held his own by posting a 94 wRC+ and .709 OPS. That performance combined with his prospect pedigree sets him up as a key contributor for the 2025 season, with the majority of his playing time likely coming at second base. Across 28 plate appearances this spring, Gonzales has struck out only 14.3 percent of the time, though that's also come with just two extra-base hits.

The Cardinals reassigned Wetherholt to minor-league camp Wednesday.

Wetherholt was given lots of playing time this spring but didn't do much at the plate, going 2-for-20 with one home run, three stolen bases and a 5:6 K:BB. The top prospect is slated to open the 2025 season either at High-A Peoria or Double-A Springfield.

Brujan will travel with the Cubs for their two-game series against the Dodgers in Tokyo on March 18 and 19, Jesse Friedman of MLB.com reports.

Brujan will serve as infield depth in Tokyo with Nico Hoerner (forearm) not making the trip. Rule 5 pick Gage Workman also made the roster. Hoerner's eventual return could squeeze both players out of the picture, but for the time being, Brujan appears set to see time at second base alongside Jon Berti, while Workman will also be in the mix. All three players could also see time at third, though top prospect Matt Shaw is seemingly the top option there.

Bote was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Dodgers on Tuesday.

Bote impressed during the spring, batting .400 with two home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored over 30 at-bats in 14 games. The 31-year-old signed a minor-league deal with Los Angeles in December and he'll now likely open the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.