Polanco isn't expected to play in any spring games until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.

The Mets are bringing a number of key position players along slowly this spring, including Luis Robert, Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty (hamstring). Unlike those three, Polanco doesn't have any serious injury concerns -- he played 138 games in 2025 for the Mariners, his highest total since 2021 -- but the 32-year-old is getting a crash course on defense at first base, so an extra week of drills at the position before he works his way into game situations can only help.

Dubon will start at shortstop for Atlanta while Ha-Seong Kim recovers from finger surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Acquired from Houston in the offseason to be the team's primary utility player, Dubon will instead see a near-everyday role out of the gate with Kim potentially sidelined into May. Dubon averaged 439.3 plate appearances for the Astros over the prior three seasons, slashing a modest .264/.299/.378 with little power or speed but seeing action at every spot on the diamond except pitcher and catcher.

Kim, Alex Freeland and Miguel Rojas were named by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts as candidates to start at second base to begin the regular season with Tommy Edman (ankle) slated to be placed on the injured list, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.

The Dodgers don't have many positional battles this spring, but the second-base job appears to be pretty wide open due to Edman's ongoing recovery. Kim has also been tabbed to get time in center field behind Andy Pages, according to Roberts, but the second-year major-leaguer has a big opportunity to earn a regular spot in the lineup while Edman is out. It sounds like the winner of the positional battle will be determined by how each candidate performs during spring training, so Kim's Cactus League showing is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Sunday that Callihan (forearm) has been fully cleared for all baseball activities during spring training, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Callihan has had an incredibly unlucky professional career when it comes to his health, with his latest setback coming in May, when he snapped his forearm trying to make a sliding catch in Atlanta. He's facing an uphill battle to make the team as a bench player coming out of spring training, with Will Benson and JJ Bleday seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order among Cincinnati's left-handed-hitting corner outfielders.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Edman (ankle) will begin the season on the injured list, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Edman has dealt with a nagging right ankle injury for a couple years and finally underwent surgery to correct the issue this offseason. Roberts said Monday that the team will take a "methodical" pace with Edman and "take the long view" with his return, suggesting it's likely to be longer than a minimum stay on the injured list for the switch hitter. While Edman is out, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland will be in the mix for playing time at second base for the Dodgers.

Hoerner and the Cubs will likely discuss a contract extension during spring training, but it's unclear if a deal will get done, Jesse Rogers of ESPN said on the Waddle and Silvy podcast.

Hoerner is in the last year of a three-year, $35 million contract, giving the Cubs some incentive to extend him before the season gets underway. However, the team's acquisition of Alex Bregman has pushed Matt Shaw off third base, and he could slot in at second base in 2027. That could impact Chicago's willingness to invest in Hoerner, who batted .297 last year with 29 stolen bases over 156 regular-season games. The 28-year-old has never hit for much power, but he's a career .282 hitter who's swiped 131 bases across seven MLB seasons, giving him plenty of fantasy appeal.

Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that he's optimistic4r Kim (finger) will be ready to make his season debut in early May, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Kim had surgery in January to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger. The initial timeline provided had him returning in the second half of May as a best-case scenario, but is sounds like the veteran infielder could beat that projection. Mauricio Dubon is expected to be Atlanta's primary shortstop while Kim recovers.

Gonzales was spotted fielding grounders at third base Thursday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Gonzales was Pittsburgh's primary second baseman when healthy in 2025, though the addition of Brandon Lowe will force him into a new role in 2026. The assumption was that Gonzales would fill in at shortstop until Konnor Griffin makes his big-league debut, though Jared Triolo was instead at shortstop Thursday. This alignment could be fluid throughout spring, as the Pirates have also been rumored to be trying to add a third baseman via trade. However, this could be positive news for Gonzales' long-term outlook if he proves capable of handling the hot corner defensively, given the lack of long-term solutions currently on the roster.

Garcia will split his time between second base and first base during spring training, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The Nationals don't have a clear starter at first base, and Garcia's defense at the keystone has been below average the last two seasons. However, the 25-year-old has been a passable offensive contributor during that time, posting a combined .267/.304/.428 slash line in 2023-24 with 34 homers and 36 steals in 279 games, and he should be in the starting lineup at one of those two positions on Opening Day. Andres Chaparro and prospect Abimelec Ortiz, acquired from Texas in the MacKenzie Gore trade, would appear to be the other main competitors for Washington's first base job.

Mauricio will be one of the top candidates to replace Francisco Lindor (hand) at shortstop early in the season, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Vidal Brujan appears to be the other likely replacement for Lindor, with Grae Kessinger and Jackson Cluff also in the mix. Mauricio missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn ACL and struggled to make consistent contact last year in the majors after his return, managing a .662 OPS in 184 plate appearances with the Mets while mainly playing third base. With the injury another year further behind him, the 24-year-old may be staring at his last chance to regain the upside that made him one of the organization's top prospects prior to blowing out his knee. Mauricio should at least be locked into a bench spot on the Opening Day roster, even if doesn't become the primary replacement for Lindor.