MLB Player News
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Jonathan India 2B | KC
Royals' Jonathan India: To get reps in outfield
India (ankle) said Saturday that he has talked with the Royals about playing third base and left field in addition to second base, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
India has never fielded a position other than second base at the major-league level, though he served primarily as a third baseman in the minors back in 2019. Left field, on the other hand, will be a completely new experience for the 28-year-old, but he cited his athleticism as a reason to believe he'll succeed in the new role. The Royals will likely start India in left field several times during spring training, though it's unclear how often he will venture away from the keystone once the regular season begins.
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Jorge Polanco 1B | NYM
Mariners' Jorge Polanco: Back with Seattle
Polanco (knee) signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract with the Mariners on Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Polanco spent the 2024 season with the Mariners and suffered a down year, during which he hit just .213 with a 29.2 percent strikeout rate across 469 plate appearances. However, he played through a knee injury for a significant portion of the season, and he underwent surgery to address the issue in October. Seattle reportedly plans to play Polanco primarily at third base, likely setting up Dylan Moore to be the team's primary second baseman as the roster currently stands.
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Nick Dunn 2B | SEA
Mariners' Nick Dunn: NRI deal with Seattle
The Mariners signed Dunn to a minor-league contract Oct. 15 that includes an invitation to spring training.
Dunn hit .311/.386/.437 with more walks than strikeouts over the last two seasons at Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization but has yet to appear in a major-league game. The 28-year-old infielder is likely headed to Triple-A Tacoma to begin 2025.
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Christian Moore 2B | LAA
Angels' Christian Moore: Could be Opening Day second baseman
Moore could be the Angels' Opening Day second baseman, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Blum notes that the Angels were ready to promote Moore last September before the 22-year-old suffered a left knee injury. Moore returned to action at Double-A Rocket City before the end of their season, so he entered the offseason healthy. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft, Moore slashed .347/.400/.584 with six home runs across 25 contests for High-A Inland Empire and Rocket City in his pro debut. The Angels are always aggressive with their top prospects and have a potential opening at the keystone, so it's not terribly surprising to hear Moore could break camp with the big club if he has a good showing in spring training.
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Jose Altuve 2B | HOU
Astros' Jose Altuve: Could get reps in left field
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Tuesday that Altuve could get some reps in left field in addition to second base this season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Brown added the caveat that Altuve playing left field might only happen if the team makes another roster addition. It's clear he's referring to the possibility of re-signing Alex Bregman, which would result in Isaac Paredes shifting to second base and Altuve playing left field, a position he's never manned before. Altuve said recently at the team's FanFest event that he would be willing to move to left field to accommodate the return of Bregman.
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Adam Frazier 2B | LAA
Pirates' Adam Frazier: Back to Pittsburgh on one-year deal
The Pirates signed Frazier to a one-year, $1.525 million contract Tuesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
Frazier's first five-and-a-half seasons in the majors were with the Pirates before he made stops with the Padres, Mariners, Orioles and Royals. The 33-year-old slashed only .202/.282/.294 this past season in Kansas City and has managed just a .632 OPS over the last three seasons. Frazier had thumb surgery in October but should be ready to roll for spring training. He'll likely serve in a utility role in Pittsburgh this season.
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Xavier Edwards 2B | MIA
Marlins' Xavier Edwards: Shoulder feeling much better
Edwards said earlier this month of his right shoulder that it's the "best it's felt in years" since he began a new throwing program this offseason, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Edwards first suffered a right shoulder impingement back in 2022 and had resigned himself to having to throw through discomfort. However, after working with Marlins director of catching Maxx Garrett on a new throwing program, Edwards said "it's not bothering me to throw at all" anymore. The shoulder issue didn't seem to impact Edwards at the plate in 2024, as he slashed .328/.397/.423 with one homer and 31 stolen bases in 70 games for the Marlins. However, being free and easy in all phases of his game can only help the 25-year-old's prospects heading into 2025.
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Nico Hoerner 2B | CHC
Cubs' Nico Hoerner: Opening Day status uncertain
Hoerner (elbow) has not resumed throwing or hitting, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Hoerner spoke at the Cubs' offseason fan event and disclosed that he dealt with the flexor tendon injury throughout the 2024 season. While the issue should be repaired heading into 2025, his status is unclear to begin the campaign. Hoerner will also have roughly 10 fewer days to recover because the Cubs will open the season in Japan on March 18 against the Dodgers before returning stateside to play at Arizona on March 27.
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Luisangel Acuna 2B | CHW
Mets' Luisangel Acuna: Will get look at third base
Acuna is expected to compete for the Mets' third-base job during spring training, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Assuming Pete Alonso moves on -- which is the expectation -- Mark Vientos will slide to first base, creating an opening at third. Acuna has never played the hot corner in pro ball, but he's a capable defender at shortstop and second base and the Mets evidently feel he can handle the switch. Slated to turn 23 in March, Acuna slashed .308/.325/.641 in 14 regular-season games for the Mets in 2024, although that was after he managed a .258/.299/.355 line at Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets would probably prefer to give him more seasoning at Syracuse, but Acuna will get a chance to compete with Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio (knee) for reps at third base with the big club.