Astros manager Joe Espada said Monday that Altuve will spend most of spring training working exclusively at second base, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Altuve was the Astros' Opening Day left fielder last season and wound up splitting his time pretty evenly between left field, second base and designated hitter. This season, however, he appears slated to return to his natural second base position on an everyday basis. Zach Cole looks like the favorite to see most of the reps in left field for Houston.

Altuve (foot) is healthy to start spring training and is expected to serve as the Astros' primary second baseman this season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Altuve dealt with a rocky transition to left field to start the 2025 campaign and finished the year with a nagging foot injury, resulting in a .265 batting average, the lowest of his career apart from the 2020 shortened season. Now healthy and back at second base, Altuve will look to rebound in 2026. Manager Joe Espada emphasized the 35-year-old Altuve's health earlier in the offseason, stating that he needs to "help Jose have the right amount of time to be off his feet." With Houston's current surplus of infielders, it seems likely that Altuve will at least play fewer than the 155 games he did in 2025.

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.

Brujan is one of the top candidates to fill in for Francisco Lindor (hand) at shortstop, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Ronny Mauricio, Grae Kessinger and Jackson Cluff will also be in the mix for spring reps at short while Lindor recovers from hamate bone surgery. Brujan has experience all over the diamond as a utility player and posted a UZR/150 of 4.6 over 237 innings at shortstop with the Marlins in 2024, and the switch hitter might be the Mets' best defensive option to cover for Lindor.

Schneider will handle the short side of a platoon with Nathan Lukes in left field to begin the season, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

With Anthony Santander (shoulder) potentially set to miss the entire season, the Blue Jays will turn to their collection of role players to fill the gap in the lineup. Schneider hasn't shown a platoon split in the majors and actually hit better against right-handed pitching in 2025, posting a .915 OPS against same-handed hurlers in 99 plate appearances versus a .708 OPS in 129 PAs versus lefties. It's possible that if the 27-year-old doesn't improve those numbers, he could lose playing time to the defensively superior Myles Straw.

Gelof (shoulder) said Wednesday that he's "feeling healthy, feeling ready to go" and expects to be a full participant when he reports to spring training later this week, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.

After posting 14 home runs and 14 steals in just 69 games as a rookie in 2023, Gelof looked to be a central figure in the Athletics' rebuilding effort, but injuries and an ability to make consistent contact against big-league pitching have left his future murky. He didn't make his 2025 big-league debut until early July while recovering from a fractured bone in his right wrist and a stress reaction in his ribs, then slashed just .174/.230/.272 with a 45.5 percent strikeout rate over 101 plate appearances between two stints with the Athletics before he was shut down in late September due to a dislocated left shoulder. He appears to be healthy again following surgery on the shoulder, but Gelof may need a strong showing at the plate during Cactus League play to make a compelling case for a spot on the Athletics' Opening Day roster.