MLB Player News

Candelario is batting .353 with an .807 OPS across 14 Grapefruit League games.

Candelario doesn't have a ton of counting stats with just two runs scored, an RBI and no home runs, but it's still been a solid spring. The 27-year-old should be the regular first baseman for the Tigers this season, with Renato Nunez and potentially Miguel Cabrera picking up some starts when Candelario rests.

Entering play Monday, Ramirez has gone 8-for-29 with two doubles and two stolen bases in as many attempts.

The home-run production isn't there yet for Ramirez this spring, but his continued involvement on the basepaths is an encouraging sight with stolen bases seemingly becoming increasingly rare MLB-wide every year. Though his batting average has been highly volatile in recent seasons, Ramirez's track record of durability, prime lineup placement and power/speed combination makes him a fine selection in the first round or early second round of fantasy drafts.

Moncada went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored in Saturday's spring game against Cleveland.

Moncada has reached base safely via a hit or walk in 12 straight Cactus League games, which is a welcome sign after a disappointing 2020. He tested positive for COVID-19 last year and had lingering fatigue because of it, finishing with a .705 OPS. This spring, Moncada is 10-for-32 with four extra-base hits and six walks.

Jung was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot Saturday and will be out for 6-to-8 weeks while recovering from surgery, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Jung had reportedly been playing through some discomfort for a few weeks, but the issue is apparently bad enough that he'll need a screw in his foot. He'll now be out until early or mid-May, though the delayed start to the minor-league season means he won't wind up missing too much development time. He's a candidate to make his big-league debut sometime this season given the weakness of the Rangers' third-base depth chart, though he'll need to prove his health and effectiveness before that happens.

Madrigal went 3-for-3 with a run scored in Friday's spring game against Seattle.

Madrigal recently returned from lingering soreness in his surgically-repaired shoulder and has been limited to 11 spring at-bats. With just under two weeks remaining before the regular season, he should have just enough time to log the plate appearances to be ready.

Jung is unavailable Friday due to pain in his left foot, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The exact nature and severity of his injury are unclear. Jung has been reassigned to minor-league camp, so he won't be breaking camp on the active roster even if fully healthy. There aren't any particularly inspiring options blocking him at third base, however, so he has a chance to debut at some point this season if he's healthy and effective in the minors.

LeMahieu is expected to see some time at first and third base before the end of spring, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

LeMahieu is firmly locked in as the Yankees' starting second baseman, but manager Aaron Boone has mentioned the desire for the veteran to mix in reps at the corner infield spots simply because he's capable of playing there. The reigning MLB batting champ has been solid at the plate in Grapefruit League play, slashing .308/.357/.423 with a home run and three RBI.

The Blue Jays reassigned Groshans to their minor-league camp Thursday.

Groshans was one of 25 players the Blue Jays sent to minor-league camp in their latest round of roster cuts. The 21-year-old third baseman is one of the top position prospects in the organization, but the Blue Jays likely aren't counting on him making any contributions in the majors in 2021 with Cavan Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero slated to handle most of the work at the hot corner. Groshans will likely head to Double-A New Hampshire or High-A Vancouver when the minor-league season begins.

Bregman started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's spring game against the Mets.

Bregman made his spring debut Tuesday after dealing with a sore hamstring. He faced pure heat from Jacob deGrom and flied out three times, including one deep shot that would have been for extra bases had Brandon Nimmo not hauled it in. It's a positive sign that he was able play the field immediately and not be eased in as a DH. He will be held out of Wednesday's game as a precaution, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. With a team day offThursday, Bregman is not expected to play again until Friday.

Urshela started at shortstop in Tuesday's Grapefruit League contest versus Detroit and went 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

Urshela is locked in as the Yankees' starting third baseman this season, but he stated after Tuesday's game that he feels comfortable at shortstop and is willing to play there if needed, per Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated. The 29-year-old last played the position in 2018, when he logged eight games there while a member of the Blue Jays.