MLB Player News

Wisdom's chances of securing a utility spot on the Opening Day roster appear low due to multiple factors, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Wisdom arrived in Seattle on a one-year contract in late November and has been competing for a utility role, but his poor performance in Cactus League games and the versatility of some of the other candidates for the job leave him in an uphill battle whenever spring training resumes. Wisdom was hitting just .136 (3-for-22) over 13 games when play was suspended, and while he's capable of filling in at both corner infield spots, the likes of Jose Marmolejos, Tim Lopes and Dylan Moore (foreram) are all capable of also playing in the outfield in addition to filling in at multiple infield spots.

Chapman was hitting .238 (5-for-21) with three extra-base hits (one double, two home runs), six RBI, six walks and seven runs across 10 Cactus League contests before spring training was suspended.

The slugging third baseman's batting average over the small sample may not be aesthetically pleasing, but Chapman was on base plenty when also factoring in his walks and clearly put good wood on the ball more often than not when hitting safely. Chapman heads into 2020 with massive expectations after generating career highs in home runs (36), RBI (91), walks (73) and runs (102) across 156 games last season.

LeMahieu is participating in baseball drills and working out at the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.

While some Yankees players and coaches have elected to go home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, LeMahieu suggested that he will remain in Florida for some time in order to take advantage of the pleasant weather and major-league workout facilities. There is a psychological benefit to remaining around the complex as well. "Personally, it keeps me sane. At least work out and do some baseball stuff," LeMahieu stated.

Lewis will continue to develop as a shortstop for now, although he has really impressed the Twins with his brief stints in center field, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Essentially, it sounds like the Twins will keep Lewis at shortstop until they are forced to move him elsewhere, and they have a lot of faith in him being a quality defensive center fielder in short order if he ends up moving to the grass. Lewis also played third base and second base in the Arizona Fall League, which adds to his defensive versatility. More important for fantasy purposes is how Lewis develops at the plate. He hit .200 with two home runs, seven strikeouts and zero walks in 25 plate appearances in big-league camp after taking home MVP honors in the AFL. Lewis clearly needs more time -- likely a full season -- at Double-A and Triple-A before he is ready for the majors.

Groshans said in an interview with Jim Callis of MLB.com earlier this month that he made a full recovery from the left foot injury that sidelined him from mid-May onward last season. "Mostly just being flexible, being able to move quicker, faster," Groshans said, regarding what he focused on this offseason once he became healthy again. "I lost a little bit of body fat, put some muscle on just to try and get stronger. I actually feel lighter, faster and stronger than I did last year."

Groshans' 2020 debut looks like it will have to wait until at least mid-May after Major League Baseball recently announced the start of the season would be pushed back eight weeks or more, but he'll at least head into his third pro campaign with a clean bill of health. Before the sore left foot sidelined him, Groshans more than held his own in the Midwest League, posting a .337/.427/.482 slash line (167 wRC+). He'll likely start the season with Low-A Lansing but could be in store for a quick promotion to High-A Dunedin if he resumes raking at the plate right away.

Toro has the edge over Garrett Stubbs to become Houston's 26th man, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Toro brings more versatility to the final roster spot than Stubbs. He's a switch hitter that can play both corner infield spots, whereas Stubbs is primarily a catcher with limited outfield experience. Toro batted .125 (3-for-24) with one RBI over 24 spring at-bats.

Candelario went 1-for-2 with a home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The home run was the second of the spring for Candelario, who has mostly struggled with a .143 average and .536 OPS. Dawel Lugo finished last season as the Tigers' primary third baseman, and the two are competing for the role in camp, though Candelario could also potentially snag some playing time at first.

Madrigal confirmed Tuesday that he suffered no serious injuries after a groundball struck his face Monday, but he'll sit for the next few days, Andy Masur of 720 WGN Chicago reports.

Madrigal wasn't showing any signs of a concussion immediately after leaving the game, and it appears that none have developed since then. The delay shouldn't significantly impact his readiness for Opening Day. He's expected to spend that day in the minors, but his big-league debut could come fairly early in the season. He's played just 29 games for Triple-A Charlotte but looked quite good in those games, hitting .331/.398/.424 with a typically miniscule 3.7 percent strikeout rate.

Madrigal left Monday's game against the Reds after a groundball hit him in the face, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Madrigal appeared to have suffered nothing worse than a bruise and was not showing signs of a concussion after leaving the game. It remains to be seen when he'll be back on the field.

Moncada and the White Sox agreed to a five-year $70 million contract extension Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The 24-year-old's new deal includes a sixth year club option worth $25 million. The contract would potentially buy out two free-agent years and if his player option is exercised, Moncada will hit the open market after his age 30 season, according to Rosenthal. The switch-hitting third baseman will look to improve upon a 2019 campaign in which he hit .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs, 83 runs scored and 79 RBI throughout 132 games.