MLB Player News

Madrigal started at second base and went 1-for-3 in Saturday's spring loss to the Athletics.

Most of the White Sox's regulars stayed back in Glendale (Ariz.) to face the Dodgers, while Madrigal joined a mostly minor-league contingent on the road in Mesa. The 2018 first-round pick lined out, struck out and had an infield single in his final at-bat. Madrigal is known as a high-contact hitter and struck out a mere five times in 173 plate appearances last year. With Chicago moving Yoan Moncada to third base -- he started there against Oakland -- Madrigal has a clear path to the majors. Yolmer Sanchez is expected to open the season as the everyday second baseman, but the White Sox feel the soon-to-be 22-year-old Madrigal could reach Chicago at some point later this year.

Moncada started at third base and hit leadoff in his first game of spring training in Saturday's loss to the A's. He went 2-for-3 with a double.

Manager Rick Renteria said Moncada could start at third base to begin the season and it looks like he'll get a test at the hot corner this spring. If Moncada moves to third base, Yolmer Sanchez would slide over to second base.

Lewis was not available for Saturday's spring training game due to a mild oblique strain, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "We're going to be conservative, as you would probably guess," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said, "Take our time with that. That's something we're going to work through and we're not overly concerned as we sit here right now. It is something to take note of as we go forward."

It sounds like Lewis will be out a week or more, which means he's unlikely to appear in any major league spring training games before minor-league camp begins March 7. He still has plenty of time before the minor-league season begins to get over this issue, but it's worth monitoring since it's an injury that could sidetrack his season.

Bregman (elbow) could return to game action next weekend if his progress continues, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery in January but was always expected to be ready for Opening Day. As things stand, he could even withstand a minor setback and still likely have enough time to make the Opening Day lineup.

Chapman (illness) is not in the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Most of the Oakland regulars are in the lineup minus Chapman, who was sidelined with an unspecified illness earlier in the week. Cliff Pennington will man the hot corner in his absence. Chapman underwent left shoulder surgery in mid-December, but he was recently cleared for all baseball activities, so once he turns the page on this illness, he should be a full-go.

Duffy (hamstring) could make his spring debut Tuesday against the Orioles, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

Duffy tweaked his hamstring early in spring training, though the issue isn't expected to be a significant one. A Tuesday return would see him miss the first four games of Grapefruit League action but still leave him more than enough time to build up for Opening Day.

Duffy will miss a few days of spring training action after tweaking his hamstring, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear how the injury occurred, but the team is confident it is minor. Duffy will likely miss the first few spring games before resuming his normal role as the Rays' starting third baseman once his hamstring stops acting up. In the meantime, Yandy Diaz may see a bit more time at the hot corner, allowing Ji-Man Choi to log some innings at first base to fill the void.

Bregman (elbow) took live batting practice for the second day in a row Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The star third baseman continues to ramp up his activity quickly, as he just started throwing across the diamond Tuesday and hitting live batting practice Wednesday. As things stand now, the Astros hope to deploy Bregman back into games during the first weekend of March barring any setbacks. An exact return date will likely be formulated as he progresses through his workouts in the next few days.

Chapman is not at practice Wednesday due to illness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This doesn't seem like a major issue for the third baseman. Chapman was scheduled to take Thursday off, but with this development, the Athletics will simply switch their plans and have Chapman take Wednesday off. Once he gets past this issue, the 25-year-old will be able to shift his focus back to preparing for the season opener March 20 in Tokyo.

Bregman (elbow) is scheduled to face live pitching Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros have been restricting Bregman's workload early in camp after he required arthroscopic surgery in January to remove a bone spur from his elbow. The 24-year-old didn't experience any setbacks Tuesday while throwing across the diamond for the second time all spring, so he'll be cleared to take another step forward in his rehab by taking batting practice. Bregman previously noted that the biggest test of his health will come with his swinging, so his comments after Wednesday's hitting session may bear monitoring.