MLB Player News

Braves infielder Jace Peterson has the inside track to start at second base for the club this season and manager Fredi Gonzalez was impressed with his play in the spring training debut Wednesday. Peterson doubled and drew two walks in the game.

"He smoked that ball," Gonzalez said. "I like his ability and that you can run him out there at shortstop and let him play that position. We'll play him back and forth on the diamond and see what happens."

Gonzalez knows he has the ability to step in and play very soon.

"You like his baseball abilities, his makeup and his character," Gonzalez said. "He's not just a throw-in [in the trade], he's a baseball player."

Because of he reported to camp in exceptional condition and Alberto Callaspo did not, Jace Peterson may have an outside shot at the Braves' second base job, per the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Wednesday.

Callaspo signed with the Braves as a free agent in December was penciled in as the starter while top prospect Jose Peraza works his way through the minors. However, if Callaspo doesn't play his way into game shape over the next month, Peterson, along with Phil Gosselin could have a crack at the position.

Peterson was traded to the Braves from the Padres in a deal that involved Justin Upton in late December. Last week, manager Fredi Gonzalez confirmed to reporters that the second base gig is "wide open."

Pirates infielder Pedro Alvarez launched a home run on Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

With two men on in the first inning, Alvarez pounced on a pitch from Aaron Sanchez and took it out to the opposite field. Alvarez would later double in a run in the fifth inning. He finished 2 for 3, with one run scored and four RBI. 

Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu is hoping the offseason work he put in to increase his speed will pay dividends on offense this season, particularly legging out more extra-base hits, per MLB.com.

"We were doing sprints early in the offseason and by February I was much, much faster," LeMahieu said. "We'll see how that translates, but I accomplished my goal."

Rockies manager Walt Weiss is expecting LeMahieu to improve offensively.

"He's a guy that's going to get better and better offensively," Weiss said. "I've talked about his feel for the game and that's going to play into his offense. You're going to see his on-base [.314 career] creep up. He's going to slug more than he has [.361 career] -- not homers, but there are doubles there."

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin expressed confidence Saturday that shortstop Jean Segura will bounce back after a subpar 2014 season, the Journal Sentinel reports.

"I'm pretty confident he's going to bounce back," Melvin said. "He had a very good September. He had a lot of stuff going on last year. But everybody says he's a much happier person and everything. He's a good, athletic player that we need."

After delivering a .294 average, smacking 12 home runs and stealing 44 bases in 2013, Segura hit just .246/.289/.326 with five home runs, 31 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 513 at-bats in 2014.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez confirmed to reporters following Thursday's full-squad workout that the second baseman position is a "wide open" competition, and that Jose Peraza, Alberto Callaspo, Phil Gosselin and Jace Peterson are all entering camp with a chance to make the club, per MLB.com.

"It's wide open," Gonzalez said. "It's all depending on how we want to work second base, the infield and even the bench."

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke will spend spring training judging his infielder's versatility for depth behind Jean Segura and Scooter Gennett, per MLB.com.

Milwaukee has three shortstops on its 40-man roster with the chance to break camp with the big-league club. Hector Gomez, 26, and Luis Sardinas, 21, are expected to see time at second base behind Scooter Gennett.

"We want to give Scooter a chance against lefties, but if there's a day off we want to give him, or if it works out that we need to have a [right-handed hitting] guy there more often, who's it going to be?" Roenicke said. "Is it going to be Sardinas? Jimenez, because we know he hits lefties well? Who's that other guy who's going to be there?"

Yadiel Rivera, 22, should see some work at third behind Aramis Ramirez.

Coming off a breakout season in 2014, Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon said he doesn't plan to change anything in his game.

It should come as no surprise since he finished fifth in the NL MVP race last season after batting .287 with a .473 slugging percentage, .824 OPS, 21 home runs, 39 doubles, 83 RBI and 111 runs.

“My game is simple,” Rendon said Wednesday, per The Washington Times. “I just try to put the barrel on the ball. When I put the barrel on the ball, good things come out most of the time.

“That’s what’s awesome about this game. A guy with two years [of experience] and a guy with 20 years, he’s still trying to improve himself in every part of the game. This game, you learn something new each and every day, so take it one day at a time and try to better yourself.”

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura arrived to spring training Tuesday ready to put his 2014 season behind him. A year after being an All-Star in 2013, Segura hit just .246 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 146 games last season.

"I'm trying to forget about what happened last year. I never been that unproductive in my career," he said, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "That was my first time. Sometimes you need to have one of those years to learn what it takes to go to the next level.

"Pitchers are going to adjust to you and you need to adjust back. As a young guy, you don't realize what's going on. It was a tough year."

Segura said he made some changes to his batting stance, which he hopes will get him back on track offensively in 2015.

"I've been working on it because I had some troubles getting out front with my left leg," said Segura, who is holding his hands back more and putting more weight on his back leg. "It works. I used it in winter ball and it worked for me. I'm going to continue to do it. It helps me stay back more."

New Cubs manager Joe Maddon met with the media at spring training on Friday and admitted he had no idea who would be playing third base for the team. 

Maddon declared the battle for the hot corner wide open. 

The competition seems to boil down the three options. Mike Olt played 52 games at third for the Cubs last season. He hit .160 with 12 home runs and 33 RBI. He enters spring training as the likely favorite. 

Kris Bryant is the team's third baseman of the future. The second overall pick in the 2013 draft, shot through the farm system in a year and a half. He played 70 games at Triple-A Iowa last season, hitting .295 with 21 home runs and 52 RBI. He hasn't yet made his Major League debut. 

Arismendy Alcantara is also an option. The versatile rookie played 48 games in center and 25 at second base last season and has been praised as being capable of playing anywhere on the field. He hit .205 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI.