MLB Player News

Escobar went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

The veteran infielder took Kyle Finnegan, one of the Nats' potential closing options, deep in the sixth inning. Escobar is coming off a strong 2021 campaign split between Milwaukee and Arizona in which he slugged 28 homers and racked up 90 RBI over 146 games, and the switch hitter is expected to give the Mets a similar jolt of power from the bottom half of their batting order as the team's regular third baseman.

Machado (back) is not in the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Guardians, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The 29-year-old was scratched from Saturday's lineup with back tightness and will remain sidelined for Sunday's contest. Manager Bob Melvin said there's no worry about Machado's status for Opening Day, but it's still worth keeping an eye on the third baseman's status until he's able to retake the field.

Moustakas (shoulder) is batting second as the designated hitter in Sunday's Cactus League game against the Rockies, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Moustakas had been held out of the lineup since Tuesday, when he injured his left shoulder making a diving attempt in the field. The 33-year-old's return to the lineup is a good sign for his Opening Day availability, but the coast may not be fully clear until he's back playing defense.

Castro was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday.

As a rookie in 2021, Castro hit five home runs with a .198 batting average in 93 plate appearances. Michael Chavis and Hoy Park will serve as the bench infielders for now, but neither have fantasy relevancy outside of NL-only leagues.

Machado was scratched from Saturday's Cactus League lineup against the Cubs due to back tightness.

Machado was initially slated to start at third base, but Eguy Rosario will now shift to the hot corner while Domingo Leyba enters the lineup at the keystone. It's not yet clear whether Machado will be forced to miss additional time following Saturday's matchup.

Longoria (finger) is participating in all baseball workouts, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Longoria has downplayed the injury, though he also noted that the pain stems from when he was hit by a pitch late in the 2021 season. Given that he's had the entire offseason to rest the issue, it's a bit concerning that he is still not feeling fully healthy. Even so, his Opening Day status does not appear threatened at this time.

Moustakas (shoulder) isn't starting Saturday's game against San Francisco. Moustakas said that his shoulder is better, however, and he should return to action on Sunday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The Reds were hopeful that Moustakas would be able to return to game action as soon as Saturday, but he'll remain out of the lineup for at least one more matchup. In spite of his continued absence, it wouldn't be surprising to see the 33-year-old available for Opening Day.

Longoria has not played in Cactus League games due to soreness in his right index finger, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Longoria said it came from a hit-by-pitch late last season and flared up during spring training. The third baseman isn't expected to miss Opening Day, though the flexibility of the Giants' bench players could afford him to take time off it the injury persists.

Wisdom has just one hit and a walk in nine Cactus League at-bats to go with five strikeouts.

Wisdom had a breakout 2021 campaign, smashing 28 home runs and posting an .823 OPS across 106 games, though his season ended a bit early due to a sore right wrist. He's reportedly healthy to begin camp, so the slow start is probably more just a matter of shaking off rust. Still, it'd be nice to see Wisdom get going to prove last year wasn't a flash in the pan. The 30-year-old only had four career MLB home runs prior to 2021.

Riley went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The long balls didn't come against minor-league arms either, as Riley took Shane McClanahan deep in the second inning before dropping a Matt Wisler offering just over the wall in left-center field three innings later. Riley is coming off a breakout 2021 campaign in which he slugged 33 homers and 107 RBI while slashing .303/.367/.531, and the 24-year-old third baseman figures to be a fixture in the heart of the Atlanta offense for years to come.