MLB Player News

Donaldson is starting at third base and batting second for Friday's spring game against the Phillies.

The Braves have pushed back Donaldson's spring debut numerous times for maintenance reasons, but he'll finally appear in a Grapefruit League game Friday. The 33-year-old was limited to 52 games between the Blue Jays and Indians last season but starts things off with the Braves in full health.

Senzel (hamstring) went 1-for-3 Thursday against the Mariners in his return to spring training action, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I think we got lucky there that it was just minor, like a reminder to take care of his legs and making sure we're doing everything we can to help him adjust to a completely different position both with the way you run and the way you throw," manager David Bell said. "I think we'll just be on top of it even more."

Bell and the Reds were pleasantly surprised that Senzel could play Thursday, thinking instead that he'd need until Friday. We can go back to speculating when Senzel will make his Reds debut without this injury being a factor.

Senzel (hamstring) is starting in center field and hitting sixth Thursday against the Mariners.

He dealt with a minor hamstring issue but, as expected, it did not cost him much time. Senzel continues to get starts in center field in preparation to serve as the Reds' primary option there for most of 2019.

Plouffe went 1-for-2 with a solo homer Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Plouffe's ninth-inning shot off Mark Leiter was his first of spring. The veteran infielder now has two hits -- both of which have gone for extra bases -- in nine at-bats through six spring appearances.

Senzel is dealing with hamstring tightness but is expected to return to game action Thursday or Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The injury doesn't appear to be a significant threat to Senzel's quest for an Opening Day roster spot, but the Reds will want him getting as much game time as possible as he tries to quickly learn center field. It remains unclear whether or not the Reds will find a reason to keep Senzel in the minors for a few weeks to earn an extra year of team control. If the hamstring issue lingers longer than expected, that could theoretically provide the team a ready-made excuse.

Donaldson went 3-for-3 with a home run and a double during a simulated game Wednesday, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

Donaldson's stellar showing at the dish indicates that he's ready to make his Grapefruit League debut, which is set to come Friday versus the Phillies. The veteran's delayed entry into spring games has been designed merely with maintenance in mind, as the 33-year-old reported to camp at full health after an injury-plagued 2018 campaign.

Vargas went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals.

Vargas batted leadoff and served as designated hitter Tuesday and came up with a two-RBI double during the second inning. The 27-year-old is putting together a fantastic spring training, going 10-for-22 with five runs scored and seven RBI through nine games.

McMahon has hit well so far this spring, with nine hits and one homer in his first 18 at-bats.

McMahon is battling Garrett Hampson to be the Rockies' starting second baseman. The team will make the decision based on more than just spring stats. Hampson has gone 5-for-16 with a pair of homers himself.

Donaldson is expected to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Phillies, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Donaldson was originally hoping to make his spring debut Wednesday, but rain forced the veteran third baseman to push his schedule back by a day. He's now slated to play in a simulated game Wednesday, and if everything goes well, Donaldson will make his first appearance of spring Friday (the Braves have a scheduled off day Thursday).

Donaldson is targeting Wednesday for his first game action of the spring, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

He's going to take part in simulated game activities Tuesday, and if all goes well, Donaldson is set to be in Wednesday's lineup against the Tigers. The 33-year-old played only 52 games for Toronto and Cleveland last year, producing a disappointing .801 OPS, so expect the Braves to keep a close eye on his workload for the rest of the spring.