MLB Player News

Asuaje was designated for assignment by San Diego on Friday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Asuaje played in 79 games for the Padres this past year but slashed a dreadful .196/.286/.280 with just two home runs and 19 RBI. This move allowed the club to free up another spot on the 40-man roster while Asuaje will take a spin through waivers to determine if he will remain in the organization.

The Braves are anticipating Donaldson hitting second in the order during the 2019 season, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Per O'Brien, Ronald Acuna will sit atop the order or man the cleanup spot while Freddie Freeman hits third. Ozzie Albies and Ender Inciarte are also under consideration to bat leadoff. Prior to Donaldson's injury-plagued 2018 campaign, he slashed .270/.385/.559 with 33 home runs and 78 RBI in 2017. The Braves are obviously betting on Donaldson staying healthy and returning to that form after signing him to a one-year, $23 million deal. Donaldson is in line to be the club's everyday third baseman while Johan Camargo takes on a utility role to begin the year.

Senzel (elbow) said he will resume baseball activities "in the next week or so," Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The highly-touted prospect is nearing a return to full health after an injury-riddled year. After missing extended time during the 2018 season due to vertigo and later a fractured finger, Senzel underwent surgery in October to remove bone spurs from his left elbow. He was recently cleared to begin lifting weights and is expected to begin swinging a bat by the end of December. Barring any setbacks, Senzel is expected to be ready to go by the start of spring training. The 23-year-old will compete for an Opening Day roster spot with Cincinnati after hitting .310/.378/.509 with six homers and eight steals in his first taste of Triple-A in 2018 (44 games with Triple-A Louisville).

Alvarez signed a minor-league contract with the Marlins on Monday which includes an invitation to spring training, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

There are few organizations easier to battle for a roster spot with than the Marlins, but even so, Alvarez doesn't necessarily have an inside shot. He's primarily a designated hitter, having started just 13 games in the field over the last two seasons. He no longer appears to have the bat capable of carrying his value as a bat-only player, though, as he hit just .180/.283/.414 in 45 games with the Orioles last season. Some positive regression from his .179 BABIP could help, but he'll be 32 years old next season and the rebuilding Marlins will likely prefer to give playing time to younger players.

The Mariners agreed in principle Monday to send Segura to the Phillies in a multi-player trade, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Carlos Santana and J.P. Crawford are the key principals headed back to Seattle, with other prospects believed to be involved in the deal. The transactions won't become official until all players included in the deal pass their physicals, though that's expected to be a formality. In Philadelphia, Segura should slide in as the everyday shortstop, a position the team struggled to generate production from last season between Crawford and Scott Kingery. It's likely that Segura will also occupy a spot near the top of the order, which should continue to afford him ample run-scoring opportunities and a green light on the basepaths.

Kieboom will work at shortstop and second base this offseason, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Kieboom only played shortstop this last season, but the Nationals are considering adding second base to his repertoire to aid his climb to the majors. Current shortstop Trea Turner is under team control for another four years, but second base is being held down by the combination of Howie Kendrick (Achilles), Wilmer Difo and Adrian Sanchez. After slashing .262/.326/.395 at Double-A Harrisburg this past season and performing well in the Arizona Fall League (.280/.426/.347), Kieboom could push for time in the big leagues if he can hit Triple-A pitching well enough.

Riley may spend some time in the outfield in spring training, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The Braves still view Riley as their third baseman of the future, but with Josh Donaldson in on a one-year deal, he's blocked at that position in the short term. The 21-year-old hit a solid .282/.346/.464 in 75 games with Triple-A Gwinnett last season, suggesting that he could be ready to make the leap to the big leagues. He likely won't break camp with the team, but he's not far from forcing the Braves to give him major-league at-bats, which could come either in an outfield corner or as an injury replacement.

Donaldson signed a one-year, $23 million contract with the Braves on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Donaldson will immediately slot in as the team's everyday third baseman, likely pushing Johan Camargo to a utility role. Injuries limited the 32-year-old to just 52 games in 2018, prompting him to sign a one-year deal in an attempt to re-establish his value. When healthy, Donaldson has proven to be one of the premier options at the hot corner over the past five seasons, slashing .275/.373/.524 with 148 homers and 421 RBI over that stretch (636 games).

Vosler was traded from the Cubs to the Padres on Tuesday in exchange for Rowan Wick, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Vosler split time between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa in 2018, posting a combined .251/.330/.467 line with 23 homers and 29 doubles across 129 games with both teams. The 25-year-old will likely fill an organizational depth role in 2019.

Muncy is out of the lineup for Game 2 of the World Series against Boston on Wednesday.

Muncy will begin Wednesday's game on the bench as David Freese draws another start at first base with lefty David Price on the rubber for the Red Sox. Look for Muncy to join the fray once Price's day has come to a close.