MLB Player News

Moncada won't play in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Padres after tweaking his right side, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Moncada felt that he could play but didn't need to risk anything in an exhibition game. If the injury turns out to be worse than expected, Leury Garcia or Danny Mendick could spend time at third base.

Sosa has lost the battle for the Cardinals' starting shortstop job to Paul DeJong, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Sosa moved ahead of DeJong on the depth chart last season, hitting .271/.346/.389 while his teammate struggled to a .197/.284/.390 line. DeJong was given the chance to win his old job back this spring, however, and he was able to do so. Expect Sosa's at-bats to be limited early in the year as a result, though he could certainly reclaim the role if DeJong stumbles out of the gate.

Toro, who's hit .387 (12-for-31) across 13 Cactus League games, is a player president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto believes can provide strong offensive production all season, Brent Stecker of 710 ESPN Seattle reports. "We're seeing offense that looks - it's legit," Dipoto said. "He swings at the right pitches, he uses the whole field, he's doing it as both a left- and right-hander...he's going to be a guy who has high on-base skill, sprays the ball around the field."

The trade-deadline acquisition from last season had his moments after coming over from the Astros, but he seems to now be fully acclimated to Seattle this spring. Toro's switch-hitting capability and defensive versatility make him a particularly valuable utility asset, and he's even played some left field during Cactus League games in an effort to open up even more avenues to playing time.

Paredes was traded to the Rays on Monday in exchange for Austin Meadows and a 2022 draft pick, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Paredes has shown that he can play all over the infield, adding future versatility for Tampa Bay. The infielder was optioned to Triple-A just a few days earlier, so unless the Rays decided to bump him up to the Opening Day roster over the next few days, he'll begin the year at Triple-A Durham.

Madrigal (leg) went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Monday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Madrigal missed Cactus League games Friday and Saturday due to leg fatigue. He appeared in an intrasquad scrimmage Sunday, and it was good to see him return to regular action Monday and hit his first home run this spring. The 25-year-old has a strong .921 OPS in Cactus League play and should be ready for a good year after missing a significant chunk of the 2021 season due to proximal tendon tears in his right hamstring. The Cubs will likely limit his playing time in the early going, however, as he makes his way back following surgery.

Vargas was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday.

Vargas slashed .323/.364/.548 with two homers, a double, six RBI and three runs this spring, but he was unable to land a utility role on the major-league roster to begin the year. If the Cubs' position players deal with injuries during the 2022 campaign, Vargas' defensive versatility makes him a prime candidate to be called up.

Madrigal (leg) was spotted playing second game during an intrasquad scrimmage at big-league camp Sunday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Madrigal remains out of the Cubs' Cactus League lineup Sunday for the fourth day in a row, but his ability to play his normal defensive position in an intrasquad game implies that his recent bout with leg fatigue isn't anything to worry about as Opening Day approaches. The 25-year-old is expected to be a fixture in the Cubs' everyday lineup against both left- and right-handed pitching, likely hitting out of the bottom half of the order.

Peterson went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base in Saturday's spring game versus Seattle.

Peterson is hitting just .217 this spring, but his OBP is nearly 100 points higher, and he owns a respectable .743 OPS over 27 appearances. Peterson will fill a super-utility role when the Brewers are at full strength, but with Luis Urias (quad) set to miss the start of the season, Peterson is on track to open the season on the favorable side of a third-base platoon with Mike Brosseau.

Hayes (ankle) was spotted taking part in defensive drills during Sunday's team workout, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

After incorporating running drills and live batting practice into his training regimen in recent days as he works to overcome a right ankle sprain, Hayes took another step forward by adding third-base work to the mix. According to Mackey, Hayes appeared to be moving around well, which seemingly backs up the 25-year-old's assertion that he'll be ready to go for the Pirates' season opener Thursday in St. Louis. Ideally, Hayes would return to action at some point during the Pirates' remaining three exhibition games to clear up any lingering concerns about his health.

Duffy will split time in the short side of a platoon at second base to begin the 2022 campaign, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Tyler Wade will see most of the playing time at the keystone against right-handed pitchers early in the year, but Duffy and Jack Mayfield are expected to split at-bats against southpaws. Duffy appeared in 97 games with the Cubs last year, and he's gone 6-for-9 with a homer, a double, five runs and two walks across four Cactus League games this spring.