MLB Player News

Senzel (knee) will focus on center field in spring training, Reds GM Nick Krall told Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer on Saturday.

It's worth noting that Krall merely answered "yes" when Nightengale asked if Senzel would focus on center field -- Krall didn't bring up the topic or elaborate on it. The Reds have moved Senzel around frequently throughout his career, so a little stability in one position wouldn't hurt. Of course, Senzel has to prove that he can stay healthy before any of this matters.

Muncy (elbow) took batting practice and fielded grounders Saturday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dave Roberts said Friday that he expects Muncy to be ready for Opening Day in some capacity, and the 31-year-old is approximately 85 percent recovered from his elbow injury that he sustained during the final game of the regular season in 2021. It was encouraging to see him participate in baseball activities now that spring training is underway, and it's possible that he'll serve as the team's designated hitter to begin the year if he isn't cleared to play in the field by Opening Day.

Kreidler could push for an Opening Day roster spot during the Tigers' condensed spring training, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old is most likely to begin the season with Triple-A Toledo, but after posting a .926 OPS across 41 games with the Mud Hens in 2021, Kreidler may have little else to prove. The Tigers' offseason addition of Javier Baez presents an obstacle at shortstop, so Kreidler may need to prove capable of playing other infield positions before Detroit calls him up to the MLB roster at some point.

Gelof was invited to major-league spring training by the A's on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Gelof was selected with the 60th overall pick of the 2021 Draft and will join the big-league club for spring training. The 22-year-old made his professional debut last season and spent most of the campaign at Low-A Stockton, where he hit .298/.393/.548 with seven homers, 22 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 32 games.

Muncy is about 85 percent recovered from his elbow injury and manager Dave Roberts believes he should be ready for Opening Day in some capacity, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Muncy missed last year's postseason with a torn UCL and a dislocation of his left elbow. He said himself in early March that he expected to be ready for Opening Day, but players have a tendency to be optimistic regarding their own availability, so it's encouraging to hear a similar story from his manager. The introduction of the universal designated hitter could also boost Muncy's early-season value, as he should be able to remain in the lineup regularly even if he's not yet ready for an everyday role in the field.

Walding signed a minor-league deal with the Padres on Tuesday and will convert to catcher, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Walding has spent almost the entirety of his professional career at first or third base, with the only exceptions being lone appearances at shortstop and left field. Moving all the way to the most difficult end of the defensive spectrum is quite a rare transition, but the 29-year-old believes it will help extend his career. If the new spot sticks, it will lower the pressure on his bat, though he showed very little there in his very brief major-league stints in 2018 and 2019, going 1-for-19 with 14 strikeouts.

Maggi signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday.

Maggi spent three days on the Twins' active roster last September, but he didn't leave the bench and is still awaiting his MLB debut. He's expected to open the upcoming season with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate after he spent the majority of the 2021 campaign at Triple-A St. Paul in Minnesota's organization. Over 370 plate appearances at St. Paul, the 32-year-old corner infielder hit .252 with 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases.

Kreidler (calf) has been a full participant in the Tigers' minor-league spring training and is expected to open the 2022 season at Triple-A Toledo, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Though he's not the same caliber of prospect as organization mates Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, Kreidler could have a similar timeline to both players when it comes to getting a call to the big leagues. After supplying a .926 OPS in 41 games at Toledo following a promotion from Double-A Erie last August, Kriedler was denied the opportunity to build on that performance at the Arizona Fall League after succumbing to a calf strain. He's been back at full health this spring and has resumed impressing at the plate and in the field, most notably turning a nifty double play during Friday's intrasquad game, per Stavenhagen. According to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, Kreidler is still preparing to spend most of his time at shortstop at Toledo to begin the upcoming season, though Detroit's offseason signing of Javier Baez means the 24-year-old could eventually pick up reps at second and third base and perhaps even the outfield as he looks to break into the big leagues as a utility player.

Lewis (knee) received clearance for spring training, but he hasn't been able to participate in workouts during MLB's ongoing lockout since he's a member of the Twins' 40-man roster, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

The lockout comes at a particularly inconvenient time for a player like Lewis, a top prospect in the organization who hasn't played an official game in affiliated ball since 2019. After he was unable to play in 2020 because of the cancellation of the minor-league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis missed all of 2021 after tearing the ACL in his right knee last February and undergoing surgery. The 22-year-old was at least able to prove his health by taking part in the Twins' final two Instructional League games in mid-October, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, but Lewis would surely benefit from getting in regular at-bats during intrasquad games this spring, even against minor-league competition. Unfortunately, because of his status as a 40-man player, Lewis isn't available to work out in a team setting, and he'll be ineligible to report to any of the Twins' minor-league affiliates when the season begins in early April if the lockout remains in place. Lewis received only 148 plate appearances at the Double-A level upon earning a mid-season promotion in 2019, but because he's missed more than two years of development time, the Twins could be willing to fast track him to Triple-A St. Paul once the lockout ends.

Muncy (elbow) said Friday in an interview with David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports that he's resumed swinging a bat and expects to be ready for the start of the season. "Hopefully [my elbow is] ready for Opening Day," Muncy said. "That was the plan and we were on track for that. Hopefully it is not going to affect me too much, but I can't answer that until we get out there."

Muncy wasn't available for the Dodgers' postseason run last fall after he suffered a torn UCL and dislocation of his left elbow in the regular-season finale. Before the MLB lockout began, Muncy might have faced an uphill battle gaining clearance for Opening Day, but commissioner Rob Manfred's decision to postpone at least the first week of regular season games improves the 31-year-old's odds of avoiding missed time. It's worth noting, however, that because of the lockout, Muncy hasn't had the chance to meet with team trainers since December, so fantasy managers that are considering drafting him will have to put a lot of faith in the player's own assessment of his health. Muncy, who enters the upcoming season with eligibility at both first and second base in the majority of fantasy leagues, proved mostly durable in the 2021 campaign, appearing in 144 games while slashing .249/.368/.527 with 36 home runs, 95 runs, 94 RBI and two stolen bases.