MLB Player News

Kieboom went 2-for-4 with two singles and two strikeouts in Monday's action against the Mets.

Kieboom continues to make the most of his opportunity in spring training, as he is now 11-for-35 with six extra-base hits. He has also shown decent control of the strike zone, walking five times and striking out seven. He peaked at Double-A Harrisburg in 2018, so the chances of Kieboom breaking camp with the club are minuscule, but he has done nothing to hurt his future chances with his strong performance.

Suarez went 0-for-4 against the Rockies on Monday to lower his spring training line to .188/.297/.219.

Much like teammate Joey Votto, Suarez is off to a slow start but there's no fundamental reason to be too concerned. His role is secure and he'll be batting in the middle of an order that is expected to be one of the better lineups in the National League. His ADP over the first weekend of the NFBC Main Event was 59.00.

Muncy (forearm) is back in the lineup Monday against the Rangers, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Muncy had been out since Thursday with forearm soreness, but the issue was evidently not serious enough to threaten his readiness for Opening Day. He'll bat third and play first base against Texas.

Segura has primarily hit second for the Phillies this spring, sandwiched between fellow new arrivals Andrew McCutchen and Bryce Harper.

The trio of newcomers has resided as manager Gabe Kapler's preferred top of the lineup when all three have been available this spring, with Rhys Hoskins cleaning up behind them. Segura should benefit from a major upgrade in home park in addition to an improved lineup this season and should score a lot of runs with Harper and Hoskins hitting behind him.

Manager Kevin Cash said Duffy (hamstring) had a "really good day" and is "softly" scheduled to play in a spring game Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy is on the cusp of returning to game action after getting through a series of running drills with no issues Monday. The third baseman has been sidelined for most of spring due to a hamstring issue, but he should still have enough time to get ready for the start of the season if he's able to return Thursday (or shortly thereafter).

The Phillies optioned Walding to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Given that two of his main competitors for reserve gigs with the big club (Scott Kingery and Sean Rodriguez) offer far more defensive versatility, it's not surprising that Walding, a corner infielder, was ultimately cut. Walding will likely play on an everyday basis at Lehigh Valley but should rank near the top of the list for a callup if either Rhys Hoskins or Maikel Franco misses time with an injury at any point.

The Pirates reassigned Hayes to minor-league camp Monday, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

The 22-year-old impressed onlookers this spring, hitting .346 with seven extra-base hits (including two homers) in 26 Grapefruit League at-bats. Hayes slashed .293/.375/.444 with seven homers and 47 RBI in 437 at-bats for Double-A Altoona in 2018. He's expected to serve as the everyday third baseman for Triple-A Indianapolis and could make his MLB debut later this summer. Fantasy owners will want to key in on his ability to hit for power, as he's totaled only 15 home runs in four minor-league campaigns.

Manager Kevin Cash confirmed that Duffy (hamstring) would run again Monday, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

After experiencing no complications while fielding and taking batting practice Sunday, Duffy will get the green light to resume his running program. The third baseman noted that he ran at about 80 percent intensity Saturday and predicted that he would run close to 90 percent Monday, which Cash hopes will provide insight into whether Duffy will be ready to go for Opening Day. Cash previously said that Duffy won't necessarily need to return to action before the end of the Grapefruit League slate to confirm his availability for the start of the season.

General manager Neal Huntington said Monday that Newman will open the season as a reserve middle infielder after Erik Gonzalez was named the team's starting shortstop, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

According to Adam Berry of MLB.com, Huntington cited Gonzalez's superior defense as the main reason the 27-year-old won out over Newman in the job battle. It's also possible that Pittsburgh chooses Pablo Reyes as a super-utility man, relegating Newman to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the campaign. A 2015 first-round pick, Newman reached the big leagues for the first time last season but failed to make much of an impact in 97 plate appearances, slashing a middling .209/.247/.231. Newman has shown the ability to hit for average and steal bases at a decent clip in the minors, but his dearth of power and a lack of high-end speed will make it a challenge for him to contribute meaningful counting-stats production if he eventually claims a full-time role with Pittsburgh.

Chapman went 3-for-3 and reached base five times in a 5-1 exhibition victory over the Nippon-Ham Fighters on Sunady in Tokyo, Japan, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Chapman has already been swinging a hot bat in Cactus League play, so Sunday's outburst was simply an extension. The elite defender will once again man the hot corner for the Athletics in the coming season while looking to build on his breakout 2018 campaign at the plate.