MLB Player News

McMahon and Garrett Hampson could share second-base duties to start the season, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

As the left-handed hitter, McMahon would benefit greatly from a platoon at second base, while Hampson, who hits right-handed, would see his stock diminish in such a setup. Both players have played well this spring, and nothing has been officially decided, but the fact that Hampson hasn't separated himself means there should be an up arrow next to McMahon and an unfortunate down arrow next to Hampson. At the very least, McMahon seems assured of a roster spot and would be the primary backup at third base and first base, in addition to his duties at the keystone.

Lewis (oblique) appeared in Wednesday's minor-league spring game and hit a linedrive double in his first at-bat, Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com reports.

He had been sidelined with an oblique injury, but is back to full health. Lewis appears to have added good weight this offseason and could be in for a power breakout. He should open the year at High-A, but could quickly earn a promotion to Double-A, where he figures to spend the bulk of the season.

Riley is starting in left field and hitting sixth Wednesday against the Nationals.

This is Riley's first spring start in the outfield. He previously saw time this spring at third base and first base, and the Braves will continue to expand his positional utility. Riley will open the year at Triple-A, but is positioned to potentially serve as an injury replacement at all four corner spots.

Kieboom went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday's spring game against the Astros.

Kieboom has put on a show in spring training, producing a 8-for-22 mark at the plate while drawing five walks in 14 games. Both of his home runs Tuesday notably came off Astros ace Justin Verlander, so the 21-year-old isn't merely feasting on overmatched pitching. Kieboom could return to Double-A Harrisburg after slashing .262/.326/.395 in 62 games last season, but is making the case for an early promotion. The Nationals have been giving him time at second base this spring with his big-league future in mind, as Trea Turner is entrenched as the team's franchise shortstop.

Duffy (hamstring) is progressing in his return from a hamstring issue but remains without a return date, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy has played in just one game so far this spring and has suffered multiple setbacks. His progress Tuesday consisted of running on a treadmill in a pool, so he doesn't appear to be particularly close to a return. An extended absence would open up playing time for Daniel Robertson or Brandon Lowe.

Urias was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Monday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Urias still has more to prove at the Triple-A level after posting a mediocre .261/.291/.430 line in 46 games for Memphis last season. As a member of the 40-man roster, Urias has a decent shot to make his big-league debut at some point this season.

Nevin was reassigned to minor-league camp on Monday.

Nevin earned a big-league camp invitation on the back of a .328/.386/.503 season for High-A Lancaster last season. He'll likely head to Double-A Hartford to open the year and could push for a big-league callup in 2020.

Moustakas was confirmed as the Brewers' primary starting second baseman Monday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

Moustakas has played the position throughout spring, so manager Craig Counsell called the announcement a "little bit of a foregone conclusion." It remains to be seen how reliable he'll be defensively at his new spot, but that won't matter for fantasy owners in most leagues. Even if the Brewers decide he's unplayable at the keystone at some point this year, that decision isn't likely to come until he's picked up the added positional eligibility in most formats.

Devers has slowly accepted the direction of teammates and coaches about being a more patient hitter, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

When Devers made his MLB debut before his 21st birthday, he was a raw, free swinger that got by on natural talent. The next step was for the free-spirited Devers to avoid swinging at bad pitches. The now 22-year-old third baseman has listened and adopted the coaching, and it's important that he doesn't fall back into old habits. "There's a two-way conversation now," hitting coach Tim Hyers said. "It's not just us feeding information to him. So now, as a hitting coach, I'm seeing the progression that we're onto something. That's a really good sign when he came in the other day and said, 'I want to work on this. I expanded in and want to make sure my sights are in this spot.' So he just worked on that for a while. For a young guy to use his time wisely like that. It was really neat to see." Manager Alex Cora has challenged Devers this spring, slotting him third in the batting order. If he's to become the primary three hitter, he knows he needs to control the strike zone and avoid getting himself out. "It would be an honor to hit third, but I have to keep working and show that I deserve to be there," he said. Judging from his spring numbers, Devers appears to have fully accepted what he's being told. He's batting .478 (11-for-23) with a 1.261 OPS.

Moncada went 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored in Sunday's game against Oakland.

Moncada had a good day in the field, executing all three of his chances, and continued to rake in the Cactus League. The 23-year-old third baseman is 10-for-27 (.370) with five walks, four extra-base hits and four RBI. The strikeouts are still an issue -- 10 in 32 plate appearances -- but not when he's posting a 1.098 spring OPS.