MLB Player News

McMahon will have a chance to win the starting job at second base during spring training, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Garrett Hampson will also be competing to break camp as the Rockies' primary second baseman, with prospect Brendan Rodgers an option for later in the season. Manager Bud Black has been noncommittal about the decision to this point, and plans to use a committee at second base at least to open up the season. "DJ [LeMahieu] was an everyday player. He was a batting champion, an all-star, a Gold Glover -- it was his position." stated Black. "We don't have that type of player -- yet." Expect McMahon and Hampson to both see plenty of opportunities during spring training.

Madrigal could make his major-league debut in 2019, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Yoan Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez are expected to swap positions, opening up an avenue for Madrigal to potentially take over for Sanchez at the keystone sometime in 2019. The soon-to-be 22-year-old, who was the fourth overall pick in 2018, is expected to open the season at Double-A, but it sounds like he could make it to the majors earlier than expected if he continues to excel in the upper minors.

Manager Rick Renteria said Moncada could start at third base on Opening Day, Scot Gregor of the Chicago Daily Herald reports. "Don't be surprised if you see him there Opening Day," the manager said.

Moncada has been working at third base recently, and it sounds like the White Sox are going to give him an opportunity to take over at the hot corner if he's able to hold his own there during camp. Per Gregor, Renteria noted that playing third base requires more focus, which the team hopes will carry over to Moncada's at-bats after he struck out in 33.4 percent of his plate appearances last season. Should Moncada open the season at third base, Yolmer Sanchez would slide over to cover the keystone.

Chapman (shoulder) was cleared for all baseball activities Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chapman started camp slowly after undergoing thumb surgery and shoulder surgery over the offseason, but he won't end up being set back for long. He'll have over a month of full practice before the Athletics head to Tokyo for an early-season opener against the Mariners on March 20.

Bregman (elbow) progressed to throwing a baseball past 90 feet over the weekend, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. "I was throwing 90, 95 percent," Bregman said. "I put a little crow hop shuffle into it. Overall, a really, really good day."

After undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery in January, Bregman had already resumed incorporating some fielding and hitting drills into his regimen, so his ability to make throws over the weekend amounts to another step forward in his recovery. Bregman is expected to gradually increase his throwing distance before likely being cleared to make his Grapefruit League debut in early March. If he experiences no setbacks along the way, his availability for Opening Day won't be in much question.

Moustakas will get looks at second base this spring, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The news is something of a surprise, as Moustakas has been almost exclusively a third baseman thus far in his major-league career, and a move to a tougher defensive position at this stage would be rather unusual. The Brewers also have Travis Shaw as a very capable option at the hot corner, but the team solved that problem last season by playing Shaw at second. There's no obvious reason why they'd switch that plan around this season, but if Moustakas manages to pick up enough games at second base to qualify there in some fantasy formats it would be at least a small boost to his value.

Astudillo will be given a chance to win a spot on the 25-man roster as a utility player, chief baseball officer Derek Falvey told TheAthletic.com. "He's clearly put himself in a position to be a major-league player and bounce around, potentially play multiple positions. Him playing other positions is valuable," said Falvey.

With Jason Castro returning from a knee injury that caused him to miss most of last season, Astudillo's chances of sticking as a third catcher alone appear slim. If the Twins view him as a true utility player and he can play multiple positions, he'll have a much better chance of staying on the roster. The Twins may also need a third catcher for the short term if Castro is eased back into action in April.

Reds manager David Bell suggested that Senzel is "the favorite" to win the starting center field job, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Bell also suggested that Jesse Winker is expected to get 500 at-bats, meaning that both Scott Schebler and Matt Kemp would thus lose playing time. Earlier, Reds President of Baseball Operations Dick Williams told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that they would "... put the best team out there ..." for Opening Day when asked about Senzel's likely Opening Day status. Neither quote affirmatively says that Senzel will be with the team on Opening Day, but at least with their comments, the Reds are addressing Senzel differently than the Jays are with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Moustakas agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Brewers on Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The deal will become official following a physical exam. Moustakas elected free agency after turning down his 2019 option with Milwaukee, but he'll return with the Brewers and should be their premier option at third base, especially against right-handed pitching. This means Travis Shaw will once again see time at second base as he did in the second half of the 2018 campaign. The keystone will become a bit more crowded with Moustakas back in the picture, as Cory Spangenberg, Hernan Perez and Tyler Saladino could all compete for backup work at second behind Shaw.

Moncada reported to camp Saturday and took grounders at second and third base, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Moncada may be asked to play some third base this season, and that will become a greater possibility if free agent Manny Machado eschews Chicago's offer. The 23-year-old infielder played third base while in Boston's organization, and the White Sox have a glaring need at the hot corner, so having him split time between the two positions makes roster sense. The position versatility will help fantasy owners, but Moncada will get his plate appearances regardless of where Machado decides to sign. The bigger issue for Moncada in 2019 is if he can cut down on his MLB-high 217 strikeouts. That limited his ability to get on base, steal bases and use his speed to create offense.