MLB Player News

Chapman (illness) will make his first appearance of the spring as a designated hitter Wednesday against the Dodgers, Julian McWilliams of The Athletic reports.

Chapman's spring was initially slowed by recovery from thumb and shoulder surgeries, but he was cleared for all baseball activities for a brief period before an illness shut him down. Returning Wednesday will give him more than enough time to get in game shape by Opening Day.

Arenado signed an eight-year contract with the Rockies worth $260 million Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal includes an opt-out after three years and will give the third baseman the highest per-year salary among all position players. It's great news for those who own Arenado in dynasty leagues, as he'll get to remain in Coors Field for at least three additional seasons and potentially for the bulk of the rest of his career. The contract overrides the one-year deal Arenado signed earlier in the offseason, so it will take him through the 2026 season, with the opt-out coming after 2021.

Chapman (illness) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Angels.

This is the A's sixth Cactus League game and we still haven't seen Chapman, but it doesn't seem like there's any reason to be concerned. He was recently cleared for all baseball activities following December shoulder surgery. By all accounts, the only thing holding him back now is this illness.

Duffy relayed Tuesday that his injured hamstring is "feeling good" and said he expects to play in a Grapefruit League game at some point before the end of the week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Duffy is scheduled to run the bases Tuesday and Wednesday, after which the Rays should hone in on a target date for his return to the lineup. Unless he experiences a setback this week, Duffy is on track to earn enough at-bats during the spring to secure his spot as the Rays' everyday third baseman once the regular season arrives.

Farmer started Monday's spring training game against the Mariners at shortstop, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Farmer is hoping to make the team as a utility player, and the added flexibility for him is needed with the Reds planning on having 13 pitchers most of the season, and the team having Curt Casali as their primary backup catcher option.

Manager Kevin Cash said there is no set date for Duffy's (hamstring) Grapefruit League debut, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cash noted that Duffy is "chomping at the bit" to play, but the team is playing it safe and taking it slow with the infielder given how early it is in camp. He's already been ruled out through Tuesday. Duffy's current injury doesn't appear to be overly concerning at this point, but his status will be worth monitoring throughout camp.

Duffy (hamstring) isn't listed in the lineup or as an available option off the bench for the Rays' Grapefruit League games Monday versus the Marlins and Tuesday versus the Orioles, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

A prior report suggested that Duffy could be cleared to make his spring debut as soon as Tuesday, but the Rays have evidently decided to err on the side of caution with the infielder, who has been plagued by lower-body injuries for the past three seasons. Though Duffy's latest setback on the health front doesn't appear to be overly concerning at this stage, those planning on investing in him in deeper mixed leagues or AL-only formats would surely like to see him get some at-bats in sooner rather than later.

Moustakas said he felt comfortable at second base Sunday against the Rangers, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Moustakas admitted that he forgot to cover the base on a throw, but otherwise it was an uneventful debut at his new position. Manager Craig Counsell praised Moustakas, saying it was a good first outing and that he's confident the 30-year-old will only get better as he plays more second base. Travis Shaw is expected to be the primary third baseman, with Hernan Perez serving in a utility role.

Hayes went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs Sunday, including a walkoff grand slam against the Marlins.

While he's not expected to debut for the Pirates until late 2019 or 2020, Hayes gave Pittsburgh a glimpse of the possibilities to come. He's listed behind Jung Ho Kang and Colin Moran on the depth chart, but his glove is already major-league-ready. Hayes' ability to hit for power is about the only aspect of his game still in question. The 22-year-old slashed .293/.375/.444 with seven homers in 437 at-bats for Double-A Altoona in 2018. He did collect 31 doubles (along with 12 stolen bases), providing hope that the power will eventually show up.

Chapman (illness) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

The injury was first reported Wednesday, so he's now been out several days, but there has been no suggestion that the issue is serious enough to threaten his readiness for Opening Day. Chad Pinder starts at the hot corner in his absence. Chapman will hit in an intrasquad game Sunday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports, indicating that he's close to returning.