MLB Player News

Duffy (Achilles) is listed as the Rays' starting third baseman for the team's split-squad Grapefruit League game Friday against the Pirates, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.

There haven't been any reports in the first week of spring training that Duffy has incurred any setbacks with his left Achilles' tendon, which sidelined him for the entire 2017 campaign while he recovered from a second surgery to address the injury. After Duffy was able to get in some at-bats during the Rays' fall instructional league without incident, it's not expected he'll face many limitations this spring as he aims to win an everyday role at third base. Duffy's history of foot issues may result in him abandoning the run game this season, but if he holds down a full-time gig, his solid contact skills could earn him a spot near the top of the Rays' order and make him an asset in both runs and batting average.

Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said that Anderson remains behind Martin Prado (knee) at third base heading into this spring, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports.

Even though Prado is recovering from a late-July scope of his right knee, Hill stated that Anderson is "behind Prado for now" and will not move over to second base. At this point, Prado is expected to return to action around the middle of March, which would give him a few weeks to get back into the swing of things before Opening Day. In the event that he's unable to get healthy, Anderson will likely take over the starting gig at the beginning of the season. Furthermore, Anderson could change the organization's opinion with a solid spring camp. This is a situation to monitor throughout the Grapefruit League, and either way, Anderson should receive a fair number of at-bats in 2018 as the Marlins head into a new era.

Farmer will get the opportunity to earn some playing time at the hot corner this spring, the Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett reports.

Farmer will get a little work in at third base over the course of the club's spring training since the catching position is a little crowded with Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes clearly ahead of him on the depth chart. Don't expect to see Farmer at the hot corner once the season begins, but this will give the 27-year-old a little more time on the field over the next few weeks.

Bregman estimated that he reduced his body fat from roughly 14 percent to between eight and 10 percent during the offseason through improved dieting and training, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic Houston reports.

Though the 5-foot-10 Bregman said he still checks in roughly around the 200 pounds he weighed a season ago, a before-and-after photograph posted on Twitter last week by Dynamic Sports Training, the Houston-based facility where he trained this offseason, reveals an improved physique for the infielder. Bregman is hopeful that his offseason work to strengthen his core will translate to a full season of power production, something that didn't really show up for the 23-year-old until the second half of 2017. After the All-Star break, Bregman slashed .315/.367/.539 and came up clutch in the postseason, producing four homers off three of the game's top pitchers -- Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen -- to help lead the Astros to their first World Series title. If his offseason training regimen is any indication, Bregman looks primed to carry his momentum into 2018 and should be better equipped to avoid another early-season lull without the World Baseball Classic on the docket this spring.

McMahon enters spring training as the Rockies' starting first baseman, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

With Mark Reynolds hitting free agency and Ian Desmond expected to see most of his playing time in left field this season, McMahon is set to enter camp atop the team's depth chart at first base. While the highly regarded prospect appears to have the inside track on the starting gig, he'll still have to prove he deserves the job during spring training, as Colorado could ultimately choose to move Desmond to first base or re-sign Reynolds if McMahon fails to seize the job during Cactus League play. Despite struggling in his first taste of the majors last year -- going just 3-for-19 in a September callup -- the 23-year-old excelled in the upper minors, hitting a combined .355/.403/.583 with 20 homers and 39 doubles in 119 games between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque.

Asuaje will compete with Cory Spangenberg for the starting second base gig this spring, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Spangenberg seems like the early favorite to break camp with the top spot on the depth chart, but Asuaje shouldn't be overlooked. While Spangenberg was incredibly inconsistent last season, Asuaje produced a solid .270 batting average and has an excellent eye at the plate. The 26-year-old also improved his defense significantly last season. That said, Asuaje really only plays second base, which could hurt him in a direct competition with the versatile Spangenberg. This situation should clear up over the course of Cactus League play, although Asuaje's lack of positional versatility may keep him off the Opening Day roster if he can't crack the starting lineup.

Senzel has been working frequently at second base and shortstop at the Reds spring training complex, having arrived nearly a month ago, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

Senzel will begin the year in the minors, most likely at Triple-A Louisville, but it's a good bet that he'll be up with the big club at some point this season. The issue facing the Reds is where to play Senzel, as they are very happy with the work they are getting from Eugenio Suarez at third base. The middle infield slots are less secure -- Scooter Gennett had a good 2017 campaign, but was a waiver claim and didn't do much the previous years, and Jose Peraza was disappointing in 2017. Either Suarez could move to shortstop or Senzel could play a middle infield position upon his eventual promotion.

Reynolds was acquired by the Nationals on Monday in exchange for cash considerations, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

Reynolds had a subpar 2017 season with the Mets. He slashed .230/.326/.301 over 68 games while logging just four extra-base hits. Should he appear in the majors with his new club, Reynolds would likely provide depth in a utility role, as he has experience playing first base, second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield.

Plouffe will attend the Rangers' spring training as a non-roster invitee.

With Adrian Beltre starting at third base, Plouffe will try to earn a spot on the roster as a reserve. However, if he wants to do so, he'll need to turn things around after a disappointing 2017. Plouffe hit .198 with a .590 OPS over 100 games last season, his worst marks since reaching the majors in 2010.

Plouffe agreed to a minor-league deal with the Rangers on Monday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Plouffe's performance at the plate regressed drastically during the 2017 season. He split time between the Rays and A's, over which he played in a combined 100 games. His dismal .198/.272/.318 line accompanied a 28.1 percent strikeout rate. Plouffe has experience at the hot corner, second base, first base and the outfield, so his defensive versatility could provide some value to the Rangers. However, he'll need to show improvement on offense before being much of a fantasy asset.