MLB Player News

Candelario was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports.

Candelario saw his major league debut last season with the Cubs, but he was only able to collect one hit in 11 at-bats during his short-lived stint. He tried to force his way back to the majors this spring, but his .235/.278/.373 slash line across 51 at-bats wasn't quite enough to earn him a spot in the Cubs' overcrowded infield.

Moustakas went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Padres in Cactus League play.

With four homers already this spring, Moustakas looks to have retained the power he displayed early last season before suffering a torn ACL, but he's displayed little in the way of plate discipline. He's struck out in a quarter of his at-bats and has walked just three times, resulting in an uninspiring .250 on-base percentage. Moustakas' career .303 mark in that category carries more weight than his spring number, but it nonetheless illustrates the lesser value he carries in OBP leagues.

Bregman will return to training camp after the World Baseball Classic ends and is expected to play in a Grapefruit League game Friday, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Bregman has barely played in the WBC and really needs to get some at-bats in game action before the regular season hits. That's why he'll hit the ground running in Houston while Carlos Correa, Nori Aoki and Carlos Beltran will resume spring training Saturday.

Escobar started at shortstop and went 2-for-3 in Wednesday's loss to Houston. He's hitting .306 (11-for-36) this spring.

Despite his strong showing at the plate this spring, he looks set to begin the season in a utility role as there's been little talk that he'll overtake Jorge Polanco for the starting shortstop role. However, Escobar could move into the starting lineup at shortstop if Polanco falters or at third base if Miguel Sano struggles with his glove and becomes the DH.

Suarez has gone 10-for-35 with two doubles, two home runs, seven RBI, two walks and nine strikeouts through 14 spring games.

The numbers for Suarez in Cactus League play are strong, but he hasn't been quite as dialed in of late, going just 2-for-12 with five strikeouts in his last five games. Suarez endured some rough stretches last season, most notably in May and September, but his final numbers were good enough to put him near the top 20 at third base in terms of 5x5 fantasy production. He will once again enter the season as the Reds' primary third baseman.

Rivera was optioned to minor-league camp Wednesday, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports.

Rivera opened 2016 with the Brewers as a utility infielder, but that job has since been claimed by Hernan Perez, so the team decided to send Rivera to the minors in order to get regular at-bats. Rivera figures to be the primary shortstop for Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Reynolds was optioned to the Mets' minor-league camp Tuesday, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

Reynolds was looking to win a utility role with the Mets coming out of spring training, but it appears T.J. Rivera and WIlmer Flores are the leading frontrunners to claim the open bench gigs. The 26-year-old Reynolds is expected to report to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he slashed .264/.336/.357 in 299 plate appearances a season ago.

Rivera is 9-for-33 (.273) with a home run, four RBI, and two stolen bases through 19 games this spring.

Rivera's at-bats this spring have been limited with the Brewers trying to get Orlando Arcia as many plate appearances as possible, but the team is not counting on Rivera's bat. He still has a shot to break camp with the big club for the second year in a row in a utility role.

Donaldson (calf) will play third base for the first time this spring in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Detroit, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports.

The sight of the back-to-back Silver Slugger Award winner on the field will allow owners to finally exhale. Donaldson has been under a cloud of uncertainty since being diagnosed with a strained right calf in mid-February, but the slugger's recovery went without a hiccup. Regardless, it'd be irresponsible to deem Donaldson fully in the clear until he logs some innings without any interruptions.

Moncada was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.

Chicago's top prospect hit .317 with a 1.074 OPS and three home runs in 41 at-bats this spring in big league camp. The rebuilding White Sox will let Moncada get his first taste of Triple-A pitching at the outset of the season, and considering they can gain an extra year of control by holding him down until May 13, it seems unlikely that we will see him back with the big league club until mid-May at the earliest.