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  • Padres' Manny Machado: Enjoys big game in Cactus League

    Machado went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs, a walk and six RBI in Thursday's Cactus League loss to Cincinnati.

    Machado went 0-for-5 over his first three spring contests but exploded with a two-run home run and a grand slam Thursday. The veteran third baseman is approaching his eighth season with San Diego and has hit between 27 and 32 homers in each of the past five regular seasons. Machado remains one of fantasy's top third basemen and has typically been one of the first five players selected at the position in drafts this year.

  • Jonathon Long 3B | CHC

    Cubs' Jonathon Long: Won't play in WBC

    Long (elbow) will not join Team Chinese Taipei for the World Baseball Classic, deciding instead to stay in camp to focus on his rehab, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

    Long has been dealing with a left elbow sprain and has been on the mend over the past week. His original plan was to simply delay his departure for the WBC, but now the 24-year-old has opted to instead stick with the Cubs. While it's a disappointing development for Long, the decision makes sense in terms of getting fully healthy for the regular season. The youngster figures to start the year with Triple-A Iowa, where he'll look to build on the 20 home runs and .885 OPS he posted across 140 games at the same level in 2025.

  • Royce Lewis 3B | MIN

    Twins' Royce Lewis: Scratched with right side tightness

    Lewis was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Pirates with tightness in his right side, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

    Lewis suffered the injury while running the bases during pregame warmups. He was scratched "out of abundance of caution," according to the team. Consider Lewis day-to-day for now, but it's yet another injury for the third baseman. Lewis appeared in a career-high 106 regular-season games last season, slashing a disappointing .237/.283/.388 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 36 runs scored, 12 stolen bases and a 25:80 BB:K across 403 plate appearances.

  • Josh Jung 3B | TEX

    Rangers' Josh Jung: Day-to-day with hamstring tightness

    Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Jung is dealing with "a little something" in his hamstring and is day-to-day, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

    Schumaker said Jung would likely be back in the lineup for Friday's Cactus League matchup with the White Sox. With Jung idle Thursday, Ezequiel Duran is making the start at third base. Jung appeared in 131 regular-season games last season and slashed .251/.294/.390 with 14 home runs, 61 RBI, 53 runs scored, four stolen bases and a 27:129 BB:K across 511 trips to the plate.

  • Austin Riley 3B | ATL

    Braves' Austin Riley: Launches first spring homer

    Riley went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Atlanta's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates on Wednesday.

    The third baseman took Jarod Bayless deep in the third inning, taking advantage of Paul Skenes' exit two batters prior. Riley was fully healthy for the first time in a while this offseason, and he's looking to rebound after a couple tough campaigns that saw him hit just 35 homers in 212 regular-season games with a .760 OPS -- a sharp decline for the 28-year-old after he belted 75 long balls with an .869 OPS in 2022-23 while missing only six games in total.

  • Eugenio Suarez 3B | CIN

    Reds' Eugenio Suarez: Belts first spring homer

    Suarez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's spring game against the Royals.

    Suarez's homer immediately followed one hit by Elly De La Cruz in the fifth inning. The two hits were the first in three Cactus League outings for Suarez, who is 2-for-9 thus far. He's served twice at third base and once at DH. In preparation for his upcoming role for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Suarez is expected to get a few more starts at the hot corner over the next week, but he will toggle between DH and first base during the regular season while Ke'Bryan Hayes operates as the everyday third baseman.

  • Jake Burger 3B | TEX

    Rangers' Jake Burger: Swats spring homer

    Burger went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's spring game against the Diamondbacks.

    Burger is coming off a disappointing season in which he made three trips to the injured list for various reasons. He's healthy to start camp and looking to regain the 30-homer stroke he showed off in 2023 and 2024 when playing for the Marlins. The right-handed-hitting Burger will be part of the rotation at first base and designated hitter.

  • Jonathon Long 3B | CHC

    Cubs' Jonathon Long: Swings bat Tuesday

    Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Long (elbow) took some swings Tuesday and feels better, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

    Long suffered a sprained left (non-throwing) elbow on a collision at first base over the weekend, but he's on the mend. The 24-year-old had planned to leave Tuesday for Japan to join Team Chinese Taipei for the World Baseball Classic, but he will delay his departure until Friday. It would appear the Cubs plan to give the go-ahead for Long to play in the WBC.

  • Kazuma Okamoto 3B | TOR

    Blue Jays' Kazuma Okamoto: Belts first spring homer

    Okamoto went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League game against the Mets on Monday.

    The 29-year-old slugger launched a Clay Holmes slow curve to straightaway center field in the second inning for his first long ball of the spring. Okamoto will leave camp soon to join Team Japan for the WBC, but he's making a good first impression this spring for the Jays. He's being counted on to fill a near-everyday role at third base during his first season in MLB.

  • Graham Pauley 3B | MIA

    Marlins' Graham Pauley: Cleared of UCL damage

    An MRI on Pauley's right arm did not show any UCL damage, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.

    It's not clear what the specific diagnosis was, but Pauley appears to have avoided a worst-case scenario. The infielder is able to field grounders but is not yet cleared for throwing or hitting. Pauley told Christina De Nicola of MLB.com on Tuesday that he could play in games as soon as later this week and no later than within two weeks. Pauley has a shot to be ready for Opening Day, but it could be close.

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