MLB Player News

With Noelvi Marte serving an 80-game suspension to begin the season, Candelario will be the primary third baseman for the first three months of the season, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Reds manager David Bell repeatedly has stressed that Candelario will play a lot, but this just solidifies what position he'll play, instead of Candelario playing multiple positions to get his time. Jonathan India, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are all also capable of playing third in a pinch.

Jung underwent an MRI on Friday that showed improvement in his left calf, but not enough to ramp up his running program, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

While his recovery has been trending in a mostly positive direction, Jung will not be upgraded to full activities anytime soon. He will be working within a tight window to make Opening Day. Jung slashed .266/.315/.467 for 23 home runs and 70 RBI over 515 plate appearances in 2023.

Wisdom (quadriceps) is in the Cubs' lineup for Saturday's spring training game against the Rockies.

Wisdom has been held out since Feb. 27 due to tightness in his right quad, but he felt good after participating in a sim game Tuesday and has been given the green light to return to the Cactus League. Wisdom was just 1-for-8 across three games before getting injured, and he figures to operate as a reserve player for the Cubs heading into the regular season.

Manager Ron Washington said he expects Rendon (groin) to return to the Angels' lineup Sunday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Groin discomfort has prevented Rendon from playing in Cactus League games since Sunday, but it appears his absence won't extend longer than a week. Rendon has logged two hits in 10 at-bats so far this spring while drawing four walks and scoring twice. He posted a .679 OPS last season -- the lowest mark of his 11-year career -- and he hasn't eclipsed 250 plate appearances in a season since joining the Angels in 2020.

Peraza was diagnosed with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder Saturday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Peraza has been in and out of spring training lineups due to problems with his right shoulder, and his latest round of imaging revealed a strain that will keep him shut down for 6-to-8 weeks. The 23-year-old infielder will almost certainly begin the year on the injured list, opening the door for someone like Jahmai Jones to potentially make the Yankees' Opening Day roster as a utility man.

Marte was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball on Friday for violating the joint drug prevention and treatment program, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Marte tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Boldenone and now will be ineligible to play until well into June. The 22-year-old had been the favorite to be the Reds' Opening Day third baseman after slashing .316/.366/.456 in 35 contests for Cincinnati in 2023. Jeimer Candelario now figures to see most of his playing time at third base, while Christian Encarnacion-Strand should settle into more at-bats at first base. The Reds could also opt to use Spencer Steer more often on the infield.

Peraza will undergo additional testing on his right shoulder Friday, including dye-injected imaging, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

Peraza returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing time with the shoulder issue, but renewed soreness resulted in a round of medical imaging. The 23-year-old is now going back for additional testing to help determine the specifics of the issue. There should be more clarity on Peraza's status once all the results come back.

Jung (calf) will undergo an MRI on Friday and hopes to be cleared to resume running soon, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

The third baseman is three weeks removed from a left calf strain. Jung has already been performing all other baseball activities other than running, and if his calf shows sufficient healing, he can progress to full activities. If that happens, a return to game action should be just around the corner, potentially giving him enough time to be ready for Opening Day.

Busch went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Reds.

Busch took Cincinnati fireballer Hunter Greene deep for his first home run of the spring. The 26-year-old projects to be Chicago's primary option at first base heading into the regular season. Busch has some upside and looked great in the minors last year, though he's yet to get extended run in the majors, so there may be some growing pains as he settles in with the Cubs.

The Angels reassigned Dozier to minor-league camp Thursday.

Dozier signed a minor-league deal with the Angels in January after logging a .558 OPS across 91 plate appearances in his final season with the Royals. He looked better this spring, going 4-for-19 with a home run and three RBI, but the Angels will keep him in the minors until he proves he can maintain consistent success at the plate. Dozier will likely begin the season at Triple-A Salt Lake.