MLB Player News

Castro is in competition to start at second base along with Ji Hwan Bae and Tucupita Marcano, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Castro had an inconsistent season with the Pirates in 2022 -- he spent a large portion of the season in the minors -- but he posted a .788 OPS with 10 home runs across 200 plate appearances in the second half of the campaign. Through four games in spring training, Castro hasn't helped his cause by collecting only one hit and striking out five times in 13 plate appearances.

Groshans has been getting regular work at first base during Grapefruit League games to begin spring training, improving his odds of breaking camp on the 26-man roster, Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald reports.

The Marlins don't have an established backup to Garrett Cooper at first base, so if Groshans shows he can handle the position, he could work his way into a bench role to begin the season. The 23-year-old's prospect status has dimmed the last couple of years as his projected power has never materialized, but after being acquired from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline last year, he batted a solid .262 through his first 17 big-league games. Groshans came up through Toronto's system as a shortstop, and he could wind up filling a multi-position utility role in Miami.

Madrigal likely won't have an everyday role in 2023, though he could hit leadoff when he does play, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Madrigal's path to an everyday role has become clouded with Dansby Swanson now in the fold and Nico Hoerner still around, though Madrigal should still rotate in at several positions. Chicago manager David Ross may choose to use Madrigal in the leadoff role from time to time, which would boost his fantasy value when he does find his way onto the lineup card.

McMahon is expected to move to second base for the Rockies in the wake of the Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) injury, general manager Bill Schmidt told Joel Sherman of the New York Post on Friday.

There's no official word yet on whether Rodgers will need season-ending surgery to repair his left shoulder, but things appear to be trending in that direction. As a result, McMahon will shift to second base, a position at which he has plenty of experience. Regaining eligibility at another relatively weak fantasy position is a boon to his value. Schmidt added that the team would look at Nolan Jones and Elehuris Montero at third base with McMahon on the move. Kris Bryant is expected to still see the bulk of his time in the outfield.

Walls (oblique) resumed light baseball activities Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls has been dealing with a strained oblique since the start of camp but is "progressing well," Rays manager Kevin Cash said Thursday. It sounds like he probably has a ways to go before being cleared for game action, though.

Senzel (toe) will do some hitting in a simulated game Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

It's a big step for Senzel as he attempts to distance himself from offseason toe surgery. The hope is that the outfielder will be ready to play in Cactus League games by mid-March. It would be a tight window to get ready for Opening Day, but that remains the goal.

McMahon is starting at second base and batting fifth for the Rockies on Friday in their Cactus League game versus the Giants, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

It's possible McMahon will move over to second base full time in 2023 with Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) potentially out for the season. The Rockies don't seem set on a plan yet though, or perhaps they're just waiting for official word on Rodgers before revealing anything. If McMahon does slide over to the keystone, Elehuris Montero and Nolan Jones could get a look at third base, with Kris Bryant moving back to the dirt also a possibility. If McMahon stays at third, Alan Trejo and Harold Castro would represent options at second.

Miranda could be limited to first base and designated hitter at the start of the season if his right shoulder soreness hasn't totally subsided by then, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Miranda is slated to handle the hot corner in 2023 after spending most of 2022 at first base, but it's possible those plans could be put on hold for a bit. It would make sense for the Twins to exercise caution here, especially if Alex Kirilloff (wrist) isn't quite ready to play first base. Miranda has played three games this spring, all out of the DH spot. If he's not able to play third base initially, it could open up starts at the hot corner for Donovan Solano, Kyle Farmer, Nick Gordon (ankle) and Willi Castro. If Miranda's shoulder is still an issue later in the summer, Royce Lewis (knee) could factor into the third base mix as well.

Bregman (finger) is in the lineup for Friday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The third baseman is ready to make his spring debut after fracturing his left index finger during the World Series last fall. He will bat cleanup behind Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Kyle Tucker. With Opening Day still about a month out, Bregman has plenty of time to prepare for the start of the season.

Nevin is 4-for-10 with a pair of home runs through four Grapefruit League games.

Nevin is competing for playing time at the corner infield spots in Detroit, and he's making a good impression early in camp. The 25-year-old struggled last year with the Orioles, registering a .197/.299/.261 slash line across 58 games. He'll likely begin the year backing up Spencer Torkelson at first and possibly Nick Maton at third, so Nevin probably won't have a ton of fantasy appeal, though he could earn a larger role if he keeps hitting.