MLB Player News

Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that Kieboom is dealing with shoulder discomfort and the club will slow him down and manage his return to the field, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Martinez says that Kieboom's shoulder doesn't bother him when he's hitting, but he's feeling sore after throwing. The former top prospect missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and was already being eased into action. It seems very likely that Kieboom opens the year on the injured list.

Maton went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays and is now batting just .182 this spring.

It's a small sample size of just 11 at-bats, so Maton has time to get going before the regular season begins. The 26-year-old came to the Tigers as part of the Gregory Soto trade in the offseason and is competing for regular playing time, possibly at third base. Tyler Nevin is also in the mix at the hot corner, and the two could alternate starts, at least until one of them emerges as a preferred option. Maton also has the versatility to play at shortstop and second base as well as in the outfield, so he could be a utility player for the Tigers as well.

Moustakas (calf) agreed Sunday to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Moustakas was released by the Reds shortly after being designated for assignment in January. The infielder has dealt with injuries the last few years, including a calf injury that caused him to miss the final six weeks of the 2022 campaign. He wasn't particularly effective when healthy last season as seen in a .214/.295/.345 slash line in 78 appearances. Moustakas will get a chance to win a spot on Colorado's bench to open the 2023 campaign, and a potentially season-ending injury to Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) might even give him a path to semi-regular playing time at third base.

Miranda (shoulder) is in the lineup as the designated hitter and hitting second in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

Miranda has been dealing with a sore shoulder that has kept him out of the lineup for the past few days. The infielder is expected to be ready for Opening Day, but he may be limited to first base and designated hitter in the early part of the campaign.

Mead went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

The two homers accounted for Mead's first hits of spring training through 10 at-bats. He's also struck out four times in that span, as he looks to impress the Rays enough to earn a chance to make his big-league debut at some point in 2023. Despite the slow start to the exhibition season, Mead had an impressive 2022 campaign by posting a 146 wRC+ across 246 plate appearances with Double-A Montgomery before being promoted to Triple-A Durham to close the campaign.

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.