MLB Player News
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Matt McLain SS | CIN
Reds' Matt McLain: Back in action Tuesday
McLain (illness) is starting at second base and batting second in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Brewers, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
McLain was unavailable for Monday's exhibition game due to an illness, but he's good to go after taking a day to recover. The second baseman will begin the season batting second for the Reds after posting a .220/.300/.343 slash line with 15 homers and 18 steals in 147 regular-season games last year.
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Nasim Nunez SS | WAS
Nationals' Nasim Nunez: Likely to start at second base
Nunez appears to be in line to be the Nationals' regular second baseman this season, Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie of MLB.com report.
Luis Garcia is expected to shirt to first base, opening up the keystone for Nunez. The 25-year-old should provide a defensive upgrade over Garcia, but it remains to be seen how much offense Nunez can supply, as he comes into 2026 with a career .238/.329/.343 slash line in 170 big-league plate appearances. Nunez could make an impact on the basepaths, however, having gone 17-for-20 on steal attempts so far in his career before being successful in all seven of his SB attempts this spring.
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Thomas Saggese SS | STL
Cardinals' Thomas Saggese: In mix for starts in left field
Saggese is in the mix to start games in left field for the Cardinals while Lars Nootbaar (heels) is shelved, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
An infielder by trade, Saggese learned the outfield on the fly this spring and missed out on some development time while on Team Italy's roster for the World Baseball Classic. However, he showed enough aptitude defensively in the outfield -- and also posted a .907 OPS this spring -- to convince the Cardinals to carry him on the Opening Day roster. Nathan Church and Jose Fermin will also see action in left field, and Fermin and Saggese are options to play several other positions, as well. Nootbaar is being evaluated for potential placement on the 60-day injured list, so the trio of competitors could have ample time to make a good impression.
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Jordan Lawlar SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Jordan Lawlar: Batting ninth
Lawlar started in left field and batted ninth in Monday's spring game against Cleveland. He went 0-for-1 with a walk.
Hitting at the bottom of the order appears to be Lawlar's landing spot, whether he's in left or center field. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo plans for Lawlar and Alek Thomas to toggle between the two positions until Lourdes Gurriel (knee) returns. Lawlar reached base at a .446 clip this spring after posting a .364 OBP last September, which bodes well for his projected deployment out of the No. 9 spot ahead of Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo.
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Matt McLain SS | CIN
Reds' Matt McLain: Overcoming illness
McLain will not play in Monday's exhibition game versus the Brewers due to illness, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
McLain caught a flu bug that made its way around the Reds' clubhouse, but the team anticipates the second baseman playing in Tuesday's exhibition finale. The 26-year-old is slated to open the 2026 campaign as the Reds' two-hole hitter.
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C.J. Abrams SS | WAS
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Heating up late in camp
Abrams went 1-for-4 in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.
The 25-year-old shortstop is batting a tepid .244 (10-for-41) this spring with zero homers and just one steal in two attempts, but Abrams appears to be finding a groove as the Grapefruit League schedule wraps up. He's hit safely in five straight games, going 6-for-15 (.400) with a double, a triple and a 1:2 BB:K during that stretch. This could be a critical campaign for Abrams, who has yet to fully capitalize on his athletic tools despite averaging 19 homers and 36.3 steals over the last three seasons.
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David Hamilton SS | MIL
Brewers' David Hamilton: Candidate for starts at third base
Hamilton is a "leading candidate" to share playing time at third base with Luis Rengifo, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Rengifo is widely expected to serve as the Brewers' primary third baseman, though McCalvy notes that it's possible the left-handed-hitting Hamilton draws the start at the hot corner Opening Day against righty Shane Smith of the White Sox. Hamilton has slashed just .222/.283/.359 in the majors but has had a great spring, hitting .298/.365/.468 with one home run, five stolen bases and a 5:8 BB:K. The 28-year-old is most known for his speed, and he is likely to be an asset in the stolen-base department if the at-bats are there.
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Jacob Amaya SS | ARI
Diamondbacks' Jacob Amaya: Reassigned to minor-league camp
Amaya was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.
Amaya put together a productive spring training after joining Arizona as a non-roster invitee. The infielder batted .341 with two home runs, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored and three stolen bases over 44 at-bats in 17 contests. Amaya will likely begin the 2026 campaign with Triple-A Reno, and he certainly did enough during the spring to potentially warrant an elevation to the major-league roster down the road this season.
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Ryan Ritter SS | COL
Rockies' Ryan Ritter: Claims roster spot
Manager Warren Schaeffer said Sunday that Ritter has secured a spot on the Rockies' Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
Ritter is expected to fill a utility role for the Rockies after slashing .333/.404/.529 with two home runs and three stolen bases over 57 plate appearances in the Cactus League while seeing playing time at three infield spots as well as in left field. He should be in line for regular playing time versus left-handed pitching and could earn more opportunities against righties early on if Tyler Freeman (back) requires a stint on the injured list.