Angels' Kevin Newman: Nabs one-year deal with Halos
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The Angels signed Newman to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with a $2.5 million club option for 2026 on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The veteran infielder could be the current favorite to open next season at shortstop for the Angels if Zach Neto (shoulder) isn't ready. Newman slashed .278/.311/.375 with three homers and eight steals in 111 games for the Diamondbacks in 2024 and graded out as a plus-four in Outs Above Average at shortstop.
The Angels are nearing a contract agreement with Newman, Will Sammon and Sam Blum of The Athletic report.
It's not clear whether it's a major-league or minor-league contract. Newman, 31, spent the 2024 season with the Diamondbacks, slashing .278/.311/.375 with three homers and eight steals in 111 games. With Zach Neto (shoulder) looking iffy for Opening Day, Newman would provide the Angels with some protection at shortstop.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Logs multi-hit game Saturday
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Newman started at second base and went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 11-5 loss to the Astros.
With Ketel Marte being brought back slowly from an ankle injury -- he was the DH for a second straight game -- Newman got the start at second base against a left-hander. His solo blast in the fourth inning, when Arizona was still in the game, was his third homer of the season and first since April 26. Newman's in the middle of a nice run, going 8-for-18 with a home run and five RBI over his last six games and notching multiple hits in four of them.
Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Losing work to Guillorme
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Newman is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox.
Newman finds himself on the bench for the fourth game in a row, with all of those absences coming against right-handed pitching. He looks set to occupy the short side of a platoon at second base with Luis Guillorme while Ketel Marte (ankle) is on the injured list.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Heading to bench Wednesday
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Newman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
Newman will hit the bench for the series finale after he had occupied the keystone for each of the Diamondbacks' last four contests while going 3-for-15 at the plate. With Ketel Marte (ankle) on the shelf, the Diamondbacks will have a regular spot at second base open for the foreseeable future, but it's unclear if manager Torey Lovullo has settled on Newman as the primary option. The Diamondbacks signed Luis Guillorme on Tuesday, and he'll check into the lineup at second base a day later for what will be his team debut. Guillorme bats from the left side, so the Diamondbacks could have him fill the strong side of a platoon with the right-handed-hitting Newman.
Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Fills in second base again
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Newman started at second base and went 0-for-3 in Monday's 9-6 win over Miami.
Newman filled in at second base for the injured Ketel Marte (ankle), who was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday. Newman, who had seen a spike in playing time while Marte was day-to-day for the previous 10 days, should be the primary second baseman while Marte is unavailable.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Still has role
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Newman started at second base and went 1-for-5 with a run scored in Sunday's 8-7 extra-innings loss to the Rays.
Newman remained at second base in place of Ketel Marte, who was held out of the starting lineup then aggravated an ankle injury during a pinch hitting appearance. Marte had returned to the lineup as the DH for Saturday's contest with the intent to bring him back slowly. If the Diamondbacks choose to place Marte on the 10-day injured list, Newman would be part of the crew that helps fill the void at second base. Blaze Alexander is also an option.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Playing time spike coming to end
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Newman started at second base and went 2-for-4 in Saturday's 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
Newman has seen a spike in playing time over the past week while covering for injured second baseman Ketel Marte, who returned from an ankle injury Saturday as the designated hitter. Marte is expected to be brought back slowly, and Newman's presence in starting lineups could come to an end Sunday or shortly thereafter.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Back on bench Monday
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Newman is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies.
Newman had started in four of the past five games, but he benefited from the Diamondbacks facing two left-handed starters during that stretch and from Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo resting once apiece in the other two matchups versus right-handed starters. Even after getting on base four times in Sunday's 12-5 win over the Phillies, Newman's playing time is likely to remain sporadic moving forward.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Three hits Sunday
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Newman went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored in Sunday's win over the Phillies.
Newman stuffed the stat sheet Sunday with his fifth game this season of at least three hits. He also swiped his second bag in as many days and has four steals in eight starts since July 30. Newman has just four hits so far in August including Sunday's three-hit performance but continues to play a valuable role as a guy who's able to fill in at so many spots around the diamond. The 30-year-old is now slashing .275/.310/.382 with two homers, 23 RBI, 33 runs, seven steals and a 13:37 BB:K in 253 plate appearances.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Swipes bag Tuesday
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Newman went 2-for-5 with a steal and two runs scored in Tuesday's win over the Nationals.
Newman logged his second straight two-hit game and swiped his fourth bag of the year and his first since June 13. He got the start at first base, but his path to extra playing time may have been closed off by the Diamondbacks' acquisition of Josh Bell from the Marlins on Tuesday to fill the void left by Christian Walker's oblique injury. Newman will continue to play a utility role off the bench for the most part, and he is now slashing .277/.307/.385 with two homers, 22 RBI, 31 runs and a 10:32 BB:K in 229 plate appearances.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Fills in at first base
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Newman entered Monday's game after Christian Walker (oblique) was removed following the third inning and went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in a 9-8 win over Washington.
Walker is set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, which could lead to steadier playing time for Newman. The utility infielder was a common feature in Arizona's lineup earlier in the season, but his playing time dried up when Geraldo Perdomo came off the injured list in June. If Walker's injury requires significant downtime, the Diamondbacks could make a move to add a player with more familiarity at first base than Newman, who has 10 games of experience at the position during his MLB career.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Starts at 2B
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Newman started at second base and went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 7-5 extra-inning win over San Diego.
Newman, who replaced Ketel Marte (back) at second base during Friday's game, got the start Saturday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Marte had dealt with occasional stiffness for several days leading up to Friday's removal. The injury is not believed to be serious, per MLB.com. Newman will likely fill in at second for as long as Marte is sidelined.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Fills in at 2B
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Newman replaced Ketel Marte (back) at second base after Marte was removed in the eighth inning from Friday's 10-8 loss to San Diego.
Newman entered as a pinch hitter earlier and stayed in the game at DH before taking over for Marte, who has been nursing a sore back. Marte told manager Torey Lovullo that he was unable to hit, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Marte is day-to-day, which means Newman will be at the ready to take over at second base for as long as needed.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Contributes to win
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Newman started at shortstop and went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Thursday's 11-1 over the Angels.
Newman delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning, then after stealing his third bag of the season, trotted home on Joc Pederson's grand slam. Newman made his first start in three games; he had been the primary shortstop until Geraldo Perdomo was activated off the IL on Tuesday. Newman will work in a utility role and could see action all around the infield, although he's only appeared at shortstop and second base so far in 2024.
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Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman: Moving into reserve role
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Newman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.
He'll sit for the second day in a row and looks set to see a steep reduction in playing time moving forward after the Diamondbacks brought back top shortstop Geraldo Perdomo from the injured list Tuesday. Newman joined the Diamondbacks in the second week of the season following Perdomo's placement on the IL and hit .266 with two home runs and two stolen bases over 49 games.
