Newman (illness) will start at shortstop and bat fifth in Monday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.
Newman didn't appear in the Reds' first two Cactus League games over the weekend after he missed a few workouts due to a bout with food poisoning, but the veteran infielder looks like he's good to go heading into the first full week of exhibition play. The 29-year-old is the likely frontrunner for the Opening Day starting nod at shortstop, though he'll have to fend off Jose Barrero for those duties during spring training.
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Reds' Kevin Newman: Away due to food poisoning
Rotowire
Newman is away from Reds camp Tuesday due to food poisoning, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Newman should be fine after a day or two of rest and treatment. The 29-year-old signed a one-year, $2.662 million free-agent contract with Cincinnati in January and will likely open the 2023 season as the club's everyday shortstop.
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Reds' Kevin Newman: Settles with Cincy
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Newman signed a one-year, $2.662 million contract with the Reds on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Newman turned in his best season at the plate since 2019, hitting .274 over 288 at-bats last year. However, walks and extra-base hits were few and far between for the 29-year-old infielder, limiting him to a .688 OPS. He will most likely be used as the Reds' everyday shortstop in 2023, but his offensive production is unlikely to surge.
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Reds' Kevin Newman: Traded to Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Pirates traded Newman to the Reds on Friday in exchange for right-hander Dauri Moreta.
Cincinnati traded Kyle Farmer to the Twins earlier Friday, and Newman will essentially replace Farmer as the top utility player off the Reds' bench. While Newman provides little power, he has good bat-to-ball skills and a little speed. Newman finished with a .288 average (15-for-52) and three steals in his final 15 games last season.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Nine-game hitting streak
Rotowire
Newman went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored Monday against the Reds.
Newman reached base three times to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He's hit .314 with four RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases in that span. Despite hitting well, Newman could lose some playing time across the final week of the season as the Pirates look to keep Rodolfo Castro and Ji-hwan Bae in the lineup.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Piling up steals
Rotowire
Newman went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base Friday against the Cubs.
Newman started at shortstop and hit fifth, with Oneil Cruz serving as the Pirates' designated hitter. Newman is riding a seven-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 8-for-27 with a home run, three RBI, two runs scored and three stolen bases. For the season, he owns a .274/.312/.376 line across 281 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Slugs second homer
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Newman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Cubs.
Newman took Hayden Wesneski deep in the seventh inning to record his second home run of the season. He has started two of three games since returning from an undisclosed issue, and he's slugged a homer and stolen a base in that span. However, the infield has gotten more crowded in Pittsburgh due to the promotion of Ji-hwan Bae, so Newman could lose playing time over the final couple weeks of the season.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Swipes bag in return
Rotowire
Newman went 2-for-5 with a stolen base Tuesday against the Yankees.
Newman made his first start since Sept. 14 after an absence caused by an undisclosed issue. He extended his hitting streak to five games in his return to the lineup and also managed to swipe his seventh base of the season. Though he's maintained a respectable .275 average across 273 plate appearances this season, Newman still has just a .298 wOBA and 90 wRC+.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Returns to action
Rotowire
Newman (undisclosed) is starting at designated hitter and batting sixth Tuesday against the Yankees.
He missed almost a week with an undisclosed issue, but Newman re-enters the fold for a two-game series in New York. The righty-hitting infielder is hitting .207 with zero extra-base hits and one steal in 10 games this month.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Still not starting
Rotowire
Newman (undisclosed) isn't starting Saturday against the Mets.
Newman exited Wednesday's game against the Reds with an apparent injury and will remain out of the lineup for a third consecutive game. Whether he's available off the bench Saturday remains to be seen.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Remains sidelined
Rotowire
Newman (undisclosed) remains on the bench Friday against the Mets.
Newman left Wednesday's game against the Reds with an apparent injury after crashing into the wall while chasing a foul ball. He didn't take part in Thursday's contest and won't be involved from the start Friday, either. He hasn't been an everyday player, so there's no guarantee he's nursing an injury, but his consecutive absences make that likely.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Not starting Thursday
Rotowire
Newman (undisclosed) isn't starting Thursday against the Mets.
Newman exited Wednesday's win over Cincinnati due to an apparent injury, and he'll be out of the lineup a day later. It's not yet clear whether his absence is due to his injury or if he'll be available off the bench, but Rodolfo Castro will start at the keystone and bat third.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Exits with apparent injury
Rotowire
Newman was removed from Wednesday's win over the Reds due to an apparent injury, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Newman went into the stands in an attempt to catch a foul ball in the bottom of the ninth inning and appeared to be shaken up afterward. He was immediately replaced defensively, although the nature and severity of his injury aren't yet clear. The 29-year-old should tentatively be considered day-to-day ahead of Thursday's series opener against the Mets.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Swipes sixth bag
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Newman went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader sweep of the Reds.
After being on the bench for the matinee, Newman got the start at second base and hit fifth in the nightcap, driving in the game's only run with a single in the seventh inning followed by his sixth steal of the year. The 29-year-old infielder has collected a hit in three straight games, and while he isn't playing every day, he still has a tidy .286/.301/.371 slash line over his last 20 contests with a homer, four RBI, 11 runs and Tuesday's steal.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Losing work to Castro, Marcano
Rotowire
Newman is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
Newman looks to be moving into more of a part-time role as the season winds down, as he'll take a seat for the third time in six games despite not having dealt with an injury during that stretch. Tucupita Marcano will fill in at the keystone Sunday, but Rodolfo Castro may end up being the Pirates' primary option at the position once third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes shakes off his shoulder injury.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Out of lineup
Rotowire
Newman will sit Friday against the Blue Jays.
Newman finds himself on the bench for the third time in the last five games. A lack of walks and power has limited him to a modest .707 OPS despite a .281 batting average, though he's hit the ball well over his last five appearances, grabbing eight hits. Rodolfo Castro will be the second baseman Friday.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Catches breather Tuesday
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Newman is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.
Newman tallied two hits in Monday's game, but he will take a seat Tuesday in favor of Rodolfo Castro, who homered twice and racked up five hits over his last three games.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Takes seat Sunday
Rotowire
Newman is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Newman will get a breather after batting .291 with a home run and 10 additional runs while starting in each of the Pirates' last 14 contests. Tucupita Marcano will fill in at the keystone for Newman in the series finale in Philadelphia.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Tallies first homer
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Newman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against Atlanta.
Newman took Kirby Yates yard in the ninth inning to record his first homer of the season. Despite the lack of power, Newman has recorded five multi-hit performances in his last 14 starts -- good for a .291 average. For the season, Newman is hitting .267 with 23 runs scored and five stolen bases across 52 games.
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Pirates' Kevin Newman: Another big game
Rotowire
Newman went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored Friday against the Reds.
Newman extended his hitting streak to five games, three of which have been multi-hit efforts. He's hitting .500 in the span while also tallying nine runs scored. Newman is locked into a spot toward the top of the Pirates lineup and is currently maintaining a .281/.323/.378 line across 198 plate appearances for the season.
