Pirates' Kevin Newman: Slow start at plate

Newman went 1-for-5 with a run in Sunday's 7-1 win against the Cubs.Since going 2-for-5 on Opening Day, Newman has collected only four hits in 27 at-bats. He's totaled one extra-base hit (a double) and no stolen base attempts. The team has batted him in various spots of the lineup without success. As a result, he could lose some playing time to Erik Gonzalez at shortstop until he regains his batting stroke.

Pirates' Kevin Newman: Distancing himself in competition

Newman went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs in Monday's loss to the Orioles.He's batting a healthy .700 in 20 spring at-bats. Perhaps more importantly, he's running the bases well and playing solid defense, showing that he's healthy entering the season. Barring an injury during the final week of Grapefruit League, Newman is likely to begin 2021 as the team's starting shortstop, ahead of Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker. Fantasy owners might recall that the 27-year-old stole 16 bases in 2019 and could prove to be a sneaky source of steals in 2021.

Pirates' Kevin Newman: Sizzling start to spring

Newman is 9-for-14 with a 4:0 BB:K in Grapefruit League action.Since returning from a hamstring injury two games ago, he has three hits in six at-bats. Newman struggled mightily in 2020 with a .224 batting average in 156 at-bats, but he posted a .308 mark in 493 at-bats in his rookie campaign. While he doesn't feature the glove that his competitors for the shortstop job have, like Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker, his bat plays much better. He played nearly as much second base (20 games) as shortstop (23) last summer, so he could slide over to the right side of the infield, especially if the team eventually trades starting second baseman Adam Frazier.