Newman (knee) was spotted fielding grounders at shortstop Monday during the Pirates' first workout for position players, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Newman's presence on the field to begin spring training suggests that he's made a full recovery from the left knee contusion that sidelined him late in the 2020 campaign. Before the injury surfaced, Newman was in the midst of a brutal season, with his .557 OPS over 172 plate appearances representing a 242-point drop from 2019. After being locked in as a full-time player heading into last season, Newman will likely now have to battle Erik Gonzalez and Cole Tucker for a starting job at shortstop this spring.