MLB Player News

Padlo (illness) won't begin baseball activities for at least another week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Padlo has been sidelined by a "non-baseball illness," though he's now back in Port Charlotte with the rest of the squad. The 23-year-old was added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft but was likely a long shot to break camp with the team. Missing a considerable portion of spring training reduces his chances further.

White, who signed a six-year, $24 million deal Nov. 25, is slated for the starting first-base job this season despite not having played above the Double-A level, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

White has been lauded for his work with both the bat and glove during his three-year minor-league career. His latest success came at Double-A Arkansas last season, when White slashed .293/.350/.488 across 400 plate appearances. The 23-year-old flashed his defensive skills on multiple occasions during Sunday's Cactus League opener against the Rangers as well, and he managed to put on approximately 10 pounds of muscle over the offseason that he hopes to keep on his frame throughout the 2020 campaign.

Kirilloff was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the University of Minnesota, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.comreports.

It's unclear if the absence is injury-related or if the Twins simply changed their plans. Kiriloff is with the team's big-league camp this spring, though he's unlikely to be seriously pushing for a roster spot, as he's yet to reach the Triple-A level.

Cron reported to spring training Saturday and won't face any limitations in camp after requiring surgery on his right thumb in October, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Cron said he only lost about two weeks from his normal offseason program while undergoing rehab from surgery, so he won't be behind any of his fellow position players during spring training. Per Stavenhagen, the Tigers are slated to roll out a lineup of younger, less established players in their spring opener Friday versus Southeastern University, but Cron could make his Tigers debut in Grapefruit League games Saturday or Sunday. The 30-year-old is poised to serve as the Tigers' everyday first baseman in 2020 and should provide a much-needed power boost to a squad that ranked 29th in the majors in home runs a season ago.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Thursday that he plans to use Guerrero as the Blue Jays' cleanup hitter this season, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Heading into spring training, Guerrero appeared likely to slot in as the Blue Jays' No. 3 hitter, but the 20-year-old expressed a desire to drop down a spot in the order. Instead, Toronto plans to use Lourdes Gurriel out of the three hole, as Guerrero told Montoyo he feels he can benefit from observing Gurriel's at-bats beforehand since pitchers tend to attack both hitters the same way. Guerrero's fantasy outlook won't change much whether he bats third or fourth, as he should see plenty of run-producing chances regardless while a pair of high on-base batters in Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio occupy the top two spots in the order.

Mountcastle has been primarily been working out at first base in the Orioles' early full-squad workouts, though manager Brandon Hyde said he plans to expose the 23-year-old to the outfield as well, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Baltimore protected Mountcastle from the Rule 5 draft over the winter in anticipation of him debuting from the big club in 2020, but he'll be hard pressed to crack the Opening Day roster. Instead, Mountcastle's main focus this spring will be increasing his versatility on the defensive end, as his bat is probably already good enough to warrant an opportunity in the majors. Entering the season, Trey Mancini, Renato Nunez and Anthony Santander are seemingly locked into full-time roles at either first base, the corner outfield or designated hitter, so Mountcastle seems most likely to cut into the playing time of Chris Davis once the Orioles deem him big-league ready.

Lowe arrived in Rays camp nearly 20 pounds lighter than his season-ending weight of 245 pounds, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Lowe enjoyed a solid rookie campaign, slashing .263/.325/.454 with seven home runs and 19 RBI across 169 plate appearances over 50 games. However, the 23-year-old felt he could increase his defensive utility and chances of remaining at the big-league level overall with better fitness, so he cut processed foods and sugar out of his diet while also engaging in offseason workouts with the likes of Francisco Lindor and Gio Urshela. Lowe saw time at both corner infield spots last season, and he believes his lighter frame will help sharpen up his range at the hot corner specifically, thereby increasing his chances of sticking on the Opening Day roster.

Voit indicated earlier this month that he's made a full recovery from offseason bilateral core surgery, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. "I have never felt any better in my life. It's everything. I feel faster, more agile and my strength is back," Voit said.

Voit was plagued by core-muscle issues for much of 2019, missing around three weeks with an abdominal strain and requiring another month-long stay on the injured list with a sports hernia. The 29-year-old said that he believes the October procedure will provide a more permanent fix, and he's optimistic that the physical changes he made over the offseason will put him in better position to withstand the rigors of a 162-game season. Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reiterated that Voit looked to be in excellent shape during Monday's camp workout, so the first baseman looks like he'll be a full go during spring training.

Guerrero is expected to begin the season hitting third, following Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

It's a little unusual for a manager to be setting his regular-season batting order this early, but given the nature of the Jays roster it's no surprise that Charlie Montoyo plans to put his trio of talented youngsters right at the top. Hitting third behind two players adept at getting on base in Bichette (.358 OBP in 2019) and Biggio (.364) could allow Guerrero to challenge for 100 RBI in his second MLB season after he drove in 69 in 123 games as a rookie.

Padlo isn't taking part in baseball activities due to an illness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays didn't offer any specifics, stating the 23-year-old is dealing with a "non-baseball-related illness." Padlo was added to the 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, but he'll now be making a late start to spring training.