MLB Player News

Guerrero (oblique) is expected to play in games at extended spring training this weekend, and Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro said Thursday the prospect is on an "accelerated time frame," Tom Ruminski of thescore.ca reports.

"We just need to get him healthy first and need to address the other things that we mentioned at the outset of spring training, perhaps the things that led to that injury. You know, ensuring that his routines are major-league caliber and ensuring that he has the proper foundation under him when he comes up here," Shapiro said. "We've said all along, he's on an expedited time frame ... we are not holding him back, we're speeding him up." That still doesn't answer the question of exactly when Guerrero will make his MLB debut, but it's looking more and more like the spring oblique injury won't change his original timetable for promotion all that much.

Voit went 1-for-1 with a home run, four RBI and two walks in Thursday's season opener against Baltimore.

Voit got off to a strong start by launching a three-run blast in the first inning. He plated his fourth run of the day the easy way, by being struck by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth. Voit batted cleanup for the Yankees on Opening Day, and although skipper Aaron Boone has yet to confirm that Voit will remain in this slot going forward, his early success certainly won't hurt his chances of sticking in the No. 4 spot.

O'Hearn is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox.

Frank Schwindel's contract was selected and he will get the Opening Day start at first base, batting fifth. A lefty (Carlos Rodon) is on the mound for the White Sox, and this may prove to simply be a platoon situation at first base in Kansas City. It's also possible Schwindel emerges as the primary option after slashing .286/.336/.506 with 24 homers at Triple-A Omaha last year. O'Hearn batted .320/.414/.440 during spring training, so it's hard to imagine he'll be phased out completely.

Tellez was listed on the Blue Jays' official 25-man roster for Opening Day, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo earlier in the week, but following the trade of Kendrys Morales to Oakland, the Jays have decided to bring Tellez back to the majors to begin the season. At-bats could be tough to come by in the early going with Justin Smoak entrenched at first base and Teoscar Hernandez the favorite for DH duties, but if Tellez takes advantage of his opportunities, he could stick around even after Vlad Guerrero Jr. (oblique) needs a roster spot. Tellez hit a pedestrian .270/.340/.425 with 13 homers in 112 games at Triple-A last year before raking in September with the Jays, slashing .314/.329/.614 with four home runs in 73 plate appearances.

Voit will serve as the Yankees' designated hitter and bat out of the cleanup spot Thursday against the Orioles.

Manager Aaron Boone announced a day earlier that Voit would handle DH duties in the opener while Greg Bird would man first base, but the two players could move between the two spots liberally in the early weeks of the season while Aaron Hicks (back) is on the injured list. The more notable development is that Voit is being deployed as the No. 4 hitter, a favorable arrangement in any lineup but especially so with superstars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hitting directly in front of him. If Boone sticks with this lineup configuration on a permanent basis, Voit could be in store for a huge RBI total in 2019.

Tellez has a clearer path to big-league playing time after Kendrys Morales was traded to the A's, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Tellez is still expected to open the season in the minors, while Anthony Alford is set to break camp with the big club in place of Morales. That said, the 24-year-old could make his way to the majors sooner than expected following Morales' departure, especially if Teoscar Hernandez or Billy McKinney struggle at all. Tellez impressed through 20 appearances this spring, hitting .280/.308/.600 with five homers and 11 RBI.

Guerrero (oblique) will continue rehabbing in Florida for another week or so before the Blue Jays determine the next step in his recovery, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Guerrero is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery from an oblique strain; if everything checks out OK next week, the third baseman could be ready to go for the start of the Triple-A season. The expectation is that the youngster will be promoted to the Blue Jays once he has his timing down and the team secures an extra year of control.

Voit will serve as the Yankees' designated hitter in Thursday's season opener against the Orioles, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

With Aaron Hicks (back) beginning the season on the injured list, Voit and Greg Bird were already assured starting roles at either first base or DH. The Yankees have likely chosen to deploy Bird at first base initially for defensive reasons, but how both Voit and Bird perform at the plate will ultimately carry more weight regarding which of the two emerges as the primary option at the position once the team is at full strength. Manager Aaron Boone hasn't revealed the batting order for the opener, but if the Yankees' Grapefruit League lineups are any indication, Voit could slot in as the team's cleanup hitter.

The Athletics officially placed Olson (hand) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The transaction was merely a formality after Olson required surgery last week to repair the broken hamate bone in his right hand, which he suffered when he was hit by a pitch in Oakland's second game of the regular season. The Athletics have yet to offer a concrete timeline for Olson's return, but the expectation is that he'll be sidelined for at least a month or two. Kendrys Morales and Mark Canha are expected to split time at first base while Olson is out.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Wednesday that Guerrero is ahead of schedule in his recovery from an oblique strain, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Guerrero has gotten back to hitting in a batting cage but isn't yet ready to take the field. When he gets back to game action, he'll head straight to Triple-A Buffalo rather than beginning a rehab assignment at a lower level. That likely indicates the Blue Jays don't want Guerrero to spend much time in the minors before handing him a long-awaited promotion.