MLB Player News

Padlo is projected to be part of the 60-man player pool that will report to the Rays' summer camp, reports.

The 23-year-old had been optioned to Triple-A Durham back on March 10, although he could have been primed for some big-league action in 2020 under any circumstance after slashing .290/.400/.595 across 155 plate appearances with the Bulls last season. Padlo has also been with the Rays for each of the last three years in spring training, but he has just a home run and two RBI over 20 at-bats during that stretch.

Dalbec is expected to be named to Boston's 60-man roster pool, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Dalbec made his Triple-A debut last season, where he hit .257/.301/.478 with seven home runs and 16 RBI over 30 games. It's unlikely that he'd get significant playing time in the majors in 2020, but he could make his big league debut at some point in the shortened season. The 24-year-old went 5-for-22 with one home run, five RBI and five runs during spring training this year.

Bohm may not open the season on the big-league roster but should see some time at designated hitter this season, Todd Zolecki reports.

How exactly teams use prospects like Bohm, who ideally would have gotten a bit more minor-league seasoning before making their MLB debuts, will be one of the storylines to watch in the strange upcoming season. Bohm is undoubtedly part of the Phillies' future and is probably at least serviceable at the big-league level already, though he's yet to reach Triple-A and has played just 63 Double-A games. With no minor-league games for him to develop in and a heightened sense of urgency to win now in a 60-game season, though, he'll likely be asked to fill a role at the highest level quite early. Jay Bruce is the Phillies' most natural designated hitter candidate against righties, but Bohm could get at-bats against lefties fairly early on.

Manager Derek Shelton said that he expects Bell to rotate with Gregory Polanco and Colin Moran as the team's designated hitter, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Whether he plays first base or serves as the DH, Bell will be in the lineup nearly every day. "Instead of maybe rest someone that we were going to play in our regular lineup that day, they'll have the ability to get four or five ABs, and I think that's extremely important for us," Shelton said. "We won't go with one person there." While he ranked last in 2019 among qualified first basemen in defensive WAR (-17.5), the 27-year-old figures to retain positional flexibility at first heading into 2021, given Shelton's comments.

Cooper could wind up as the Marlins' primary designated hitter this season, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

With Jesus Aguilar getting first crack at the starting first base job and Miami carrying a lot of outfield depth, Cooper's path to playing time this season originally appeared somewhat precarious, but he might be the most comfortable fit at DH while players with better gloves, such as Lewis Brinson, patrol right field. Cooper slashed a solid .281/.344/.446 in 421 plate appearances last year, but he'll need to avoid the injuries that sidelined him at times in 2019 to take full advantage of his opportunities.

White, who has remained in Arizona while play has been suspended, should be one of the players that resumes working out at the Mariners' spring training facility next week, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Mariners will be allowed to reopen their facility in Peoria beginning early next week, and small group workouts will be permitted. Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports White has been one of several players that has been able to regularly work out and hit at a facility near Seattle's spring complex, but it appears he'll now have a chance to resume his training with full access to all necessary equipment and accessories.

Naylor is the "most obvious DH candidate" if a universal designated hitter is instituted for the 2020 season, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Under MLB's current proposal, teams in both leagues would use a designated hitter during an abbreviated 2020 season. Naylor makes sense to fill the role regularly for San Diego given his raw power and subpar defense. Still, Lin notes that the Padres could cycle through a number of players to DH in order to preserve energy and health, so Naylor is far from guaranteed an everyday role.

Clemens could start at High-A Lakeland but spend the majority of the year at Double-A Erie when and if play is able to resume, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Clemens looked good in big-league camp and hit .333 in Grapefruit League action, so he's a player to watch this year. Of course, it remains to be seen when play will resume and what the minor-league schedule will look like this season. The 23-year-old finished his 2019 campaign by playing in 13 games for the SeaWolves and was expected to spend significant time with the Double-A squad in 2020.

Dixon could earn a reserve role if MLB rosters are expanded for the 2020 campaign, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Dixon cleared waivers in January and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo, which seemed to be his likely starting location in 2020. However, MLB rosters could expand when the regular season is able to begin, and Dixon could end up as a backup option at first, third and both corner outfield spots. The 28-year-old slashed .248/.290/.435 and led the Tigers with 15 home runs in 2019.

Guerrero has been able to hit at a batting cage near his home in the Dominican Republic to try and stay sharp while MLB is on pause, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Based on pics posted to his Instagram feed, Guerrero has not only been hitting but has been able to stay in good shape, something that was a concern after his weight and general fitness level came into question toward the end of his rookie campaign. Expect the young slugger to be ready to go once training camps open up again, and the potential for a breakout 2020 from the second-generation player remains high.