MLB Player News

Blandino (knee) was placed on the 10-day IL.

He had surgery to reconstruct a torn ACL and MCL in July of 2018, and is still working his way back. If he beats Scooter Gennett (groin) back, Blandino could get time at the keystone, but he could also be optioned to Triple-A.

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.

General manager Brodie Van Wagenen confirmed Wednesday that Smith would be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Smith played his way onto the active roster with a stellar spring (.831 OPS in 61 plate appearances), but top prospect Pete Alonso (1.006 OPS in 75 plate appearances) was even better. The Mets confirmed Wednesday that Alonso would also stick around with the big club, and the organization probably wouldn't have made that decision if they didn't intend for the 24-year-old to play on everyday basis. Unless Alonso flops in his first taste of the big leagues, Smith will likely head to Triple-A Syracuse once the team gets Jed Lowrie (knee) or Todd Frazier (oblique) back from the injured list.

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.

Alonso will break camp on the Mets' 25-man roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Indications had pointed toward Alonso making the team for much of spring, and that's finally been confirmed. The 24-year-old will make his big-league debut following a strong spring in which he hit .352/.387/.620 with four homers.

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.

Alonso got the start at first base and hit second in Monday's exhibition game against the Orioles, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

The Mets have yet to announce their plans for Alonso -- it's possible they're trying to follow the current trend across MLB and sign him to a long-term deal before putting him on the Opening Day roster -- but if this lineup was a preview of his assignment in the regular season, it's an intriguing spot in the batting order for a player who posted a .395 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018 along with his 36 homers. Wherever he hits, Alonso has the upside to make a fantasy impact.

Smith got the start at DH in Monday's exhibition game against the Orioles, going 1-for-5 with a three-run home run.

The ninth-inning blast off Pedro Araujo won the game for the Mets. Smith closes the books on a solid spring that saw him slash .321/.367/.464 with two homers, but assuming Pete Alonso breaks camp on the 25-man roster, Smith will likely be relegated to a bench role unless the rookie really struggles.