MLB Player News

Espinal and fellow Blue Jays minor leaguer Forrest Wall have been staying in Florida with Bo Bichette during the shutdown, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

Bichette's father, four-time All-Star Dante Bichette, has a gym and batting cages near his home, giving Espinal all the facilities he needs to stay in shape. The 25-year-old had already been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo when spring training was put on pause, but his impressive Grapefruit League showing (.417/.462/1.000 and seven extra-base hits in 26 plate appearances) and strong defense mark him as the most likely internal replacement at shortstop should anything sideline Bichette during the regular season, and Espinal could still find a spot on an expanded big-league roster.

Lowe is getting regular batting practice in at home while spring training remains suspended with the help of his wife Madison, a former college softball player, Karen Loftus of WFLA-TV reports. "I thank God every day to have someone that understands everything that I'm going through on a daily basis and to have someone that I can confide in and stuff like that," Lowe said. "She can actually have a good conversation about what she sees when she's in the stance or I can come up to her and say can you give me some front toss or can we go outside and throw?"

Madison Lowe was a pitcher at Maryland, where Brandon played college baseball. In addition to getting in his swings, the versatile 25-year-old is working out in a personal garage gym that he recently showed off via his personal Twitter account. Lowe, who hit an impressive .350 (7-for-20) before Grapefruit League play was suspended, is expected to primarily handle second-base duties whenever the regular season does get underway.

Torres assessed his performance in Grapefruit League play as "not really good," Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com reports.

Torres had a mildly disappointing spring at the plate -- he hit .200/.241/.360 with a home run and six RBI in 29 plate appearances -- but defense was his primary struggle as he committed five errors in 23 total chances. Per Caldera, Torres has kept in touch with ex-teammate Didi Gregorious, taking tips from the team's starting shortstop last season in an attempt to solidify his own mechanics on the field. Torres remains locked in as the Yankees' everyday shortstop, and the team will no doubt practice patience with his defensive development as long as he continues to produce offensively.

Semien will be credited with a full year of service time even if the 2020 season is canceled outright, keeping him on track to become a free agent next offseason, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Semien's impending free-agent status, along with that of teammates such as Liam Hendriks, Mike Fiers and Yusmeiro Petit, was secured as part of a multi-faceted agreement reached last Thursday between MLB and the MLBPA. There's still a stronger likelihood the 2020 regular season is played in some form as opposed to being canceled outright, but this provision gives Semien some peace of mind. If there's ultimately no 2020 campaign, the veteran shortstop will potentially head into the open market on the strength of a career-best 2019 season that saw him slash .285/.369/.522 with 83 extra-base hits (43 doubles, seven triples, 33 home runs) and 92 RBI across 747 plate appearances while appearing in all 162 games.

Kemp, who hit .345 (10-for-29) over 10 Cactus League games before spring training was suspended, appears to have secured a platoon role at second base alongside Franklin Barreto to open the 2020 season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Kemp entered camp with good odds of securing that exact role, and his performance in Cactus League action served to definitively strengthen his job prospects. The 28-year-old forged a versatile stat line during exhibition play, recording a double, a home run, two RBI, four walks, a stolen base and seven runs. The left-handed hitting Kemp is slated to see time versus right-handed pitching, against which he slugged seven of his eight home runs last season and 13 of his 14 overall in the last three campaigns.

The Red Sox may have the roster flexibility to carry Arauz, a Rule 5 draft pick, if MLB expands rosters from 26 to 29 players for the first month of an abbreviated season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

As a Rule 5 pick, Arauz must remain on Boston's active roster all season (barring an IL stint) or be offered back to the Astros. Under normal circumstances, it's unclear that Arauz would claim one of the 26 spots to start the regular season. But a shortened season -- where teams can carry 29 players for the first month and expanded 28-man rosters for the final month -- makes it easier for the Red Sox to keep the 21-year-old Arauz. His glove is major-league ready, but Arauz still needs to develop as a hitter.

Estrada could be called back up to Yankees if MLB decides to expand rosters early in the season, Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reports.

The Yankees optioned Estrada to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday after he slashed a meager .200/.226/.233 in Grapefruit League action. While Tyler Wade appears to be the team's primary choice for a utility role, Estrada could be brought up as a second utility player and pinch-running option should the league expand rosters when the season commences, as is widely expected.

Barreto is likely to open the regular season platooning with Tony Kemp at second base, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Barreto helped solidify his grip on an Opening Day roster spot before spring training was suspended by hitting .306 (11-for-36) with four doubles, two triples, four RBI, three walks, a stolen base and six runs across 13 Cactus League games. The 24-year-old has struggled considerably at the plate in three previous big-league stints, so his success offensively this spring is certainly an encouraging sight. It remains to be seen how playing time between the lefty-hitting Kemp and Barreto might be split to start the season, but it's worth noting the latter enjoyed success against either handedness of pitcher (.282 vs. righties, .330 vs. southpaws) at Triple-A Las Vegas in 2019.

Estrada was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wikes-Barre on Thursday.

Estrada was competing for a super-utility role with the team, capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop as well as the outfield. However, it appears likely he'll begin the season in the minor leagues, where he should earn every day at-bats. Estrada did have a short stint with the Yankees to conclude 2019, recording a .250/.294/.438 line across 69 plate appearances.

Mayfield was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Mayfield struggled in his big-league debut in 2019, hitting .156 with a 24.6 percent strikeout rate in 65 plate appearances. With Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Aledmys Diaz all ahead of him on the depth chart, Mayfield doesn't project to play a significant role for Houston in 2020.