MLB Player News
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Gordon Beckham 2B | SEA
Mets' Gordon Beckham: Lands with Mets
Beckham signed a non-guaranteed contract Monday with the Mets and is expected to be added to the team's 60-man roster pool.
Since being released by the Padres shortly after spring training was suspended in mid-March, Beckham had been in limbo for months while baseball instituted a freeze on transactions. With an agreement on the 2020 season having since been finalized, he'll now continue his career in New York, providing the Mets with additional depth in the infield. Barring a deluge of injuries, Beckham likely won't be in line for steady at-bats after posting a .643 OPS in 83 games with the Tigers in 2019.
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Owen Miller 2B | CHC
Padres' Owen Miller: Going to summer camp
Miller will be part of the Padres' 60-man summer camp.
Miller would likely need some injuries ahead of him on the depth chart to see action at second base, third base or shortstop this season, but he is advanced enough that it's possible he could make his MLB debut in 2020. Known for his hit tool and control of the strike zone, Miller hit .290 with an 86:46 K:BB in 560 plate appearances at Double-A last year but hit just .176 with a 15:2 K:BB in 72 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League.
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Mark Mathias 2B | CIN
Brewers' Mark Mathias: Poised to join 60-man roster
Mathias is expected to be named to the Brewers' 60-man roster pool Sunday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The 25-year-old was optioned to Triple-A San Antonio in March shortly after the suspension of spring training, but he'll now have another chance to stake his claim to a roster spot. The expanded 30-man roster to begin the season provides an opportunity for Mathias to potentially earn a bench spot with the Brewers.
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Ketel Marte 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: An option at DH
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo talked about using the designated hitter position as a way to keep Marte's bat in the lineup while giving him a break in the field, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Marte had a breakout season in 2019 before he suffered a stress reaction in his back in September. The theory was that he played too much, particularly in center field, which was a new position to him. "It will give me a chance to get guys off their feet," Lovullo said of the DH. "Knowing the workload is going to be pretty heavy and we're going to be going full throttle, getting a guy off his feet for a day game in Colorado is probably something we would be addressing." The manager had every intention of giving Marte more downtime in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to MLB. The desire to rest him is still there during the 60-game sprint of a regular season. Only now, the rest will be in the form of having Marte serve as the DH. Others being considered for the DH rotation are Jake Lamb, Christian Walker, Eduardo Escobar and Kevin Cron.
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Brendan Rodgers 2B | BOS
Rockies' Brendan Rodgers: Fully clear of rehab work
Rodgers has been working out at a local high school during the MLB shutdown and has finished the rehab work from last year's shoulder surgery, Gerard Gilberto of MiLB.com reports.
The 23-year-old saw some action in spring training before things were shut down due to the coronavirus, going 3-for-7 in four games. Rodgers missed the second half of the 2019 season after undergoing surgery in June to repair the labrum in his right shoulder, limiting his season to 62 games between Triple-A and the majors. The potential for expanded rosters if/when baseball resumes likely means he'd be with the major-league club for the start of the season.
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Nolan Gorman 3B | STL
Cardinals' Nolan Gorman: Not expected on expanded roster
Gorman is not expected to make his big-league debut during the 2020 season irrespective of projected roster expansion, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports.
Gorman received a spring training invite from the Cardinals and proceeded to impress, hitting .308 (8-for-26) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI, two walks and three runs across 13 Grapefruit League contests before play was paused. Nevertheless, despite how highly regarded he is within the organization, the fact remains Gorman is just 20 years old and has yet to play above the High-A level in his three professional seasons. Naturally, his strong showing against big-league arms generates plenty of reason for optimism in terms of his future prospects, but it seems almost a certainty Gorman's only game action this season occurs in developmental games the Cardinals may be allowed to conduct if the minor-league campaign is canceled.
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Ozzie Albies 2B | ATL
Braves' Ozzie Albies: Steps in against live pitching
Albies, Ronald Acuna and Charlie Culberson were able to take at-bats against live pitching this week, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The trio of hitters joined Mike Foltynewicz, Mike Soroka and Sean Newcomb at a high school in the Atlanta area for some more intense reps than the players had been getting in their respective batting cages and bullpen sessions, as each pitcher tossed three simulated innings of about 15 pitches against his teammates. Albies and the other Atlanta hitters appeared to be more than ready for a second training camp, and hopefully a regular season, to begin.
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Enrique Hernandez SS | LAD
Dodgers' Enrique Hernandez: Taking swings during hiatus
Hernandez has been able to hit in a batting cage twice a week despite the shutdown of most facilities, the utility man said Tuesday in an interview with David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports.
"We were able to find a facility that's opening just for us twice a week, and we're able to get our work in," Hernandez stated. He also indicated that he has been working out five days a week in preparation for a potential resumption of play. Should the 2020 season take place, Hernandez figures to again get plenty of playing time in a super-utility role in his sixth season with the Dodgers.