MLB Player News

Manager Luis Rojas said Rosario will participate in the Mets' workouts Sunday afternoon, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

The 24-year-old was absent for the first couple days of team workouts but will get in on the action Sunday. Rosario is poised to start at shortstop for the Mets again in 2020 after posting a .287/.323/.432 slash line with 15 homers, 72 RBI and 19 stolen bases last season.

Mann has been added to the Dodgers' 60-man roster, Ted Schultz of The Republic reports.

Mann, a 2018 fifth-round draft pick by the Dodgers, was slated to open the season with Double-A Tulsa before the minor-league season was canceled. In 98 games with High-A Rancho Cucamonga last season, the 23-year-old slashed .278/.358/.496 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI. He's unlikely to see big-league playing time in 2020, but Mann's addition to the player pool will keep him from losing a full season of development.

Hoerner is among seven infielders in the Cubs' player pool working out at Wrigley Field for summer camp.

Three of the four starting infield spots in Chicago are locked down by Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez. Second base is a bit of a different story, where Hoerner, Jason Kipnis, David Bote and possibly Daniel Descalso could see some playing time. The veteran Kipnis figures to get the first shot at starting, though the team may elect to deploy Hoerner against left-handed pitchers. And if the talented 23-year-old performs like he did in a short MLB stint last year, when he batted .282 and hit three home runs in 20 games, he could wrestle away more playing time.

Rosario wasn't participating in the Mets' workouts Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Both Rosario and Marcus Stroman didn't work out with the Mets on Friday, and the team didn't provide any specifics as to the reasoning or whether they were even at the facility. It's unclear when Rosario will take the field.

Elmore signed a minor-league contract with Cleveland on Friday and will join the team's 60-man player pool.

Elmore was released by the Pirates in mid-June but didn't have to wait long before finding a new deal. The 33-year-old is unlikely to play a significant role in Cleveland this season, as he owns a career .215/.292/.275 slash line in 217 major-league games.

Castro figures to work in a utility role for the Tigers this year and his versatility could be particularly helpful during the condensed season, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Before play was suspended, Castro was already looking at a utility role, but Stavenhagen notes that such a role could be especially valuable in a year that could feature some unique lineups as teams cram in 60 games. Castro posted a solid .291/.305/.384 slash line in 2019, and if he can parlay his success into more playing time, he could be a sneaky fantasy contributor in 2020.

The Blue Jays placed Drury on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to an unspecified issue.

Drury was one of four Blue Jays placed on the IL, with no explanation given for any of the transactions. The move is retroactive to June 30, so if deemed healthy, Drury would be eligible to return from the IL before the Blue Jays begin their season July 23 or 24. Drury is expected to serve as a utility man for Toronto in 2020 after batting .218 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI over 447 plate appearances last season.

Rojas will likely make the active roster when the 2020 season begins in late July, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Rosters will be expanded to 30 players early on, which creates space for a few players that were competing for the final available roster spots. Players such as Rojas, Jon Jay and Ildemaro Vargas can be carried for the first two weeks before rosters are cut to 28 for the subsequent two weeks. Rojas' ability to play outfield and infield should give him a leg up when the rosters are eventually dropped to 26.

Forsythe will be part of the Phillies' 60-man roster.

Forsythe saw his 2019 campaign with the Rangers cut a bit short due to a rib injury, but he received a camp invite to Philly and went 8-for-23 with three homers this spring before the shutdown. While he isn't on the 40-man roster yet, Forsythe still put himself in position to break camp and provide the Phillies with infield depth at all positions. Should he prove able to outduel the likes of Neil Walker and Josh Harrison for a final roster spot, he'd also give the team another solid right-handed bat, as he owns a career .761 OPS against southpaws. Rosters expanding to 30 players will give him a better shot to carve out a role.

The Pirates announced Sunday that Bae will be included as one of 19 players on the team's taxi squad for the 2020 season, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Bae is one of several top prospects from the organization that will report to the Pirates' alternative training site at their Double-A facility in Altoona when teams resume workouts in July. While Bae's inclusion on the taxi squad and the Pirates' 60-man roster pool will make him eligible to join the big club in 2020, Pittsburgh is presumably more interested in overseeing his development in a team setting rather than rushing him to the majors. He spent the 2019 campaign at Low-A Greensboro, posting an .825 OPS and 31 stolen bases across 380 plate appearances.