MLB Player News

Rivera was added to the Rangers' 60-man player pool and is expected to be part of the team's 30-man active roster to start the season, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Rivera was expected to be part of the player pool, but a more prominent spot on the roster became likely when the Rangers released Matt Duffy. Rivera, who is a truer shortstop than Duffy, spent parts of the last five seasons in the majors for the Brewers and Marlins. The Rangers have Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the depth chart behind starting shortstop Elvis Andrus, but if the club opts to use Kiner-Falefa as the starting third baseman with Todd Frazier sliding across the diamond to first, Rivera becomes the top depth option at short. He batted .183/.258/.217 in 34 games for Miami in 2019.

Reynolds will be a part of the Royals' 60-man player pool this season, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.

The 29-year-old journeyman was in camp as a non-roster invitee prior to the shutdown. He has a .223/.295/.340 slash line in 240 career MLB plate appearances.

Freeman will be a part of the Indians' 60-man player pool this season.

Freeman is one of the best prospects in Cleveland's system, and he projects to be an everyday middle infielder sometime in the next couple years. However, he played 62 games at High-A to close 2019, so he is not quite ready for significant run in the majors.

Duffy signed with the Yankees on Sunday and was added to the team's 60-man player pool.

Duffy logged 169 plate appearances with Tampa Bay last season, slashing .252/.343/.327 with a home run and 12 RBI. The utilityman should compete for a spot on the team's 30-man roster to open the 2020 campaign.

Walls is expected to be named to the Rays' 60-man roster pool, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls earned an invite to big-league camp but went 2-for-19 before the suspension of spring training. The 24-year-old spent most of 2019 at Double-A Montgomery and had an .825 OPS with six homers, 42 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 55 games.

Madrigal may not open the season with the White Sox, but general manager Rick Hahn envisions the second baseman making his MLB debut in 2020, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

That's the same position Madrigal was in during spring training; he was expected to open at Triple-A Charlotte then join the White Sox later in the season. "He certainly is a consideration for breaking with us and if not immediately then certainly helping us at some point over the course of this summer," Hahn said. Madrigal would initially serve as the backup at second base to Leury Garcia.

Madrigal might be part of the White Sox's roster when MLB resumes its season, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Before the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the first four months of the season, the plan was for Madrigal to open at Triple-A Charlotte and be up with the big club by now, possibly as the everyday second baseman. Without a minor-league season in place, it may be best for Madrigal's development to open the season with the White Sox and eventually ascend to the starting job.

Reds general manager Dick Williams said Wednesday that Suarez (shoulder) is "100 percent" healthy, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Williams' comments offer further confirmation that Suarez won't face any restrictions when the MLB season resumes, even though the right shoulder surgery he required Jan. 28 prevented him from appearing in any Cactus League games before spring training was suspended. Before the shutdown, Suarez had resumed swinging without issue and was scheduled to serve as a designated hitter in a March 13 game that was later canceled, so it's no surprise that he's feeling healthy now that he's had an additional two and a half months off. Expect him to face a similar training regimen as the rest of his healthy teammates when teams are allowed to reconvene for workouts.

Asuaje was released by the Cubs on Thursday, Andersen Pickard of Primetimesportstalk.com reports.

The 28-year-old infielder was one of several Cubs minor leaguers who were released. He played in the majors from 2016 through 2018 as a member of the Padres organization and hit .239 with five home runs in 59 games at Triple-A last year with the Diamondbacks.

Reyes was released by the Orioles on Friday, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Reyes was considered an interesting prospect for several years, but he spent four seasons at the High-A level and only advanced to Double-A for a single game. In 100 games for High-A Frederick last season, he hit a solid .283/.320/.406, though he walked just 11 times.