MLB Player News

Vogelbach, who is projected to serve as the Mariners' primary designated hitter, could become an attractive trade piece if he starts the season off well, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The burly 27-year-old slugged 30 home runs in 2019 yet also struggled to a .208 average, in large part due to a 26.7 percent strikeout rate and .232 BABIP. Vogelbach's season essentially fell off a cliff after the All-Star break, but he was hitting an impressive .321 (9-for-28) over 12 Cactus League games when spring training was suspended. Johns speculates that if Vogelbach carries over that momentum into summer camp, and eventually, the first month of the regular season, he could become a particularly appealing trade option for contending National League teams that will be filling a full-time designated hitter spot for the first time this season.

General manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that Stanton should be DH-ready by Opening Day, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

This report seems optimistic on its surface, though the fact that Cashman said "DH-ready" specifically is a bit of an eyebrow raiser. Stanton has battled a series of lower-body injuries over the last year, most recently a calf injury. Reading between the lines, it seems he may still be limited in his mobility.

Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Tuesday that Ohtani (elbow) has been cleared for mound work at the outset of summer camp and will be available as a two-way player for the start of the 2020 season, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani had already reached the finish line in his recovery from October 2018 Tommy John surgery when he resumed facing hitters in live batting practice in May, so Eppler's comments are merely confirmation that the 25-year-old will head to camp with no notable restrictions. Manager Joe Maddon has already said that he intends to keep Ohtani on a once-a-week pitching schedule as part of the Angels' expected six-man rotation, leaving Ohtani to serve as a designated hitter on the days when he's not on the mound. Ohtani has demonstrated elite ability both as a pitcher and hitter during his two years in the majors, posting a 127 ERA+ over 51.2 career innings and a 136 wRC+ over 792 career plate appearances.

Rooker was included in Minnesota's 60-man player pool ahead of summer camp before the 2020 season begins, MLB.com reports.

Rooker hit .286/.400/.333 with zero home runs and a 6:3 K:BB in 25 plate appearances with the big club in spring training. While Rooker may be able to hold his own at the plate against big-league pitching, albeit with plenty of strikeouts (34.7 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A), his defensive limitations and the Twins' impressive depth make it tough to envision a path to significant playing time. He'll likely spend most of the season at Minnesota's alternate training site.

The White Sox announced Monday that Mercedes will be included as part of the team's 60-man roster pool.

Chicago added a pair of catchers in Mercedes and Zack Collins to its pool of available players in advance of the MLB season resuming in late July. The White Sox are expected to lean heavily on Yasmani Grandal and James McCann to handle nearly all the starts behind the plate, but Mercedes could get a look if either or both of the aforementioned players succumbs to an injury at some point.

O'Keefe will be part of the Mariners' 60-man training roster.

O'Keefe, 26, hit .229/.319/.389 with 13 home runs at Double-A in 2019 as a member of the Cardinals' organization. He is unlikely to see much, if any, time in the majors this season.

Goins will report to Oakland when teams resume workouts this week after the Athletics announced Sunday that he would be part of their 60-man roster pool.

Goins previously attended spring training on a minor-league deal and wasn't a safe bet to break camp with the big club, but the expanded roster pool will allow the veteran infielder to stick around with Oakland. He'll likely be in line for a depth role and could need an injury or two to hit the Athletics' middle infield before he sees regular starts.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday that he's "very" hopeful Ohtani will be ready to pitch by Opening Day, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Maddon named Ohtani, Griffin Canning (elbow) and Felix Pena (knee) as players who were unlikely to be a go for the original Opening Day but may be fine after the extended layoff. Among that group, Ohtani seems like the surest bet to be with the team when play kicks off as he has -- by all indications -- completed his Tommy John recovery. Ohtani reached 55 pitches in a live batting practice session at the end of last month. Maddon followed up by saying he plans to keep Ohtani on his once-a-week pitching schedule this season.

Choi plans to leave his native South Korea later Tuesday to join the Rays in anticipation of the 2020 MLB season resuming, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency reports.

Choi's impending return to the United States comes on the heels of MLB owners voting Monday to implement a 60-game season that will reportedly begin around July 24, per Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. The plan would require players to sign off on a health-and-safety protocol to arrive at their home stadiums by July 1 to prepare for the season, but it's unclear how that timeline may impact foreign players like Choi, who could need to self-quarantine for a two-week period before partaking in workouts with the Rays. Assuming that Choi is cleared for full team activities at least a week or so before the season kicks off, however, he shouldn't face any restrictions when games begin.

Ohtani posted a video of himself deadlifting 495 pounds on his personal Instagram page Wednesday.

Given the strain of lifting nearly 500 pounds, it's safe to say that Ohtani is feeling good after undergoing elbow and knee surgeries over the previous two years. Ohtani has put on added muscle as the result of a heavyweight, low-rep routine over the offseason, giving the Angels hope that he can increase his durability upon his return to the mound during a potential 2020 campaign.