MLB Player News

Ohtani (elbow) has started throwing bullpen sessions, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

In a Q&A session, Angels general manager Billy Eppler indicated that Ohtani tossed a bullpen Monday and another Friday morning. The Friday session consisted of "15 pitches...fastballs only," according to Eppler. The news is in line with reports earlier in April suggesting that Ohtani's return to the mound was imminent. It also bodes well for the possibility that the Angels' ace could be ready to pitch in games by the time the 2020 season gets underway.

Canha was starting to "hit his stride" at the plate when spring training was suspended, Shayna Rubin of The Mercury News reports.

The veteran outfielder hit .318 (7-for-22) with three doubles, six RBI, six walks and two runs over 11 Cactus League contests prior to the pause in play. Canha returned home shortly after spring training was suspended and has been engaging in body weight workouts in his backyard, a regimen that includes lunges, pushups and sit-ups. He's supplemented that work with some cardiovascular activity in the form of jumping jacks and an exercise bike and is also taking dry swings, attempting to address all aspects of personal fitness under unusual circumstances. Canha is slated to serve as the starting left fielder when the season does begin after a breakout 2019 during which he slashed .273/.396/.517 with 26 home runs and 58 RBI.

Lewis projects as the everyday right fielder this coming regular season despite having hit just .172 (5-for-29) over 11 Cactus League games before spring training was suspended, Brent Stecker of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Stecker notes that general manager Jerry Dipoto identifies the slugger's occasional "empty swings" as a byproduct of an opposite-field approach to hitting which requires Lewis to often allow the ball to go deeper into the zone than a pull hitter does. The Mariners are willing to accept such a tradeoff so long as Lewis is able to generate a similar caliber of long-ball production to that of his first big-league cup of coffee in 2019. Following his September promotion, the 24-year-old became the second player in MLB history to homer in each of his first three games and ultimately left the yard once every 12.5 plate appearances across 18 contests overall. Signs of his prodigious power were evident once again this spring despite the overall lack of success, as three of Lewis' five hits during Cactus League play were home runs.

Choi is preparing to resume workouts in his native South Korea after a two-week period of self-quarantine following his return to the country, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi has had to wait longer to resume workouts than some of his teammates due to his decision to return to his home country, which appears to be returning to normalcy daily. The 29-year-old will look to maintain the positive pace of preparation he'd established during Grapefruit League play, when he hit .273 over 10 games.

Stanton has been staying home to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reports.

Stanton posted a video to his personal Instagram account Wednesday emphasizing his decision to stay home and encouraging others to do so as well. In early April the slugger was deemed eligible to work out at the team's training facility in Tampa as he was technically still rehabbing his strained right calf. However, manager Aaron Boone has indicated that Stanton is fully healed, thus he should be ready to go when play resumes.

Ohtani (elbow) has been participating in long toss from 180 feet and ramping up throwing intensity from 60 feet. He's expected to throw off a mound soon, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Ohtani has continued his throwing program despite the suspension of play necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. His progression to high-intensity work from 60 feet suggests that a return to the mound is just around the corner. If all goes well, Ohtani could be a part of the Angels' starting rotation when the regular season finally gets underway.

Stanton (calf) will continue to be allowed to rehab at the Yankees' training facility in Tampa under Florida's stay-at-home policy, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.

While Florida governor Ron DeSantis' order requires most Floridians to remain at home, it makes some exceptions, including one for those in need of essential medical care. That will allow rehabbing players such as Stanton, Aaron Judge (rib) and Luis Severino (elbow) to continue to make use of the team's Tampa facility. It remains to be seen whether Stanton will continue to work out at the complex, however, as manager Aaron Boone deemed the slugger fully healthy earlier this week, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.

Ford would be a candidate to make the big-league squad if MLB decides to expand rosters when play resumes, Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reports.

Ford's place on the Opening Day roster had been in question throughout the spring, and his spot seemed to grow more tenuous with the possible return to health of Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and Aaron Judge (rib) due to the delayed start of the campaign. However, talk of MLB expanding roster sizes to account for a shortened spring training has Ford solidly back in the mix. Per Kuty, the Yankees value Ford's experience and left-handed bat off the bench despite not necessarily needing a backup first baseman.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed Wednesday that Stanton (calf) is fully healthy and will be ready to go for Opening Day, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports. "He's pretty much over the hump," Boone said. "He's pretty much run aggressively and done the things necessary. If and when we begin spring training games, he would likely be ready to roll for that."

The Yankees are one of the big winners of MLB's decision to suspend its season at least eight weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team now has a good chance to have three key players -- Stanton, Aaron Judge (rib) and James Paxton (back) -- available for Opening Day, when all initially appeared set to begin the season on the injured list. Look for Stanton to occupy his familiar spot in the heart of the order whenever MLB sets a firm target date for the start of the season.

Buxton (shoulder) would have been in the Opening Day lineup had the season started on time Thursday, manager Rocco Baldelli told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "Buck's rehab could not have gone smoother," Baldelli said. "Physically, mentally, he's in a tremendous spot."

Buxton underwent surgery on his torn labrum in September, which placed his availability for Opening Day in question. However, he would have been ready for Opening Day had it started on time. He now looks set to begin the season as Minnesota's starting center fielder whenever the MLB season begins.