MLB Player News
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Mark Canha LF | TEX
Athletics' Mark Canha: Receives $4.8 million deal
Canha signed a one-year, $4.8 million contract with the Athletics on Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
The 30-year-old will more than double his pay from 2019 after posting a .913 OPS with 26 home runs and 58 RBI in 126 games. The 30-year-old struggled against right-handers in 2018 (.665 OPS) but reversed that trend last season (.966 OPS), opening the door for a larger workload.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Completes Tommy John rehab
Ohtani (elbow/knee) completed his throwing progression Thursday and is now finished with Tommy John rehab, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani was recovering from Tommy John surgery and knee surgery, but his rehab now appears to be complete after three weeks of throwing off a mound. The right-hander will now be shut down from throwing for the remainder of the offseason prior to spring training. The team will determine his usage going forward during spring training, but he is expected to have an innings cap and not pitch more than once per week in 2020, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Cleared for mound work
Ohtani (elbow/knee) was cleared to throw off a mound Monday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Ohtani is working his way back from both Tommy John surgery and knee surgery. He's expected to throw off a mound for three or four weeks, at which point his recovery from the elbow procedure will be considered complete.
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Ryan Goins DH | KC
Athletics' Ryan Goins: Headed to Oakland
Goins signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training.
Goins became a free agent at the end of October after being outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte, though it didn't take long for him to latch on with a new team. He hit .250 with two home runs and 10 RBI over 52 games with the White Sox in 2019 and has appeared in the big leagues at some point in each of the last seven seasons.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Takes home ROY honors
Alvarez was unanimously named the 2019 American League Rookie of the Year on Monday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.
Upon being promoted in June, Alvarez took the league by storm, slashing .313/.412/.655 with 27 home runs and 78 RBI over 87 games. The 22-year-old slugger is expected to remain a fixture in Houston's lineup for years to come.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Rehab remains on track
Ohtani (knee) remains on track to finish his rehab in mid-December, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Ohtani was limited to hitting duties all season while his arm recovered from Tommy John surgery. His time as a designated hitter ended prematurely as well after he was shut down for surgery on his left kneecap in mid-September. He's been running on an anti-gravity treadmill and throwing from a distance of 120 feet, with the goal of getting back on a mound by the end of the month.
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J.D. Martinez DH | NYM
Red Sox's J.D. Martinez: Not opting out
Martinez will not exercise the opt-out in his contract, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Martinez evidently didn't feel as though he could make more than the $62.5 million he's due over the next three seasons on the open market. He remains an excellent hitter, but there's understandably some uncertainty about the market for a 32-year-old designated hitter. He has opt-outs remaining after each of the next two seasons, so there's still no guarantee he remains in Boston through the end of the 2022 season.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Remains on bench
Alvarez remains on the bench for Game 4 of the World Series in Washington on Saturday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Alvarez remains limited to pinch-hit duty under National League rules. It's still possible he gets a shot in left field for Game 5.
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Shohei Ohtani DH | LAD
Angels' Shohei Ohtani: Extends out to 100 feet
Ohtani (knee) has been cleared to throw from 100 feet, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Ohtani was cleared to begin a throwing program at the end of September after undergoing surgery on his left knee a few weeks earlier. He's on track to start throwing from a mound by the end of November, per Fletcher.
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Yordan Alvarez DH | HOU
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: No spot in NL park
Alvarez will sit for Game 3 of the World Series in Washington on Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The designated hitter hit well in the first two games of the series, going 3-for-6 with a pair of walks. Despite that performance, the Astros are seemingly unwilling to risk his shaky defense in the National League park.