MLB Player News

Ohtani is considering adding a leg kick to his swing, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

While Ohtani has yet to commit to implementing the leg kick in his hitting approach, he believes that doing so could improve his timing at the plate. That could potentially help him improve upon the subpar 25.9 percent strikeout rate he posted in 2019.

Brantely went 1-for-2 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored in Friday's game against the Marlins.

This was Brantley's second spring appearance, and he's reached base safely in four of five plate appearances. Brantley loved life in the potent Houston lineup last season, and he'll be in a similar environment in 2020. The 32-year-old outfielder batted second Friday but is presumed to be the No. 3 hitter in the regular season, safely tucked in between Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman.

Mercedes went 1-for-2 with a grand slam home in Friday's spring game against Cleveland.

Mercedes has made an early splash in the Cactus League, going 4-for-9 with a pair of home runs. Friday's homer was a 400-foot-plus shot to go along with an even longer blast against the Dodgers on Monday. He still has a ways to go defensively, but the White Sox added him to the 40-man roster during the offseason and are clearly intrigued by his bat. The stockily built catcher has 83 home runs across 617 career minor league games.

Stanton's readiness for Opening Day is at risk after he was diagnosed with a Grade 1 right calf strain Wednesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

The slugger suffered the injury during a defensive workout Tuesday. He'll be shut down for a few weeks, and while he's expected to get back on the field before the end of spring training, he may not have time to be fully built up by the start of the regular season. The Yankees will understandably be cautious with Stanton after injuries limited him to just 18 games last season. He's averaged 116 games per season over his 10-year career.

Solak went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Monday's spring game against the Reds.

Solak served as the designated hitter and batted second for the Rangers, who are looking to find him a regular home in 2020. He started in center field Sunday and will get opportunities in the infield as well. If the bat holds up this spring, Solak could become a regular in center field or at a corner infield spot. In his MLB debut in 2019, he posted an .884 OPS in 135 plate appearances (33 games).

Reyes dropped 18 pounds over the winter, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Reyes didn't earn high marks for his fielding with the Padres before coming to Cleveland in a midseason trade last year. Now in the American League, Reyes doesn't need to be a good fielder, as all but three of his starts came as a designated hitter following the trade. Still, showing up in better shape certainly doesn't hurt, and if he can be at least a passable option in the field he'll help Cleveland's lineup flexibility this season.

Solak started in center field and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's spring game against Seattle.

Solak is an infielder by trade but will be exposed to center field this spring. Danny Santana is the presumptive starter at that position, but manager Chris Woodward may prefer him as a utility player. If Solak proves capable of playing outfield, then the manager will have the roster flexibility to use Santana as needed. Solak did not have any fielding opportunities during his six innings in the field.

Ohtani (elbow) threw off a mound Sunday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Although the throwing session was described as "basically just playing catch off the mound," it represents another step in a positive direction for Ohtani as he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Per Bollinger, the Japanese star remains on track to toss his first "real" bullpen session in mid-March. In the meantime, Ohtani will focus on hitting -- he's slated to begin the season as the Angels' primary DH.

Stanton said Wednesday that he reported to spring training without any physical limitations after a full offseason to recover from an injury-plagued 2019 campaign, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports. "I had a lot of different training. I didn't have much time off," Stanton said. "I got my rest, but I had to rehab the moment the season was over, and then by the time I was done rehabbing I had my normal offseason training."

Stanton appeared in just 23 games between the regular season and playoffs in 2019, missing time on account of biceps, shoulder, calf, knee and quadriceps injuries. His last appearance came in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Astros, when he suffered a Grade 2 right squad while running out a grounder. The 30-year-old had far from a spotless health record prior to 2019, but the fact that he's feeling good again could allow his ADP to climb steadily as draft season gets underway. Perhaps with an eye on ensuring that Stanton maintains better health this season, manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that the slugger's time in the outfield will be "fluid." The skipper went on to suggest that Stanton's workload could be similar to 2018, when he started 72 games in the outfield and served as a designated hitter in 86 contests.

Buxton (shoulder) participated in live batting practice Wednesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Buxton underwent surgery on his torn labrum in September, placing his availability for Opening Day in some doubt. The fact that he's already hitting early in camp suggests that he'll likely be ready for the start of the season, but he'll have to get through the next few weeks without setbacks.