MLB Player News

Cespedes will be the Mets' designated hitter on Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

The game will be Cespedes' first in over two years, as he's missed time first due to a pair of heel surgeries and then due to a fractured ankle. The delayed season bought him extra time to get healthy, and while he's been told by team trainers to run at just 80 percent, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, he's considered at least healthy enough to hit. Whether or not he plays much in the field this season remains to be seen, but he'll be quite a useful bat for the Mets if he's truly healthy, as he owns a career .274/.328/.498 slash line over seven big-league seasons.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that Belt (heel) won't be ready for Opening Day, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt had been dealing with right heel pain throughout camp, and Kapler confirmed Monday that the 32-year-old will begin the season on the injured list as he continues to recover. While he'll miss the first several games of the regular season, it remains to be seen exactly how much time he'll miss as a result of the injury. With Belt and Evan Longoria (oblique) sidelined, Wilmer Flores and Pablo Sandoval (elbow) could see an uptick in playing time to begin the year.

Miller (heel/ankle) remains hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Day and feels he'll be able to ramp up quickly once he's given a green light to run again, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. "I think really just kind of taking it day to day," Miller said. "I think we've got it figured out, what we think's going on and got a way to kind of tame the inflammation and build it back up smart. I'm able to hit still and throw and all that, so I think when I get the thumbs up, I'll be able to go pretty quick."

Miller has been besieged by right heel and ankle soreness for the majority of summer camp, although he's been able to work back to participating in fielding drills and limited live batting practice while nursing the injuries. However, Miller has not been a part of any intrasquad games for precautionary reasons, and despite his optimism that he'd have a short preparation curve once given full clearance, the Cardinals are planning on exercising patience with the veteran since Edmundo Sosa and Max Schrock are both capable of providing infield depth.

Carpenter, who slugged a two-run homer during Friday's intrasquad game, was actually most satisfied with a long out he made because of the quality of his improved swing, Matt Rogers of MLB.com reports. "For me, 100 percent, it was the swing on the backdoor cutter from Miles [Mikolas]," Carpenter said. "For me to be able to take that swing on that pitch is right where I want to be. That pitch, to be able to stay on that pitch and be able to hit in the gap and get a chance for an extra-base hit -- I was way happier with that swing."

The veteran is considered a strong candidate to handle designated-hitter duties during the coming season, and he operated in that role Friday while hitting fifth. Carpenter spent considerable time this offseason working on his swing and looking to find his "hitting identity" after a pair of uneven seasons at the plate in 2018 and 2019 that have featured the two highest strikeout rates (23.4 and 26.2 percent) of his career. Specifically, Carpenter has been looking to hit to all fields more consistently in a manner akin to prior seasons, and he was encouragingly able to accomplish that both Friday and earlier in summer camp as well. The 34-year-old is also embracing the idea of primarily slotting in at DH, remarking Friday he's "more than willing to do it and learn it and adapt to it."

Cespedes is set to appear in both exhibition games against the Yankees this weekend, once as the designated hitter and once in left field, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

It's unlikely the veteran slugger will play the whole game in either case, but it's still an excellent sign that Cespedes is on track to be in the Opening Day lineup. Expect him to get most of his at-bats as the Mets' DH, but if Cespedes demonstrates he can handle a defensive assignment as well, it would only boost his playing time.

Manager Bud Black said Thursday that Blackmon (illness) is in the midst of a training program that would put the outfielder on track to be ready for the Rockies' July 24 season opener versus the Rangers, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Though he was cleared to join the Rockies at summer camp Monday after submitting two negative test results for the coronavirus, Blackmon was placed on the COVID-19 injured list a day later. Black clarified that the transaction was merely procedural, as Blackmon -- who previously tested positive for COVID-19 in late June -- remains healthy since joining the club for workouts. Expect Blackmon to gradually increase the intensity of his activities over the next week, and if his body responds well, he should be ready to handle an everyday role when the Rockies kick off their 60-game season in Texas.

Beer was diagnosed with a contusion after being hit in the face with a one-hopper during Wednesday's intrasquad game, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Manager Torey Lovullo said the 23-year-old didn't sustain a concussion, so he appears to have escaped the situation with only a bruise. Beer missed some time early in summer training after testing positive for COVID-19, and he may take it easy for a couple days after Wednesday's incident.

Dickerson said Tuesday that his back feels great at summer camp as he prepares to fill a regular role in the heart of the Giants' lineup against right-handed pitching in 2020, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Dickerson dealt with chronic back issues that required surgery in 2017 and then underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, keeping him sidelined for two full seasons before he returned to action in 2019. After being traded from San Diego to San Francisco last June, Dickerson immediately went on a tear, batting .386 with six home runs, 10 doubles and 23 RBI in his first 30 games with the club. An oblique injury would confine him to the shelf for much of the second half and limited his production when he returned, but a healthy Dickerson is now beginning to show flashes of the promise he displayed last June and July. He hit a soaring home run off Shaun Anderson in an intrasquad game Tuesday, further solidifying his status as a pillar in middle of the order. If Dickerson can hold up for the entirety of a 60-game slate, he could prove to be a sneaky value late in fantasy drafts.

Miller (heel) returned to practice Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

A sore heel has kept Miller out of action since Friday, though the issue was never considered particularly serious. He's expected to participate in Thursday's intrasquad game. The lost practice time could have an impact on his readiness for the upcoming season, though he isn't expected to handle more than a utility role, so it may not cost him many (if any) at-bats.

The Rockies placed Blackmon on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to an unspecified issue.

After he was revealed to have tested positive for the coronavirus in late June, Blackmon was absent for the start of the Rockies' summer camp before reporting to the team facility Monday upon clearing all COVID-19-related protocols. No reports have surfaced since Monday suggesting that Blackmon suffered a setback in his recovery from COVID-19, which makes his move to the IL unexpected. It's possible the Rockies may have made the transaction as a means of roster management, as Blackmon was already uncertain to be ready for the July 24 season opener in Texas due to his late arrival at camp. Expect more information on Blackmon's situation to become available in the next few days.