MLB Player News

Manager Luis Rojas said Friday that Cespedes (ankle) reached sprint speed during his workouts in quarantine, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

GM Brodie Van Wagenen said early in the week he was "optimistic" about Cespedes being ready for Opening Day in late July, but few specifics were provided at the time. The 34-year-old has yet to arrive to the team facility, so Rojas said they'll have to wait to see him in person before potentially clearing him for full-speed baserunning. Cespedes had been taking live batting practice and shagging fly balls prior to the shutdown in March, but he had yet to begin running the bases. He's appeared in only 38 games since the start of 2018 due to an ankle fracture and heel surgeries, so once healthy he figures to be a major beneficiary of the universal designated hitter for the shortened season.

Beer will be a part of the Diamondbacks' 60-man summer camp.

Beer was originally slated for the minors in March, but now could see new life as one of the organization's best hitting prospects. Some questioned this move when the Diamondbacks acquired Beer in the Zack Greinke trade, as Beer had been pegged primarily as a DH that might be able to earn some reps at first base. Effectively, the universal DH rule for the 2020 shortened season could increase Beer's chances to see MLB work this year. He slashed .289/.388/516 with 26 home runs in 2019, splitting time between the High-A and Double-A levels.

Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Monday that he's "optimistic" about Cespedes (ankle) being ready for game action when the team opens its season in late July, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Other than indicating that Cespedes was in better shape now than he was when spring training shut down in mid-March, Van Wagenen didn't provide many specifics regarding where the 34-year-old stands in his recovery from ankle and heel surgeries. Before MLB's hiatus, Cespedes had been able to take live batting practice and was shagging flies in the outfield, but he hadn't yet progressed to running the bases. If he's able to complete a running program over the next three weeks without any complications, Cespedes should have a decent shot at reclaiming an everyday role with the Mets. Thanks to the implementation of the universal designated hitter, Cespedes wouldn't have to play left field as frequently as he's had to in the past, which would reduce the strain on his legs.

Ruf made the Giants' 60-man roster.

Even though he was just in camp on a minor-league deal, Ruf had a chance to make the roster under normal circumstances thanks to a .429/.469/.1.000 line with three home runs and a 7:3 K:BB in 32 spring plate appearances. Ruf can play first base and left field, and if his spring outburst is remotely indicative of his current talent level, he could also get starts at designated hitter.

Morel will be a part of the Cubs' 60-man player pool this season.

The 21-year-old will get to continue his development with other minor leaguers assigned to training camp in South Bend. Morel doesn't figure to factor into the team's MLB plans this season since he has not played above Low-A so far in his career.

Colon will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

Colon is not on the 40-man roster but was in camp this year on a minor-league deal. If he plays in the big leagues this year, it would likely be as a bench infielder.

Miller could potentially fill either a primary utility role or serve as the designated hitter frequently during the truncated 2020 regular season, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Catcher is the only non-pitching position the versatile veteran hasn't filled during his seven major-league seasons, so Miller is a clear-cut fit as a roving option for anyone who may need a day off. However, Rogers also points out the 30-year-old could take over designated-hitter duties if, for example, Matt Carpenter is given first crack at the job and doesn't live up to expectations. Miller certainly has experience in that capacity as well, having logged 34 starts at DH between the 2014 and 2018 seasons while playing for the Mariners and Rays.

Carpenter could be manager Mike Shildt's most logical choice to fill the designated hitter role that will be universally implemented during the truncated 2020 regular season, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Earlier in the shutdown of play, it had already been speculated the veteran infielder would make for a strong candidate were the DH to be a National League staple during the 2020 campaign. With official confirmation of such having come to pass, Rogers explains that Carpenter likely remains the odds-on favorite to fill the role most days. Not only is Carpenter an accomplished hitter, but there would be no defensive drop-off with having Tommy Edman replace him at third base. Such a development would not only get Edman's impressive bat in the lineup on a regular basis, it would also have the domino effect of freeing up space in the outfield for another one of the team's array of impressive young players.

Ozuna (facial laceration) could be used as Atlanta's primary designated hitter this season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old's bat will be in the lineup somewhere on a consistent basis, but Ozuna's declining defense over the couple of years could push him to DH rather than left field, while Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall platoon in the other spot. Austin Riley could also be in the LF/DH mix for Atlanta. Wherever he plays defensively, Ozuna's power will keep him in the heart of the batting order.

Winker has another avenue for playing time with the implementation of the universal DH for the 2020 season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Neither Winker nor Nick Castellanos are considered good defensive outfielders, but both have sufficiently productive bats to try to get them in the lineup more often. They are probably the two outfielders most likely to slot in as the DH. Winker still might sit frequently against left-handed pitching, however -- in 147 major-league plate appearances against lefties, Winker has hit .176/.295/.248 with only two homers.