MLB Player News

Blackmon and organization mates Phillip Diehl and Ryan Castellani tested positive for COVID-19 after recent workouts at Coors Field, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

The league and the MLBPA announced an agreement on a 60-game season earlier Tuesday, so the positive tests provide an immediate reminder regarding the realities of resuming baseball amid the pandemic. The season is expected to begin July 23 or 24, so Blackmon will have about a month to receive clearance from the coronavirus and ramp up his activity before games start.

Ozuna's facial laceration is considered minor and he continues to work out daily, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Ozuna was able to drive himself to the hospital after the incident, a clear sign that the laceration he suffered was a minor issue. His participation in daily workouts also suggests the issue won't have any effect on his ability to ready for the start of the 2020 campaign, assuming there is one.

Ozuna suffered a "small laceration" on his face after his wife allegedly hit him with a soap dish, Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 reports.

This incident reportedly happened a couple weeks ago, and Ozuna was able to drive to the police station to report the incident, so it's possible he has already fully recovered from the laceration. It should not impact his availability if there is a season this year.

Miller has the most designated hitter experience on the Cardinals roster and could therefore be a candidate to frequently fill that slot if it is universally instituted for the 2020 season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Miller has spent at least part of all seven major-league seasons in the AL, and he boasts a .578 slugging percentage and .888 OPS across 107 career plate appearances at DH. Those numbers are partly comprised of 16 extra-base hits (seven doubles, nine home runs), so the veteran, who's also capable of filling in at multiple positions in the field, has a track record of success when only focusing on hitting. Miler has had access to a private gym while remaining in his Orlando home during the shutdown and has also relied on agent Mike Milchin, a former Cardinals second-round pick in his playing days, for batting practice sessions.

Carpenter presents as a potentially ideal designated hitter candidate if the position is instituted universally for the abbreviated 2020 regular season, Will Laws of SI.com reports.

Laws makes a case for one DH candidate for every National League team, and Carpenter gets his nod on the Cardinals for a couple of reasons. One is the fact that slotting in the veteran at DH would allow him to solely focus on fixing the offensive side of his game after he slumped to a .226/.334/.392 line across 492 plate appearances in 2019. Another is that removing Carpenter from the defensive equation would allow Tommy Edman to potentially slot in at third base on an everyday basis, which would in turn possibly lead to more outfield playing time for a promising prospect like Lane Thomas. Last season notwithstanding, Carpenter's past body of work lends credence to the notion he could thrive in a DH capacity, as he racked up a career-best 78 extra-base hits (42 doubles, 36 home runs) and .523 slugging percentage in 2018.

Ozuna could see significant action at designated hitter if the universal DH is part of a shortened MLB season, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

While Austin Riley is viewed as the likely top option to DH, Ozuna's somewhat shaky defense in left field could make Atlanta consider him for the spot as well. With veterans Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall on the bench, and top prospects Drew Waters and Cristian Pache potentially part of a taxi squad if the minor-league season is canceled, the roster would have plenty of outfield depth to cover any potential shift to DH for Ozuna.

Turner has been hitting off a tee in his backyard and playing catch at a local park, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

With MLB stadiums and facilities mostly shut down, Turner -- like most other players -- has had to rely on home equipment and local spaces to stay in shape. If the 2020 season takes place, the veteran will once again fill an everyday role as the Dodgers' starting third baseman.

Cespedes (ankle) would be the most likely candidate on the Mets to handle designated hitter duties if the DH is implemented universally during a season played entirely at spring training sites, Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News reports.

The club does have other options for the DH spot, such as Matt Adams and Dominic Smith, in a realigned Grapefruit League that would include both NL and AL franchises. The Mets would be in a division with the Astros, Cardinals, Marlins and Nationals in the most recently proposed plan, necessitating a universal DH. Not requiring Cespedes to play defense as he continues his recovery from ankle and heel surgeries while keeping his bat in the lineup would be something of a best-case scenario for the Mets. The 34-year-old wasn't yet running the bases or taking part in fielding drills when MLB suspended play, and it's not clear how ready he will be to patrol the outfield once action resumes.

Miller projected for "ample playing time" all over the field in 2020 when spring training was suspended, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The veteran's ability to play multiple infield and outfield spots combined with the March 7 release of Yairo Munoz seemingly left Miller with solid job security when play was paused. His Grapefruit League play didn't exactly hurt his cause either, with the 30-year-old hitting .267 (4-for-15) with two doubles, three RBI, two walks and three runs across six games. Miller had a solid rebound season in 2019 while splitting time with the Indians and Phillies, slashing .260/.329/.565 with 20 extra-base hits (six doubles, one triple, 13 home runs) across 170 plate appearances.

Carpenter had some encouraging at-bats over the last two Grapefruit League games before spring training was suspended, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Hummel notes Carpenter drew three walks and slugged an opposite-field home run off the Mets' Jacob deGrom in his last five plate appearances before play was paused. The round tripper was especially noteworthy, not only because it came against a two-time Cy Young award winner, but because the veteran had been focusing on hitting the ball the other way all spring after frequently falling victim to the shift during a 2019 season in which he hit just .226. Hummel also reports Carpenter appeared to be much more confident this spring despite hitting just .235 (4-for-17) during eight Grapefruit League contests, and that the 34-year-old should have a chance to see more standard defensive alignments as a No. 2 hitter whenever projected leadoff man and stolen-base threat Kolten Wong gets on base ahead of him.