MLB Player News

Choi plans to leave his native South Korea later Tuesday to join the Rays in anticipation of the 2020 MLB season resuming, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency reports.

Choi's impending return to the United States comes on the heels of MLB owners voting Monday to implement a 60-game season that will reportedly begin around July 24, per Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com. The plan would require players to sign off on a health-and-safety protocol to arrive at their home stadiums by July 1 to prepare for the season, but it's unclear how that timeline may impact foreign players like Choi, who could need to self-quarantine for a two-week period before partaking in workouts with the Rays. Assuming that Choi is cleared for full team activities at least a week or so before the season kicks off, however, he shouldn't face any restrictions when games begin.

Ohtani posted a video of himself deadlifting 495 pounds on his personal Instagram page Wednesday.

Given the strain of lifting nearly 500 pounds, it's safe to say that Ohtani is feeling good after undergoing elbow and knee surgeries over the previous two years. Ohtani has put on added muscle as the result of a heavyweight, low-rep routine over the offseason, giving the Angels hope that he can increase his durability upon his return to the mound during a potential 2020 campaign.

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.

Ohtani (elbow) recently resumed throwing live batting practice and has advanced to the 55-pitch mark in those sessions, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Angels have indicated that Ohtani, who has thrown live BP three times, will stick to around 55 pitches in his subsequent throwing sessions before likely building up his count once teams are allowed to begin their second phase of preseason training. The league-wide shutdown has provided Ohtani with some extra time to complete the final stages of his rehab from October 2018 Tommy John surgery, leaving the possibility open for him to contribute both as a member of the rotation and as a designated hitter when Opening Day arrives.

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.

Lewis, who has remained in the Arizona area while spring training has been suspended, is likely to be present at the Mariners' spring training facility in Peoria when it reopens with limited access early this week, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Mariners are among many teams that will begin welcoming staggered groups of players back over the next several days for informal workouts at either their home or spring training complexes. Lewis' ongoing presence in the area makes him a natural candidate to join other teammates such as Evan White, Jake Fraley and J.P. Crawford, and with multiple practice fields and workout areas, the Peoria complex should afford the necessary space for proper social distancing procedures to be followed.

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.

Ohtani (elbow) has been "ramping up intensity and volume," Jeff Fletcher of The Orange Country Register reports.

The update comes by way of Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who also noted that Ohtani has continued throwing off a mound. The two-way star was originally expected to be limited to hitting duties to begin the campaign, but with a potential Opening Day pushed back to no sooner than early July, Ohtani is now on track to be part of the starting rotation from the get-go.