MLB Player News

Rooker hit .286/.400/.333 with zero home runs and a 6:3 K:BB in 25 plate appearances with the big club this spring.

While Rooker may be able to hold his own at the plate against big-league pitching, albeit with plenty of strikeouts (34.7 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A), his defensive limitations and the Twins' impressive depth make it tough to envision a path to significant playing time. He is a poor defender, already confined to first base, left field and designated hitter, and the Twins are not lacking for quality options at those positions. For instance, Alex Kirilloff is a quality defender at first base and the outfield corners and his bat is close to ready, while Trevor Larnach's bat is not far behind and he is also confined to left field and DH. Rooker will not have to be added to the 40-man roster until next offseason.

Ramirez is a candidate to platoon with Matt Joyce in right field once the regular season begins, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old is facing competition from Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison and Garrett Cooper for the role. Ramirez put together a fairly impressive rookie season in 2019, but that may not be enough to ensure him consistent playing time in 2020.

Stanton (calf) took swings on the field at the Yankees' spring-training complex Wednesday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton was among a group of Yankees taking part in informal workouts at the George M. Steinbrenner Field complex in an effort to stay in shape during MLB's hiatus. Though he was originally expected to miss Opening Day, Stanton should be fully recovered from his right calf strain by the time the regular season gets underway.

Ohtani may be available to pitch from the start of the season, given that Opening Day has been delayed indefinitely, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani's value has always been heavily dependent on how various leagues allow him to be used. Previously, fantasy owners could count on him to hit all season, but he wasn't expected to pitch before mid-May as he's still working his way back from Tommy John surgery. With mid-May now seeming like the earliest play is likely to resume, Ohtani could now be a full two-way player for the entirety of the campaign. Manager Joe Maddon did note, however, that the Angels won't be wanting to give Ohtani a full workload in his first season back from injury, so whether he pitches right away could depend in part on how long the adjusted regular-season schedule ends up being.

Soler hit .172/.250/.448 with two home runs and a 14:3 K:BB in 32 plate appearances this spring.

Soler's 43.8 percent strikeout rate is pretty alarming, but this was a small sample and his strikeout rate has been below 27 percent in each of the last two big-league seasons. His place in the middle of Kansas City's lineup will be safe whenever the 2020 season gets underway.

Mercedes has been reassigned to Triple-A Charlotte, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Mercedes, all 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds of him, was a darling of spring training. Known for his big swing and exuberance, Mercedes hit .381 and launched four home runs. He was hoping to land a roster spot as the 26th man, but the White Sox are expected to go with someone more versatile when they break camp.

Stanton (calf) could be ready to play by the start of the regular season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Stanton suffered a Grade 1 right calf strain in late February and was originally expected to start the season on the injured list. However, MLB announced Monday that Opening Day will not take place for at least eight weeks, clearing a path for Stanton to be healthy for the start of the campaign. The slugger has been targeting a return in April, well before the new mid-May estimated date for the commencement of the regular season.

The Rockies were using Blackmon in the third spot in the order this spring, while experimenting with David Dahl in the leadoff spot, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Manager Bud Black wants to get Blackmon into a better 'run-producing' - i.e. RBI-producing - spot in the order. He's already running less often as it is, so this move will only likely give him fewer runs while adding RBI.

Collins was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Collins' path to making the Opening Day roster as the backup catcher disappeared once the White Sox signed Yasmani Grandal to start ahead of James McCann. The 25-year-old didn't make much of an impression in 102 plate appearances in his debut last season, striking out 38.2 percent of the time while hitting .186/.307/.349 and earning poor marks for his defensive work behind the plate. It may take an injury or a trade for him to fill a notable role in the majors this season.

Ohtani will not be shut down from throwing in spite of the suspension of spring training and delay of the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

General manager Billy Eppler noted Friday that Ohtani, as well as the remainder of the Angels' pitching staff, will continue throwing during Major League Baseball's hiatus. That keeps the righthander's timeline to return to game action set at mid-May. Depending on when the regular season commences, Ohtani could end up pitching for a significantly larger portion of the season than originally planned.