MLB Player News

Ohtani indicated that he will probably not include a leg kick in his swing this year, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani had been experimenting with the leg kick prior to the suspension of spring training, and even in veering away from the adjustment, he acknowledged the quickness with which he's able to react once his front foot touches the ground. The slugger has done well enough without the leg kick through his first two big-league seasons, slashing .286/.351/.532 with 40 home runs in 792 plate appearances.

Buxton (personal) is expected to arrive in camp Sunday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Buxton was absent for the first several days of camp after the birth of his son, but he's expected to join the Twins on Sunday. Before he's allowed to join the team, he'll need to undergo a COVID-19 test. However, if he tests negative, he should be ready for the start of the regular season.

Ohtani completed a bullpen session at Angel Stadium on Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ohtani returned to the mound in April and has been ramping up his pitching activity since. While the two-way star was originally expected to miss several weeks to begin the season as he finished recovering from Tommy John surgery, the delayed start to the campaign has given him ample time to build up his arm, and he is now likely to be part of the starting rotation when the season kicks off. Manager Joe Maddon all but confirmed this when he stated that Ohtani is "ready to rock and roll" in a comment to reporters Thursday, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

Buxton hasn't reported to camp yet after the birth of his son, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear when Buxton will join the Twins' camp after the new addition to the family arrived Friday. However, the 26-year-old is apparently fully healthy heading into camp after recovering from a shoulder injury during spring training.

Blackmon (illness) won't be available for the Rockies when camp starts Saturday, Nick Groke of The Athletic reports.

Blackmon tested positive for COVID-19 in late June along with teammates Phillip Diehl and Ryan Castellani, but he apparently hasn't cleared the league's protocol and won't be able to join the team for the start of camp. It's unclear whether he is still showing symptoms or how much extra time he'll need to recover.

Alvarez (knee) didn't join the Astros for their workouts in Houston on Friday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager Dusty Baker said he couldn't say why Alvarez was unavailable due to "league mandates," so it sounds as though his absence is unrelated to the lingering knee issues that he battled before play was paused in March. It's not clear when he's expected to return.

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.

The Rangers will give Solak another look during summer camp in an effort to find him a defensive home, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers love Solak's bat. He batted .293/.393/.491 over 33 games in 2019, but he didn't have an everyday job. Designated hitter is not an option at this time, because Shin-Soo Choo is the team's primary DH. They looked at Solak in center field during spring training and decided he wasn't ready for that. The 25-year-old's best position is second base, but Rougned Odor is there. One scenario that could emerge is an Odor slump. He has a history of that, and the Rangers are less likely to give him the time needed to work through his issues. Solak will also take groundballs at third and first base this summer and can also play left field if needed.

Alvarez (knee) will be the Astros' primary designated hitter in 2020, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez is listed as an outfielder, but a lingering knee issue and his defensive liabilities make him the likely DH for a majority of Houston's 60-game schedule. Cementing Alvarez at DH would leave roster spots for Myles Straw and Kyle Tucker or perhaps a surprise candidate like Chas McCormick.

Vogelbach, who is projected to serve as the Mariners' primary designated hitter, could become an attractive trade piece if he starts the season off well, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The burly 27-year-old slugged 30 home runs in 2019 yet also struggled to a .208 average, in large part due to a 26.7 percent strikeout rate and .232 BABIP. Vogelbach's season essentially fell off a cliff after the All-Star break, but he was hitting an impressive .321 (9-for-28) over 12 Cactus League games when spring training was suspended. Johns speculates that if Vogelbach carries over that momentum into summer camp, and eventually, the first month of the regular season, he could become a particularly appealing trade option for contending National League teams that will be filling a full-time designated hitter spot for the first time this season.