MLB Player News

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.

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.

Cabrera has gotten into better shape this offseason with the goal of being able to play some first base when the regular season is able to start, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Cabrera reported to camp lighter than he's been the past few seasons, and manager Ron Gardenhire said he was impressed by the veteran's conditioning. Cabrera made 107 appearances as DH in 2019 and played at first in 26 games. The Tigers are unlikely to allow the 37-year-old to play the field extensively this season given his knee issues in recent years.

Choi is working out consistently in his native South Korea and maintaining regular contact with manager Kevin Cash and other Rays staffers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Choi returned to his hometown of Incheon back on March 24 and self-quarantined for 14 days. Subsequent to that period, Choi has been working out with his older brother Jungwoo at the latter's With Baseball academy, which offers the 28-year-old access to regular batting practice as he demonstrated in a recent posting on his personal Instagram account. Choi is also using SMS technology to communicate every few days with Cash and head athletic trainer Joe Benge, and he is contemplating a possible mid-May return to the United States to continue preparing for the regular season.