MLB Player News

Ozuna (facial laceration) could be used as Atlanta's primary designated hitter this season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old's bat will be in the lineup somewhere on a consistent basis, but Ozuna's declining defense over the couple of years could push him to DH rather than left field, while Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall platoon in the other spot. Austin Riley could also be in the LF/DH mix for Atlanta. Wherever he plays defensively, Ozuna's power will keep him in the heart of the batting order.

Winker has another avenue for playing time with the implementation of the universal DH for the 2020 season, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Neither Winker nor Nick Castellanos are considered good defensive outfielders, but both have sufficiently productive bats to try to get them in the lineup more often. They are probably the two outfielders most likely to slot in as the DH. Winker still might sit frequently against left-handed pitching, however -- in 147 major-league plate appearances against lefties, Winker has hit .176/.295/.248 with only two homers.

Angels manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday that he's "very" hopeful Ohtani will be ready to pitch by Opening Day, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Maddon named Ohtani, Griffin Canning (elbow) and Felix Pena (knee) as players who were unlikely to be a go for the original Opening Day but may be fine after the extended layoff. Among that group, Ohtani seems like the surest bet to be with the team when play kicks off as he has -- by all indications -- completed his Tommy John recovery. Ohtani reached 55 pitches in a live batting practice session at the end of last month. Maddon followed up by saying he plans to keep Ohtani on his once-a-week pitching schedule this season.

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.

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.