MLB Player News

Bogaerts left Sunday's intrasquad matchup with hamstring tightness, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports.

Bogaerts battled ankle soreness during spring training but appeared to be healthy this summer. Although he was forced out of Sunday's matchup, manager Ron Roenicke doesn't believe that the injury is serious. Given Roenicke's optimism, it's possible the 27-year-old will be ready for Opening Day on Friday.

Gordon (undisclosed) is batting second and starting in left field for Saturday's intrasquad contest, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The 32-year-old was scratched from Wednesday's intrasquad game for unspecified reasons, but his return to the field Saturday answers any questions on his availability. Gordon is expected to operate in a super-utility role for the Mariners this season.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said Thursday he couldn't comment on why Gordon (undisclosed) was withheld from the team's intrasquad game a day earlier, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Seattle penciled Gordon in as their leadoff man for Wednesday's contest before he was a surprise scratch shortly before the game. His unexplained absence and Servais' unwilling to offer any specifics on the matter will likely fuel speculation that Gordon tested positive for COVID-19, which would put his availability for the July 24 season opener in Houston in jeopardy. The Mariners are planning on deploying Gordon as a super-utility man in 2020.

Gordon was scratched from Wednesday's intrasquad lineup for an undisclosed reason, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Gordon was initially scheduled to play left field and lead off in Wednesday's intrasquad game, but he'll be held out instead. It's unclear what is preventing the 28-year-old from taking the field, and whether he'll miss additional time remains to be seen. Gordon is expected to serve as depth for the Mariners this season, but his defensive versatility could give him a fair amount of playing time if he's healthy.

The Red Sox will formally add Downs to their 60-man roster pool Tuesday or Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The 21-year-old Downs is the Red Sox's top infield prospect, with most of his minor-league action to date coming at shortstop. With Xander Bogaerts entrenched at that position, however, Downs' most realistic path to a full-time role in the majors comes at second base, where Michael Chavis and Jose Peraza currently check in as the top options on the depth chart. Boston is likely content to proceed with that duo manning the position in 2020, but if Chavis, Peraza or Bogaerts ends up missing extensive time for whatever reason, Downs could get his first taste of the big leagues. Downs reached Double-A at the tail end of 2019 but spent most of the campaign in High-A, slashing .276/.362/.526 with 24 home runs and 24 stolen bases between both levels.

Manager Aaron Boone revealed Monday that Herrera is dealing with pain in both of his heels, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Herrera's heel issues started up at the end of spring training, but the problem has resurfaced and has kept him off the field since Thursday. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unclear. The 27-year-old impressed as a non-roster invitee during spring training this year, but he isn't expected to make much of an impact in the majors in 2020.

Manager Terry Francona said Sunday that he thinks Lindor will hit third, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Lindor batted almost exclusively from the leadoff spot last season, but he could improve his RBI potential if he indeed gets slotted into the third spot in the lineup. Francona said that Cesar Hernandez is a likely candidate to replace Lindor as the leadoff hitter. Lindor slashed .284/.335/.518 with 32 home runs and 74 RBI for Cleveland last season.

Anderson hit a pair of home runs in Sunday's intrasquad game and now has three total home runs during intrasquad play, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

There are no official statistics for intrasquad play, but Anderson is unofficially the league leader with three home runs in the early going. He is certainly seeing the ball well, which is encouraging after he hit .185 with a .214 OBP and zero home runs in 28 plate appearances during spring training.

Velazquez's chances of making the 30-man roster have improved with Richie Martin suffering a fractured wrist, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez had a decent chance to make the Opening Day roster even before Martin's injury. The 25-year-old utility player has a 44.4 percent strikeout rate in 36 MLB plate appearances and has a .260/.316/.415 slash line with 16 home runs and 32 steals (on 40 attempts) in 163 career games at Triple-A. While he doesn't project to be an impactful hitter in the majors, his ability to play up the middle and put his plus speed to work on the bases could lead to a part-time role in 2020.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Sunday that Mondesi (shoulder) "looks fantastic" since joining Kansas City for summer camp, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. "He's strong, moving well," Matheny said. "He took a live [batting practice Saturday] and took a couple pitches inside, and they were good pitches, and turned them around. Timing looks good."

After undergoing surgery in October on his left shoulder, Mondesi was eased into spring training and wasn't scheduled to make his Cactus League debut until March 12, but he ultimately didn't get the chance to play after MLB suspended its season that same day. Now nearly four months later, Mondesi has been able to take advantage of the shutdown to get back to full health, and Matheny's comments suggest the talented shortstop is back to 100 percent as the Royals prepare for a 60-game season. Given the scarcity of steals league-wide even in a full 162-game slate, Mondesi's ability to impact that category could be amplified in an abbreviated campaign. In 177 games over the past two seasons, Mondesi has gone 75-for-89 in stolen-base attempts.