MLB Player News

Camargo will be in the lineup on an every-other-day basis in the early parts of spring training, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Camargo is competing with Austin Riley for the starting job at the hot corner in Atlanta, so the team will give long looks to both players early on in the exhibition season. After a down year in 2019, Camargo has reportedly focused on his conditioning and fitness with an eye towards bouncing back in 2020.

Manager David Ross said there are no lingering issues with Baez's thumb, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. "He's told me no. I've asked him that. I asked him that a while back with the training in the offseason, and I haven't heard anything from our training staff on that subject. So as far as I know, he's 100 percent."

A hairline fracture in Baez's left thumb kept the 27-year-old sidelined for the majority of September last season, but it doesn't sound like there are any concerns regarding the injury heading into the 2020 season. Baez, who avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the Cubs earlier in the offseason, hit .281/.316/.531 with 29 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 138 games in 2019.

Reyes was dealt an 80-game suspension without pay Wednesday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Reyes was not invited to spring training after being outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on January 16. The 26-year-old struggled to produce offensively for the Pirates in 2019, slashing .203/.274/.322 with 39 runs scored and 36 RBI throughout 157 plate appearances.

Manager Dave Martinez is expected to give Turner a look as the Nationals' No. 3 hitter during Grapefruit League games, Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reports.

While the Nationals brought in Eric Thames and Starlin Castro this offseason to help offset the departure of Anthony Rendon, neither player profiles as an adequate replacement for the two-time Silver Slugger in the heart of the order. Turner can't match Rendon's power, but his bat-to-ball skills probably make him the best internal candidate to offer protection in front of cleanup hitter Juan Soto. Should Martinez commit to using Turner as his No. 3 hitter, the 26-year-old could lose out on a good amount of running chances, though he would benefit from a major boost in his RBI count. Conversely, Victor Robles would likely assume Turner's old leadoff gig and would presumably see his stolen-base opportunities skyrocket. Per Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports, Turner was taking reps at shortstop Tuesday in the Nats' first infield workout of the spring, which indicates he's made a full recovery from November surgery to repair a fractured index finger.

Berti could see significant action this season even without a regular defensive spot in the starting lineup, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

The 30-year-old got his first extended stint in the majors last year and posted a surprisingly solid .273/.348/.406 slash line while playing five different positions around the diamond (third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots). From a fantasy perspective, Berti's 17 steals in 20 attempts in only 73 games makes him a potential sleeper, but the Marlins will need to get him into the lineup consistently if he's going to take advantage of his speed. A super-utility role that sees him backing up Jonathan Villar in center field and the double-play duo of Isan Diaz and Miguel Rojas -- all of whom are unproven in one way or another -- could get Berti 4-5 starts a week.

Cruz, who saw his first action at the Double-A level in 2019, has received his first invitation to major-league spring training, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

"My goal is to make it to the big leagues this year," Cruz said. "I want to do everything possible to make it to the big leagues this year. For me, there's nothing impossible." The 21-year-old prospect is an oddity because of his size -- he stands 6-foot-7 -- and the position he currently plays, shortstop. While some projections have Cruz delivering monster power, he's hit just 32 home runs over his last three seasons. Since there are few size comparisons for Cruz, predicting his path may prove difficult. After returning from an early-season foot fracture in 2019, he hit well in High-A (.301/.345/.515) before jumping to Double-A (.269/.346/.412) for the final month. He then struggled in the Arizona Fall League, batting .190 with a 7:21 BB:K mark in 42 at-bats. Cruz is one of Pittsburgh's brightest prospects and it will be interesting to see how the team's new management handles his progression.

Camargo, who committed to improving his conditioning and fitness this offseason, will compete in camp with Austin Riley for the starting job at third base, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old lost nearly 20 pounds this winter while working out with a performance coach in Tampa rather than staying home in Panama. Camargo saw his numbers drop across the board last year and could be a better fit as a utility player, but if Riley hasn't yet figured out big-league pitching, Camargo could get a chance to rediscover the form that saw him slug 19 homers with an .806 OPS through 134 games in 2018.

Edman is expected to see action at as many as six different positions in spring training, as the Cardinals envision him filling an everyday role as a super-utility man in 2020, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

St. Louis is eager to open up everyday playing time for Edman after he posted a team-best .850 OPS last season following his promotion from Triple-A Memphis in early June. After playing 55 games at third base and 29 games at second base as a rookie, Edman should already carry dual-position eligibility in most fantasy leagues entering 2020, and the Cardinals could work him into the mix at all three outfield spots as necessary. Any additional eligibility he gains as the season rolls along will only provide another boost to the ascending value of Edman, who could make a run at a 20-20 season if he gets 600-plus plate appearances.

The Diamondbacks will not feel the need to rush Perdomo's development, after the team extended shortstop Nick Ahmed through the 2023 season, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The 20-year-old Perdomo is among the organization's top prospects and finished 2019 with a 26-game stint at High-A Visalia. Extending Ahmed allows Perdomo to take a more measured path to MLB. The shortstop survived the cooler spring months before busting out over the second half of the season, posting a .325/.426/.430 slash line, while also stealing a combined 20 bags between Visalia and Low-A Kane County.

Ahmed agreed to a four-year extension with Arizona on Monday.

Ahmed will make at least $32.5 million over the course of the deal, with the potential for more in incentives, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports. The shortstop had been scheduled to reach free agency after the 2020 season, so the deal buys out three extra years and keeps him under club control through his age-33 season. He's never had an above-average batting line, but his .254/.316/.437 line last season was good for a 92 wRC+, an acceptable figure for a player with a strong defensive reputation at shortstop.