MLB Player News

Tellez improved his training regimen and altered his hitting mechanics over the winter in an effort to secure a spot on the Blue Jays' 26-man roster this spring, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

While his listed weight didn't change much, Tellez estimates that he lost 15 pounds of fat and added back 14 pounds of muscle as a result of a more focused workout routine. "It was way more condensed into a few things that I wanted to work on to better myself," Tellez said Saturday. "One of those was to build strength within my core and hips. I got stronger in there, which forced me to lean out." The 24-year-old also shortened his swing to try to make more contact and allow his natural strength to produce his power rather than try to launch a homer every at-bat. Whether Tellez heads north with a backup 1B/DH role will depend as much on how the team plans to cover the rest of the diamond defensively as it does on his own performance this spring, but even if he begins the year back at Triple-A Buffalo, he could still end up playing a big part in the 2020 campaign -- especially if Travis Shaw hasn't solved his issues at the plate from last year.

White hasn't played since Wednesday due to soreness in his groin muscles, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Although White has missed several days, the Mariners appear to be holding him out simply as a precautionary measure. The 23-year-old is expected to return to the lineup by Monday. White is 3-for-9 with two doubles and one run over three games this spring.

Kirilloff (undisclosed) will start in right field and bat eighth in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Kirilloff was scratched from the Twins' exhibition opener last week against the University of Minnesota due to the unspecified issue, but whatever he was dealing with is apparently no longer a concern. The 22-year-old should receive a fair amount of bats with the big club this spring before likely opening the 2020 campaign at Triple-A Rochester.

Cron went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

Cron hit 25 home runs last year for the Twins but was limited in the second half because of a thumb injury. He reported to spring training healthy after offseason thumb surgery, and the 30-year-old figures to add some pop to Detroit's lineup. He had a career-high 30 long balls in 2018 and could return to that level if he stays healthy in 2020.

Padlo (illness) won't begin baseball activities for at least another week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Padlo has been sidelined by a "non-baseball illness," though he's now back in Port Charlotte with the rest of the squad. The 23-year-old was added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft but was likely a long shot to break camp with the team. Missing a considerable portion of spring training reduces his chances further.

White, who signed a six-year, $24 million deal Nov. 25, is slated for the starting first-base job this season despite not having played above the Double-A level, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

White has been lauded for his work with both the bat and glove during his three-year minor-league career. His latest success came at Double-A Arkansas last season, when White slashed .293/.350/.488 across 400 plate appearances. The 23-year-old flashed his defensive skills on multiple occasions during Sunday's Cactus League opener against the Rangers as well, and he managed to put on approximately 10 pounds of muscle over the offseason that he hopes to keep on his frame throughout the 2020 campaign.

Kirilloff was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the University of Minnesota, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.comreports.

It's unclear if the absence is injury-related or if the Twins simply changed their plans. Kiriloff is with the team's big-league camp this spring, though he's unlikely to be seriously pushing for a roster spot, as he's yet to reach the Triple-A level.

Cron reported to spring training Saturday and won't face any limitations in camp after requiring surgery on his right thumb in October, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Cron said he only lost about two weeks from his normal offseason program while undergoing rehab from surgery, so he won't be behind any of his fellow position players during spring training. Per Stavenhagen, the Tigers are slated to roll out a lineup of younger, less established players in their spring opener Friday versus Southeastern University, but Cron could make his Tigers debut in Grapefruit League games Saturday or Sunday. The 30-year-old is poised to serve as the Tigers' everyday first baseman in 2020 and should provide a much-needed power boost to a squad that ranked 29th in the majors in home runs a season ago.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Thursday that he plans to use Guerrero as the Blue Jays' cleanup hitter this season, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Heading into spring training, Guerrero appeared likely to slot in as the Blue Jays' No. 3 hitter, but the 20-year-old expressed a desire to drop down a spot in the order. Instead, Toronto plans to use Lourdes Gurriel out of the three hole, as Guerrero told Montoyo he feels he can benefit from observing Gurriel's at-bats beforehand since pitchers tend to attack both hitters the same way. Guerrero's fantasy outlook won't change much whether he bats third or fourth, as he should see plenty of run-producing chances regardless while a pair of high on-base batters in Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio occupy the top two spots in the order.

Mountcastle has been primarily been working out at first base in the Orioles' early full-squad workouts, though manager Brandon Hyde said he plans to expose the 23-year-old to the outfield as well, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Baltimore protected Mountcastle from the Rule 5 draft over the winter in anticipation of him debuting from the big club in 2020, but he'll be hard pressed to crack the Opening Day roster. Instead, Mountcastle's main focus this spring will be increasing his versatility on the defensive end, as his bat is probably already good enough to warrant an opportunity in the majors. Entering the season, Trey Mancini, Renato Nunez and Anthony Santander are seemingly locked into full-time roles at either first base, the corner outfield or designated hitter, so Mountcastle seems most likely to cut into the playing time of Chris Davis once the Orioles deem him big-league ready.