MLB Player News

Hoskins (elbow) shared video of himself hitting in a batting cage on his personal Twitter page Thursday.

Hoskins was having a solid season at the plate before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in mid-September. He eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in early October and was given a return timeline that placed his readiness for Opening Day in some question. The first baseman stated Thursday that he was on track for spring training, but players tend to be on the optimistic end regarding their own timelines, so there's still no guarantee he avoids a trip to the injured list.

The Padres will consider experimenting with using Cronenworth in the outfield following the signing of Ha-seong Kim on Monday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

With Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado cemented on the left side of the infield and Cronenworth coming off a strong season at the keystone, the signing of Kim creates a bit of an infield logjam for the Friars. As a result, it looks like the club will try both Cronenworth and Kim in the outfield next spring in an attempt to possibly get both of their bats in the lineup on a regular basis. A return of the designated hitter in the National League would certainly simplify things for San Diego.

Bell was traded from the Pirates to the Nationals in exchange for Eddy Yean and Wil Crowe on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

If the Nationals are getting the 2019 version, Bell will be a big addition, as he hit a career-high 37 homers while slashing .277/.367/.569. His numbers cratered across the board in 2020's shortened campaign, however, as he hit just eight homers in 57 games and posted a .226/.305/.364 slash line. His strikeout rate soared from 19.2 percent to 26.5 percent while his walk rate fell to a career-low 9.9 percent. That makes the first baseman a rather risky fantasy option heading into the 2021 season, but he still has plenty of upside, especially as he's now left one of the league's toughest parks and worst lineups behind.

Hoskins is making progress in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Hoskins underwent the procedure in early October and was given an uncertain timeline in regards to whether or not he'd be ready to play by Opening Day. Per Montemurro's report, Hoskins may be slightly behind his original schedule, though manager Joe Girardi remains optimistic that the first baseman will be ready for the start of the season. Barring setbacks, it doesn't appear as though he'd be set for a lengthy stay on the sidelines if he does end up forced to open the year on the injured list.

Cooper agreed to a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Marlins on Wednesday, Craig Mish of SportsGrid.com reports.

He can earn up to $2.05 million with performance bonuses. Jesus Aguilar is also back on a one-year deal, so ideally the designated hitter will remain in the National League going forward. Cooper may have flown under the radar last season, but his .283/.353/.500 slash line and six home runs in 34 games was pretty impressive. He should enter the year with near everyday playing time and a spot in the middle of Miami's lineup.

Shaw was designated for assignment Friday.

Shaw has essentially mastered Triple-A at this point, but the Giants seem to think he is a Quadruple-A hitter, as he has never been given much of a chance at the big-league level. He will offer organizational depth going forward if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Freeman was named the 2020 National League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

Freeman is Atlanta's first MVP since 1999 as he received 28 of 30 first-place votes, while Mookie Betts received the other two votes and finished in second in the voting. Freeman appeared in all 60 games during the shortened 2020 season, slashing .341/.462/.640 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 45 walks and 37 strikeouts.

Rizzo's option was picked up by the Cubs on Saturday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rizzo will earn $16.5 million in 2021. Even after a disappointing season that saw him hit just .222/.342/.414, and even with a depressed market predicted for this winter, the decision was likely an easy one for the Cubs, as they bring back a team leader who has a long track record of success for the club. Just 31 years old, there's reason to believe Rizzo will demonstrate next season that his 2020 struggles were more of a small-sample blip than the start of a dramatic aging curve. It's certainly not out of the question that he could return to something close to his form from 2019, when he hit .293/.405/.520 with 27 homers.

Goldschmidt underwent a procedure to remove a bone spur from his right elbow after the end of the season, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

It's unclear how long the 33-year-old had been battling the issue, but he waited until the Cardinals were eliminated before undergoing surgery. Goldschmidt finished the shortened campaign with a .304/.417/.466 slash line, six homers, 13 doubles, 31 runs and 21 RBI while playing all 58 games. President John Mozeliak didn't offer a specific recovery timeline, but the veteran slugger shouldn't have any issues being ready for the start of spring training in February.

Freeman went 2-for-5 with a double, one run and two RBI during Thursday's win over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLCS.

The veteran first baseman gave the Braves a 2-1 lead during the sixth inning with an RBI double off Clayton Kershaw, and he brought home an insurance run during eighth with an RBI single. Freeman is in the midst of a five-game hit streak, going 8-for-18 with two homers, one double, five runs, six RBI and three walks during that stretch.