MLB Player News

Mayfield has been named to Houston's 30-man roster, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

With Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve entrenched in the middle of Houston's infield, Mayfield will fill a reserve role in 2020. The 29-year-old struggled in his big-league debut last season, slashing .156/.169/.328 in 26 games.

Manager Dave Roberts said in an appearance Thursday on the "Off Air with Joe and Orel" podcast that Hernandez will start at second base in the Dodgers' Opening Day game against the Giants, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Following the surprise demotion of Gavin Lux earlier this week, the Dodgers' plans for the everyday second base job aren't fully known, but Hernandez looks poised to get the first chance to handle the keystone. Chris Taylor should get opportunities at second base, too, but since both he and Hernandez are right-handed hitters, a pure platoon arrangement won't be an option.

Wong was designated for assignment by the Giants on Thursday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The Giants scooped Wong off waivers in November, though the infielder was never expected to open the season with the big club. He should report to the team's alternative came site if he passes through waivers untouched.

The Mets named Gimenez to their Opening Day roster Thursday. Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

In a surprise move, the 21-year-old will bypass the Triple-A level entirely and open the 60-game season with the big club as a reserve infielder. Expect Gimenez to serve as the top backup at shortstop and second base behind Amed Rosario and Robinson Cano, a role that may only translate to a couple starts per week. Gimenez may provide most of his impact as a late-inning defensive replacement or as a pinch runner, given his above-average speed.

Rodgers was optioned to the Rockies' alternate training site Wednesday.

Rodgers was expected to make the Rockies' major-league roster to begin the season, but he'll instead head to alternate camp ahead of Opening Day on Friday. The 23-year-old completed his rehab from the shoulder surgery that he underwent last June and should be the Rockies' top option to fill in if middle infield help is needed. The highly rated prospect's major-league debut last year didn't go as planned, as he hit .224/.272/.250 with seven RBI and 27 strikeouts over 25 games before his season was cut short with a torn labrum.

Chicago manager David Ross said Hoerner could be an option to play in center field this season if a need arises, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Albert Almora, Ian Happ and Jason Heyward are the most likely candidates for playing time in center, but Ross acknowledged that the team will need "to be prepared for anything this season." Hoerner saw a little action in center with Double-A Tennessee last season, though he did primarily play in the infield both for the Smokies and the Cubs. He's expected to split second base duties with Jason Kipnis in Chicago this season.

Espinal will be included on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The 25-year-old was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo shortly after spring training was shutdown in March, but he'll end up breaking camp in the majors despite appearing in only 28 games at the Triple-A level. Espinal should operate as a utility infielder off the bench and is unlikely to see significant opportunities if the team remains fairly healthy.

General manager David Stearns said Urias (illness) will need 2-to-3 weeks to get up to speed once he's cleared all health protocols, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Urias missed all of summer camp after testing positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of July, and he'll need a couple of weeks to make up for lost time once he's cleared to return to workouts. As such, he doesn't seem likely to join the Brewers until at least mid-August. With Keston Hiura (arm) and Orlando Arcia expected to start up the middle for Milwaukee, Urias will likely have to fight Brock Holt for the top utility infield job once he's healthy.

Altuve (leg) is starting at second base and hitting second in Wednesday's intrasquad game, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Altuve is good to go after exiting Tuesday's exhibition game against the Royals with a left leg contusion. Assuming the second baseman feels OK during Wednesday's scrimmage, he should be in the lineup for Friday's season opener.

Beckham was released by the Mets on Wednesday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Beckham was the odd man out after the Mets brought in Brian Dozier on a minor-league deal. With a modest .237/.300/.367 slash line across his 11-year big-league career, Beckham is unlikely to be a particularly attractive option on the open market.