MLB Player News

Choi will sit for Friday's game against the Orioles with lefty John Means on the mound, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Choi is a career .179/.275/.282 hitter against lefties, and the Rays like their platoons, so he's unlikely to start against many southpaws this season. Harold Ramirez will get the start at first base Friday.

Ohtani (0-1) was tagged with the loss Thursday against the Astros after allowing one run on four hits and a walk while fanning nine across 4.2 innings.

The two-way star could not get out of the fifth inning, and while he looked dominant at times, the one run he allowed -- an RBI single from Alex Bregman that scored Michael Brantley -- was enough to tag him with the loss as the Angels' offense had little success on the night. Ohtani contributed to those struggles with an 0-for-4 performance from the leadoff spot. He went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA last season in addition to his massive numbers at the plate, and he'll aim to earn his first win on the season when he faces the Rangers on the road next week.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's win over the Angels.

Alvarez served as the designated hitter and hit fourth in the lineup for the team's opening game of the 2022 season. He delivered his first home run of the new campaign in the eighth inning, going back-to-back with Alex Bregman. Alvarez is looking to build off his strong 2021 results, as he blasted 33 homers while hitting .277.

Mercedes (hand) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to April 4.

Mercedes sustained a hamate fracture in his left hand that required surgery in late March, and he has a recovery timetable of approximately 6-8 weeks. It wouldn't be surprising to see the 29-year-old spend time in the minors once he's back to full health, but he should be in the mix to return to the big leagues at some point in 2022.

Collins is expected to break camp with the Blue Jays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Collins was acquired from the White Sox for Reese McGuire in a swap of backup catchers Sunday. The Blue Jays still have Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk on the team, but it looks like Collins will stick around as an additional bench bat. He doesn't appear to have a path to regular starts unless someone ahead of him gets injured, however.

Ford was reassigned to minor-league camp Monday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Ford was in camp on a minor-league deal but faced an uphill battle to win a roster spot. He'll serve as organizational depth at first base, but his .199/.301/.422 slash line in 101 career major-league games isn't good enough for a regular role at the position.

Carpenter said Sunday that he plans to report to Triple-A Round Rock with the hope of earning a call-up to the Rangers down the road, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

After his production at the plate declined considerably over his final three seasons in St. Louis, Carpenter was forced to settle for a minor-league deal when he reached an agreement with the Rangers in March. The 36-year-old reworked his swing in the offseason with the hope of re-emerging as a big-league-caliber player, and though he wasn't rewarded with a spot on the Rangers' Opening Day roster, he's optimistic that he'll eventually force the organization's hand by performing well at Round Rock. The affiliate is only a few hours away from Carpenter's offseason home in Fort Worth, which likely explains why the three-time All-Star is willing to slum it in the minors at this point in his career.

The Rangers informed Carpenter on Sunday that he won't be included on their Opening Day roster, independent baseball journalist Jeff Wilson reports.

Texas will likely formally reassign Carpenter to minor-league camp in the coming days, but it's unclear if a player with his level of experience in the majors will be willing to report to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the season. Since he swatted a career-high 36 home runs in 2018, the longtime Cardinals infielder's production fell off swiftly during his final three seasons in St. Louis, with Carpenter submitting a .671 OPS and 87 wRC+ over that stretch. Now 36 years old and with little defensive utility to offer at this stage of his career, Carpenter may struggle to get another look in the majors.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said earlier this spring that Stanton is expected to play a "decent amount" of outfield this season, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Stanton didn't play the outfield at all in 2020 but logged 26 games there last season, so he's fantasy-eligible as an outfielder in most leagues. The slugger is almost certain to spend most of his time at DH again this season, which is a decision largely centered on keeping him healthy. From a fantasy perspective, the optimal scenario includes Stanton playing just enough games to retain outfield eligibility for 2023 while maintaining his health by working mostly as the team's designated hitter.

With Spencer Torkelson making the Opening Day roster, per Jason Beck of MLB.com, Cabrera will likely serve as the team's primary designated hitter this season.

Cabrera made 44 appearances at first base last season versus 83 starts at DH, and that split could get even more extreme in 2022 with Torkelson on board and set to play first most days. Cabrera may still fill in at first when Torkelson rests, but the veteran looks like he won't play the field very much unless injuries change the team's plans.