MLB Player News

Choi went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs in a Grapefruit League loss to the Twins on Sunday.

After a delayed start to Grapefruit League participation due to knee soreness, Choi is quickly making up for lost time. The 29-year-old has reached safely in all three of his games thus far, and he also went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run in Thursday's contest versus the Twins. Choi will look to boost his batting average back to its previous standards in 2021 after slumping to a .230 figure across 145 plate appearances last season.

Torrens (finger) went 0-for-1 with an RBI sacrifice fly in a Cactus League tie with the Athletics on Saturday, his Cactus League debut.

Torrens is expected to see what has been estimated as about 45 percent of the playing time behind the dish as a platoon mate of Tom Murphy this coming season. The 24-year-old acquitted himself well after arriving via trade with the Padres last season and distinguished himself with a .300/.373/.500 line that included 39 extra-base hits and 62 RBI at Double-A Amarillo back in 2019.

Reyes is being kept away from his teammates after breaking COVID-19 protocols, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Reyes reportedly got a haircut and went to dinner inside a restaurant with teammate Jose Ramirez, who has also been temporarily sent home. The team expects to find out soon when the pair can return. Reyes similarly violated health protocols last season by attending a Fourth of July party without a mask.

Lewi went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs in a Cactus League tie with the White Sox on Friday.

Lewis went 0-for-4 over his first two Cactus League games before breaking the ice with Friday's multi-hit effort. The slugging outfielder heads into 2021 with extremely elevated expectations after blasting 11 home runs across 242 plate appearances in 2020.

Torrens (finger) is batting seventh and serving as the designated hitter in Saturday's spring game against the Athletics, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Torrens will make his spring debut Saturday after missing time due to a finger laceration early in camp. If all goes well Saturday, he could resume catching duties in the near future.

Ohtani completed 1.2 innings in Friday's Cactus League contest against Oakland, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five.

Ohtani's control -- especially on his slider -- wasn't in peak form, but the two-way star recorded all five of his outs via strikeout and touched 100 mph on his fastball, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. More importantly, manager Joe Maddon liked what he saw in terms of Ohtani's mechanics, which never appeared to be in sync last season. "It really starts with his delivery, I think it's more clean and consistent," Maddon said. "I like his arm stroke better. It starts there and then he's able to recapture the velocity he's had in the past, and the really good break of his splitter. The big thing for his success is going to be repetition of delivery and knowing where his fastball is going consistently." Ohtani won't have any restrictions as part of the Angels' six-man rotation this season, though health is always a concern considering that injuries have limited him to 53.1 total innings on the mound over three big-league seasons.

Ohtani will pitch as a normal member of the Angels' six-man rotation this season and won't be locked into a specific day of the week, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Teams in Ohtani's native Japan typically use six-man rotations and have one off day per week, allowing each starter to pitch on a dedicated day throughout the season. The Angels had kept Ohtani on a similar schedule when he first came to MLB, but they intend to use him in the same way as the rest of their rotation this season. They'll still use a non-standard six-man rotation, which limits his potential two-start weeks, but he'll at least now have the chance to receive a few throughout the season if his turn happens to line up during a week in which the Angels play seven games. The decision comes as part of a broader plan to make fewer exceptions for Ohtani this season, which may include using him as a designated hitter the day after his starts, something the Angels have been hesitant to do thus far.

Manager Scott Servais said Torrens (finger) could receive a couple at-bats at designated hitter in Saturday's spring game against the A's, Lauren Smith of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

The 24-year-old has yet to make his spring debut due to a finger laceration, but it appears he'll be on the field Saturday. If all goes well at the plate, Torrens is then expected to be worked into the catching rotation.

Cabrera played first base Thursday in a Grapefruit League game, his first appearance there since 2019, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Cabrera spent three innings in the field, and manager A.J. Hinch said afterward, "Miggy's a good first baseman. ... He was pretty active." The 37-year-old will now likely get a few days off, but he could return to the lineup this weekend and will likely continue to play first base occasionally into the regular season -- though it remains to be seen how frequently he'll be used defensively. Cabrera played in 57 games in 2020, all as the Tigers' DH.

Torrens has been dealing with a cut on his finger but will make his spring debut over the weekend, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Torrens is expected to back up Tom Murphy this season, but the Mariners have estimated that he'll receive up to 45 percent of the starts behind the plate with Murphy coming off a season missed to injury. The delayed start to Torrens' spring shouldn't hurt him too much in that pursuit, as he'll still have several weeks to prepare for Opening Day.