MLB Player News

Astros manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday that Alvarez (knees) has not yet been cleared for on-field work at spring training, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Baker suggested that Alvarez was being held out of workouts in a pre-planned arrangement as he recovers from the arthroscopic procedures he required on both of his knees in August, so the 23-year-old isn't believed to be dealing with any sort of setback. The Astros will likely ramp up Alvarez slowly throughout the spring with the goal of having him ready to serve as the club's everyday designated hitter when Opening Day arrives. Alvarez made just nine plate appearances in 2020 before being shut down with the dual knee injury.

Lewis stood out in both batting and fielding practice during the Mariners' position players' first workout of spring Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The reigning AL Rookie of the Year picked right up where he left off during the Mariners' first full-squad workout, making several impressive catches on flyballs and homering to both the opposite field and pull side multiple times during five rounds of batting practice. Lewis is naturally locked into the starting center field role after hitting 17 home runs over his first 76 major-league games across the last two seasons, but he'll look to shave down a strikeout rate that checked in at a bloated 29.3 percent in 2020.

Stanton could still play some outfield this season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

General manager Brian Cashman suggested in October that Stanton would be purely a designated hitter going forward, but the team may be changing plans. Stanton's constant health issues mean the designated hitter role would seem to suit him well, though he's graded out as a decent outfielder over the course of his career, and manager Aaron Boone suggested Tuesday that playing the outfield occasionally could help him stay in shape. Stanton won't be outfield-eligible in standard setups to open the season, as he didn't play the field a single time last year, but it sounds as though there's at least a chance he picks up eligibility midseason in some leagues.

Reyes said Monday that he suffered a sprained right ankle a few weeks ago, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Reyes didn't indicate whether he expects the injury to affect his status for spring training, though it wouldn't be surprising if Cleveland elected to limit his activity in the team's initial workouts. He's expected to open 2021 as Cleveland's everyday designated hitter, likely occupying a spot in the heart of the order in most games.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said he is seriously considering playing Cabrera at first base one to two times per week this season, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Hinch said playing Cabrera at first gives him more roster flexibility, though he added that he doesn't want to "break" the veteran. Cabrera last appeared at first in 2019 and exclusively served as the designated hitter during the shortened 2020 season, but it appears he has a real chance at playing the field in 2021. The 37-year-old's fantasy value will of course depend on what he can do at the plate, though he could at least have some more positional eligibility to work with.

Torrens (back) is slated to operate in a near-even timeshare with Tom Murphy behind the plate in 2021, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old has reportedly impressed manager Scott Servais with his knowledge of the pitching staff, and he turned in a serviceable .257/.325/.371 line with five doubles, one home run and six RBI across 78 plate appearances after arriving via trade from the Padres last season. Murphy is returning from missing all of the 2020 campaign with a fractured foot, and although the veteran is back to full health, the team is expected to manage his workload and give Torrens plenty of opportunities for playing time in the process.

Ohtani worked with Driveline Baseball over the offseason as part of a plan to get back to his desired level on the mound, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

The two-way phenom has yet to fully deliver on his considerable promise, with Tommy John surgery limiting him to just 12 starts over his first three MLB seasons, including two disastrous outings after he got back on the mound last year. It's not clear exactly what he worked on at Driveline, though he was seen using the company's trademark weighted ball workouts in camp. There's no guarantee that working with Driveline will instantly vault Ohtani into a new tier as a pitcher, but the trip provides one explanation should he showcase a new skill set early in the season. Early reports from camp have been mostly negative, as he topped out at just 90 mph in his first bullpen session, but he didn't seem concerned with his velocity. Fantasy drafters may not share his optimism given his history, but there's every chance his velocity rebounds as his spring buildup continues.

Ohtani threw a 27-pitch bullpen session Thursday, topping out at 90 mph, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The velocity is well below his career average of 93.2 mph, but it's probably far too early to be worried. Pitchers don't always throw at full intensity right at the start of camp, and Ohtani had reportedly touched 95 mph in recent sessions. Still, given the rocky nature of Ohtani's MLB pitching career thus far, it doesn't take much for the red flags to start to fly. After not pitching at all in 2019 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, he was shut down following a pair of awful outings last year. Those looking to invest in him in fantasy drafts would certainly love to see his velocity return to normal before doing so.

Jimenez is still viewed as the everyday left fielder heading into spring training, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Jimenez played 54 games in the outfield during the 2020 campaign, but he's had some defensive issues to begin his major-league career. General manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday that Jimenez could still start some games as the designated hitter, but the 24-year-old is viewed as the team's everyday left fielder heading into 2021.

Cabrera has been doing defensive drills during the offseason and could play some at first base this season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Cabrera is unlikely to take on a regular role at first after the 37-year-old exclusively served as the designated hitter during the shortened 2020 season. The veteran made 26 appearances at first in 2019, his and the team's last full season. Renato Nunez and Jeimer Candelario will likely absorb most of the playing time at the position, but Cabrera wants to show that he's more than just a DH as his career winds down.