MLB Player News

Ohtani will hit off a tee Friday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

The recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery is shorter for hitters than pitchers, so Ohtani expects to only miss the first month of the season before he's able to contribute with his bat. Barring setbacks, he's targeting a return sometime in May, though the Angels are unlikely to let him pitch at any point in 2019.

Soler (toe) is 100 percent healthy heading into Cactus League play, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Soler missed the final three and a half months of the 2018 campaign due to a fractured toe, but he's back to full health ahead of Saturday's spring opener. Prior to getting injured, the soon-to-be 27-year-old was enjoying a career-year, slashing .265/.354/.466 with nine homers and 28 RBI in 61 games. He's expected to open the season as the Royals' primary designated hitter.

X-rays on Lewis' injured finger came back negative, but he won't swing a bat for a few days as an extra precaution, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The outfield prospect dislocated his pinky finger sliding into second base Wednesday, but there's little concern about the injury moving forward. The Mariners are simply being extra careful with Lewis given his injury history, so he figures to be full-go once he's allowed to swing again.

Lewis' finger injury was nothing worse than a jammed finger, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Lewis hurt his finger while sliding head first into second base during baserunning drills. He initially left practice for an X-ray but evidently did not suffer any serious injury.

Lewis dislocated his finger during baserunning drills Wednesday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

A team doctor pulled the finger back into place, and Lewis claims to be fine, but the Mariners will have him undergo X-rays just to be safe. The young outfielder hit an unimpressive .220/.309/.371 in 37 games for Double-A Arkansas last season but still has some prospect shine left after being taken 11th overall in the 2016 draft.

Vogelbach reported to camp noticeably trimmer Monday and will compete with Ryon Healy for starting first-base duties during camp, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Vogelbach didn't provide a number for his weight loss, but manager Scott Servais came away impressed with the 26-year-old's body transformation while he faces an important battle this spring. In addition to vying for the top spot on the depth chart at first base -- for which he enters camp as the underdog -- Vogelbach may need to perform well this spring just to keep his spot on the 40-man roster. Vogelbach is out of minor-league options and the lack of defensive versatility he provides may make it difficult for the Mariners to justify keeping him around as a bench piece.

The Rays expect Choi to serve as their top designated hitter and an occasional first baseman in 2019, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Choi was quietly one of baseball's most productive hitters in the second half last season, supplying a .275/.382/.523 batting line and 149 wRC+, which ranked 17th among all hitters with at least 150 plate appearances after the break. That late-season surge should keep his spot atop the depth chart secure, though Choi will most likely have to settle for a platoon role at DH with Avisail Garcia or at first base with Yandy Diaz. The lefty-hitting Choi should at least benefit from earning the larger side of any timeshare, as Garcia and Diaz are both right-handed hitters.

Ohtani (elbow) hopes to progress to hitting off a tee during the coming week, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

The two-way phenom appears to be progressing through his rehab program nicely, as he had only been cleared to take dry swings last week. Ohtani still appears to be on track for a return in May, though a firmer date will likely take shape as he advances further in his rehab program.

Manager Brad Ausmus said the Angels are hopeful Ohtani (elbow) will be able to return in May, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. "I'm not going to put a date on it, but we're thinking sometime in May," Ausmus said.

Ohtani has reportedly begun taking dry swings as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in October of 2018. That said, he's still a ways away, and a concrete timetable for his return likely won't come into focus until he progresses further in his recovery.

Jimenez (quadriceps) will make his MLB debut this season, but is not expected to start the season in Chicago, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

From a performance perspective, Jimenez appears ready -- he slashed .337/.384/.584 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI in 108 games at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte -- however, the White Sox can squeeze another year of contractual control over Jimenez by delaying his arrival to Chicago until sometime after April 12.