MLB Player News

The Rockies activated Blackmon (not injury related) from the COVID-19 injured list Thursday.

Blackmon was late to summer camp while he completed his quarantine process in his home in Georgia following his positive test for COVID-19 in late June, but his inclusion on the Rockies' 30-man Opening Day roster implies the team is now comfortable with where he stands on the health front. The 34-year-old concluded summer camp by appearing in back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday and should be ready to handle an everyday role when the Rockies open the regular season Friday in Texas.

Blackmon (not injury related) is in the lineup for Wednesday's exhibition game against the Rangers, batting third.

Blackmon has been working his way back to full strength after testing positive for COVID-19 in late June and has been in a training program that should put him on track for Opening Day. The 34-year-old is in the lineup for the second consecutive exhibition game, signaling that he should be ready to return for Friday's season opener against the Rangers.

Miller (heel) was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right ankle bursitis.

Miller missed much of camp while dealing with heel and ankle soreness. He was able to return to the field, but the team will bring him along slowly to work him back into shape before he appears in game action for the Cardinals this year. The 30-year-old is expected to play a depth role in St. Louis in 2020, so his absence shouldn't be too significant over the start of the regular season.

Miller (heel/ankle) is unlikely to be on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Miller was unavailable for much of camp due to heel and ankle soreness. While he's been back on the field for a week, it doesn't appear as though he's had enough time to get up to speed by the start of the regular season, which begins Friday against the Pirates. It doesn't sound as if he'll be out for long and is slated to primarily be a utility option this season, so his brief absence shouldn't be a significant one for the Cardinals.

Cespedes will be the Mets' designated hitter on Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

The game will be Cespedes' first in over two years, as he's missed time first due to a pair of heel surgeries and then due to a fractured ankle. The delayed season bought him extra time to get healthy, and while he's been told by team trainers to run at just 80 percent, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, he's considered at least healthy enough to hit. Whether or not he plays much in the field this season remains to be seen, but he'll be quite a useful bat for the Mets if he's truly healthy, as he owns a career .274/.328/.498 slash line over seven big-league seasons.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Monday that Belt (heel) won't be ready for Opening Day, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Belt had been dealing with right heel pain throughout camp, and Kapler confirmed Monday that the 32-year-old will begin the season on the injured list as he continues to recover. While he'll miss the first several games of the regular season, it remains to be seen exactly how much time he'll miss as a result of the injury. With Belt and Evan Longoria (oblique) sidelined, Wilmer Flores and Pablo Sandoval (elbow) could see an uptick in playing time to begin the year.

Miller (heel/ankle) remains hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Day and feels he'll be able to ramp up quickly once he's given a green light to run again, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. "I think really just kind of taking it day to day," Miller said. "I think we've got it figured out, what we think's going on and got a way to kind of tame the inflammation and build it back up smart. I'm able to hit still and throw and all that, so I think when I get the thumbs up, I'll be able to go pretty quick."

Miller has been besieged by right heel and ankle soreness for the majority of summer camp, although he's been able to work back to participating in fielding drills and limited live batting practice while nursing the injuries. However, Miller has not been a part of any intrasquad games for precautionary reasons, and despite his optimism that he'd have a short preparation curve once given full clearance, the Cardinals are planning on exercising patience with the veteran since Edmundo Sosa and Max Schrock are both capable of providing infield depth.

Carpenter, who slugged a two-run homer during Friday's intrasquad game, was actually most satisfied with a long out he made because of the quality of his improved swing, Matt Rogers of MLB.com reports. "For me, 100 percent, it was the swing on the backdoor cutter from Miles [Mikolas]," Carpenter said. "For me to be able to take that swing on that pitch is right where I want to be. That pitch, to be able to stay on that pitch and be able to hit in the gap and get a chance for an extra-base hit -- I was way happier with that swing."

The veteran is considered a strong candidate to handle designated-hitter duties during the coming season, and he operated in that role Friday while hitting fifth. Carpenter spent considerable time this offseason working on his swing and looking to find his "hitting identity" after a pair of uneven seasons at the plate in 2018 and 2019 that have featured the two highest strikeout rates (23.4 and 26.2 percent) of his career. Specifically, Carpenter has been looking to hit to all fields more consistently in a manner akin to prior seasons, and he was encouragingly able to accomplish that both Friday and earlier in summer camp as well. The 34-year-old is also embracing the idea of primarily slotting in at DH, remarking Friday he's "more than willing to do it and learn it and adapt to it."

Cespedes is set to appear in both exhibition games against the Yankees this weekend, once as the designated hitter and once in left field, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

It's unlikely the veteran slugger will play the whole game in either case, but it's still an excellent sign that Cespedes is on track to be in the Opening Day lineup. Expect him to get most of his at-bats as the Mets' DH, but if Cespedes demonstrates he can handle a defensive assignment as well, it would only boost his playing time.

Manager Bud Black said Thursday that Blackmon (illness) is in the midst of a training program that would put the outfielder on track to be ready for the Rockies' July 24 season opener versus the Rangers, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.

Though he was cleared to join the Rockies at summer camp Monday after submitting two negative test results for the coronavirus, Blackmon was placed on the COVID-19 injured list a day later. Black clarified that the transaction was merely procedural, as Blackmon -- who previously tested positive for COVID-19 in late June -- remains healthy since joining the club for workouts. Expect Blackmon to gradually increase the intensity of his activities over the next week, and if his body responds well, he should be ready to handle an everyday role when the Rockies kick off their 60-game season in Texas.