MLB Player News

McCutchen (knee) has yet to be cleared to participate in games and has been on his own workout program this spring, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Previous reports held that McCutchen expected to be recovered from his ACL tear by Opening Day. Gelb's report doesn't directly contradict that, though it would obviously be nice to see him prove that by looking good in Grapefruit League action. With the start of the season still over a month away, McCutchen has plenty of time to catch up to his teammates. If he ends up needing to open the year on the injured list, that would open up at-bats for Jay Bruce or Roman Quinn in the outfield.

Manager Luis Rojas said Friday that Cespedes (ankle) has been limited to straight-line running and hasn't been cleared for sprints, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 34-year-old has apparently looked good while hitting and participating in fielding drills, but he's being brought along more slowly in running exercises. Cespedes appeared in only 38 games in 2018 and didn't see the field last season due to a pair of heel surgeries and a fractured ankle, so the cautious approach is to be expected, especially early in spring training.

Cespedes (ankle) looked good running and hitting Monday, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Cespedes also took part in fielding drills, though his overall participation was still limited. While it would obviously be better for him to be a full participant at the start of spring, any indications that his health is trending in the right direction are certainly a good thing for a player who's appeared in just 119 total games over the last three seasons. It remains to be seen just how big of a role the Mets can expect him to play this season.

Manager Dave Roberts said Pederson will likely occupy the large side of a platoon in left field, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Assuming Pederson -- who was reportedly traded to the Angels earlier in the offseason before the deal fell through -- is on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, he's expected to share playing time in left field with A.J. Pollock. Pederson occupied a similar role in 2019, starting 104 games against righties but just six against southpaws.

Miller signed a one-year, major-league contract with the Cardinals on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old's career appeared to be stalling out before his landed with the Phillies in the middle of last season and slashed .263/.331/.610 over 130 plate appearances to close the year. That display of power was quite a surprise for a player with a career .419 slugging percentage, but it evidently impressed the Cardinals enough that he was offered a big-league deal. Miller can play anywhere on the infield as well as the outfield corners, which should help him earn a bench spot, at minimum. He could even play a larger role if he hits well enough to wrest at-bats away from Tommy Edman or Kolten Wong.

Pederson's reported trade from the Dodgers to the Angels fell through Sunday night and will not happen, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Pederson's deal was dependent on the original attempted Mookie Betts trade between the Dodgers and Red Sox. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Angels owner Arte Moreno expressed his frustration regarding the delay leading up to the trade being rescinded. The 27-year-old Pederson returns to a loaded Dodgers outfield for the time being, but he remains one of the club's top trade assets as Los Angeles aims to fall below the luxury tax heading into the 2020 season.

McCutchen (knee) said "for sure" when asked if he anticipates being ready for Opening Day, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

McCutchen's first season in Philadelphia was shaping up as a resounding success until he was sidelined after tearing the ACL in his left knee in early June. While the rehab process has been a familiar one for McCutchen after he previously tore the ACL in his right knee in high school, he may have more difficulty re-emerging as an annual double-digit steals threat as he heads into his age-34 campaign. At this stage of his rehab, McCutchen isn't facing any restrictions with his running, throwing or hitting, so as spring training approaches, he's merely just awaiting clearance from the Phillies' medical staff to resume participating in simulated games. Even if McCutchen's prediction comes to pass and he's declared ready to go for Opening Day, expect the outfielder to handle only a light load of games during Grapefruit League play.

Baker will join the Cardinals' big-league camp this spring.

Baker may get some at-bats against big-league pitching in the preseason, but he's not likely to be a candidate for regular-season at-bats just yet. He's yet to advance beyond High-A, where he hit .244/.327/.390 (good for a 115 wRC+) in 122 games for Palm Beach last season.

Winker (neck) could face significant competition for playing time this season, following the Reds' signings of Nick Castellanos and Shogo Akiyama.

Right now Winker has to both prove that he's healthy and then beat out Akiyama or Nick Senzel for playing time, not to mention Aristides Aquino. At best, a platoon role seems most likely absent a trade and/or an injury.

Ruf signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Thursday, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.

Ruf hasn't appeared in the big leagues since the 2016 campaign, as he's spent the last few years overseas in the KBO. He struggled to a .205 average with three home runs and nine RBI in 43 games with the Phillies in 2016; however, he's coming off a season in which he slashed .292/.396/.515 with 22 homers and 101 over 133 contests with the Samsung Lions.