MLB Player News

Chicago manager David Ross said he could use Pederson against both righties and lefties this year, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

"The conviction he had and the belief he had in being good against both sides of pitchers is something that he sold me on," Ross said. "And I thought we had a great opportunity for him." Pederson mainly avoided lefties when he was in Los Angeles, and he has a career .576 OPS against southpaws, compared to an .849 OPS against righties. It sounds like the 28-year-old might not start the year in a platoon situation, but if he struggles against lefties, he could lose some at-bats to Jake Marisnick.

Reds manager David Bell said that Winker worked "really hard" over the offseason to improve his defense and has increased his speed, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.. "I don't know how he did that," Bell said. "Every extra step is a big deal."

Without the DH in the NL, Winker's defensive ability takes on a greater sense of urgency. The Reds already have a defensive liability in right field in Nick Castellanos, and Winker previously has been rated poorly as a defender. The team would prefer not to be below average in both corners, and a lack of improvement could lead to either Winker or Castellanos being replaced in the late innings frequently.

Buxton reported to spring training at 212 pounds, up from 200 to 205 pounds in 2020, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Buxton has ranked in the 99th percentile among all players in sprint speed in each of his first six MLB seasons (per Statcast), going 62-for-71 on stolen-base attempts over that span. While the added weight might slow him a bit, it should help him more in terms of durability, which has long been a concern for the 27-year-old. The Twins have largely eschewed the run game in manager Rocco Baldelli's first two years at the helm, and though Buxton ranks as the team's top base-stealing threat, his opportunities to swipe bags could be more limited than his abilities suggest while he typically slots at the bottom of a strong Minnesota lineup. In fact, Buxton may be more of a power than speed play in fantasy these days; he mashed 13 home runs in 135 plate appearances in 2020, with his 9.6 HR/100 PA besting Luke Voit (9.4) for the MLB lead.

Ramirez (hamstring) was claimed off waivers by Cleveland on Wednesday.

Ramirez was designated for assignment by the Marlins earlier in February, but he'll land a spot on Cleveland's 40-man roster for spring training. The 26-year-old missed most of the 2020 season due to a positive COVID-19 test and a left hamstring strain. It's not yet clear whether he's fully healthy to begin spring training, but he should compete for a role in the outfield with his new club heading into the regular season.

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.

Cespedes intends to play in 2021 and plans to hold a showcase for major-league clubs in Florida on March 2, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The 35-year-old outfielder plans to resume his career after previously opting out of the 2020 season last August following eight games with the Mets. Though he was at full health for the start of the past season, Cespedes missed extensive time due to injuries over the preceding three years, appearing in a combined 127 games between 2017 and 2019. At this stage in his career, Cespedes is probably best suited for a part-time role at designated hitter with an American League club.

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.