MLB Player News

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.

Turner may see more down time in 2021, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Turner turned 36 in November and has missed time with injuries in each of the last four seasons, so it makes sense for Los Angeles to allot him a considerable number of off days in order to ensure his health for the team's annual postseason run. Manager Dave Roberts mentioned the desire to get Edwin Rios more opportunities at third base, and the apparent lack of a DH in the NL in 2021 means Turner won't be in the lineup most days when Rios plays, especially since Roberts also ruled out the possibility of Turner seeing time at first base.

Carpenter's exact fit with the Cardinals following the offseason acquisition of Nolan Arenado is expected to be sorted out during spring training, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

The versatile veteran has struggled considerably at the plate across the last two seasons, generating a combined .216/.332/.372 line with a 26.8 percent strikeout rate across 661 plate appearances over that span. Carpenter still has some pop in his bat, however, as 47 (26 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs) of his 120 hits in that sample went for extra bases. Consequently, manager Mike Shildt is receptive to finding a way to keep Carpenter's bat in the lineup on a consistent basis, but the potential lack of a universal DH in 2021 will make that a more challenging feat to accomplish if it comes to pass. Carpenter would be a good potential fit for the team's currently vacant leadoff spot, as he's started 759 career games at the top of the order; however, the 35-year-old would naturally need a position in the field as well, and while he does have experience playing both first and second base, a platoon role at the keystone could ultimately be his best path to occasional playing time.

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.

Ramirez (hamstring) was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Wednesday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Ramirez missed most of the 2020 season after testing positive for COVID-19, and he was sidelined for the final month due to a left hamstring strain. He'll be removed from the 40-man roster to begin spring training in order to make room for right-hander John Curtiss. Over the past two seasons, Ramirez hit .274 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI over 122 games.

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.

The Cubs are likely to use Ian Happ as their leadoff hitter to begin the season instead of Pederson, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Pederson batted first 249 times during his seven seasons with the Dodgers, but Chicago manager David Ross said he's likely going to stick with Happ, who was the team's primary leadoff hitter last season. Pederson should still play regularly in left field, essentially replacing Kyle Schwarber, and get plenty of opportunities to produce at the plate.

Angels manager Joe Maddon confirmed Tuesday that Ohtani will be a "full go" for spring training and head into the 2021 season as a two-way player, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

There was little reason to believe Ohtani wouldn't be a two-way player this season, but it's still good to see some confirmation from the team after he was shut down from pitching following two disastrous starts last year. Despite his considerable hype, Ohtani has now spent three full seasons in the majors and has yet to be a full-time two-way player for the entirety of any of those campaigns. Elbow issues ended his time on the mound just 10 starts into his debut season and eventually led to Tommy John surgery, which kept him as purely a designated hitter in 2019. His awful outings on the mound in 2020 can be explained away by his recovery from that procedure, but it's still hard to have complete confidence that things will finally go well for him in his fourth MLB season.