MLB Player News

Cespedes (ankle) has been hitting in simulated games and running in a straight line at full speed, but has yet to make full-speed changes of direction, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

Cespedes' right ankle evidently remains tender after it was fractured in multiple places during an encounter with a wild boar last May. He's making steady progress, but with less than three weeks remaining until Opening Day, it may be tough for him to avoid a trip to the injured list. The Mets have yet to announce their plans for the outfielder. If he does indeed miss time, more at-bats would open up for J.D. Davis in left field to begin the season.

Manager Dusty Baker said Monday that he hopes Alvarez (knee) will be able to return to game action Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Alvarez has been shut down since last Wednesday with knee soreness, but he's on track to resume full activity Monday ahead of a likely return to a role in the starting lineup. The 22-year-old's absence is unlikely to affect his availability for Opening Day and he's expected to play a prominent role for the Astros after making his major-league debut in 2019.

Miller (back) participated in a full workout Sunday and will be evaluated Monday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Miller was originally expected to return to action Saturday, but he continued to sit out for precautionary reasons. The veteran has reportedly been taking practice swings without issues, and manager Mike Shildt said Miller could be in the lineup Tuesday if all goes well with the evaluation.

Solak entered Sunday's game in left field after Willie Calhoun (jaw) was hit by a pitch and forced to leave.

Calhoun, who entered training camp as the starting left fielder, was diagnosed with a fractured jaw, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports, and the Rangers are bracing for the possibility of him being out for an extended period of the time. If Calhoun is sidelined for the beginning of the season, Solak is one possibility to take over in left field. That would solve the problem of finding consistent at-bats for Solak, who has also played center field and third base in Cactus League games.

Pederson (side/hip) recorded five at-bats during a minor-league game Sunday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Pederson will likely play in another minor-league game before appearing in the Cactus League, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports. The 27-year-old has yet to make his spring debut due to soreness in his right side and hip that arose at the beginning of camp. Given the Dodgers' depth in the outfield, the team will continue to take a conservative approach to bringing Pederson back, but it looks as though he'll be able to avoid a trip to the injured list. The left-handed power hitter slugged a career-high 36 home runs during 2019 and registered an impressive .920 against right-handed pitching.

Lewis went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in a Cactus League win over the Dodgers on Friday.

The seventh-inning blast was the second homer of spring for Lewis, who's still hitting just .143 across eight Cactus League games. In fact, Lewis hasn't hit safely over his 16 exhibition plate appearance outside of the pair of round trippers, but he's still on track to open the regular season as the starting right fielder.

Turner will be away from camp until Monday to watch his wife run in the Los Angeles Marathon, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Turner is expected to be back with the team by Monday's game against the Padres, though whether or not he winds up playing remains to be seen. The loss of a few days of at-bats shouldn't have a meaningful impact on the veteran's readiness for the upcoming season.

Pederson (side/hip) will play five innings in a minor-league game Sunday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Pederson has been slowed by soreness in his side and hip since early in camp. He's cutting things somewhat close to be ready by the start of the regular season. The Dodgers are deep enough that they can afford to treat him carefully and send him on a brief trip to the injured list if necessary, though they haven't officially indicated that they plan on doing so.

Torrens "is in the race" for a spot on the Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Francisco Mejia and Austin Hedges remain heavy favorites to share duties behind the plate once the regular season begins, but both have struggled this spring, with Mejia going hitless in 13 at-bats and Hedges batting .214. Torrens is only 2-for-11, but he represents a middle ground between Mejia's solid bat and Hedges' elite defense. Still, Torrens will likely need to turn it on over the next few weeks to break camp with the big-league club.

Stanton (calf) will resume throwing and hitting tee-and-toss Saturday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

He is also continuing to run on an anti-gravity treadmill in addition to resuming baseball activities. It's encouraging that Stanton is ramping up, but he is still doubtful to be ready for Opening Day.