MLB Player News

Cespedes (heel) believes he will return at some point this season, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The Mets have been vague about the outfielder's timeline, and Cespedes hasn't been able to offer up anything more concrete either, stating that he doesn't know if he'll be back in one month or three months. He doesn't intend to return until he's 100 percent healthy after playing a total of just 119 games over the last two seasons. Cespedes will start throwing next week, Tim Healey of Newsday reports, though he doesn't know when he'll return to hitting.

Blackmon is expected to move to left field for the 2019 season, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

The 32-year-old has been a staple in center field for Colorado, playing exclusively at that position the last three years. However, the Rockies want to reduce some wear and tear on his body, so they plan to move him to a less taxing outfield position. Ideally, less strenuous fielding will help Blackmon produce more at the plate, though anything near the .860 OPS with 29 home runs and 119 runs atop the Rockies batting order is still welcome. To accommodate the change, Ian Desmond is expected to handle primary center field duties in 2019.

Pederson and Alex Verdugo will compete for the starting gig in left field during camp, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

A.J. Pollock and Cody Bellinger are slated to spend most of their time in center field and right field, respectively, leaving Pederson and Verdugo to battle for the final outfield spot. Pederson likely has the upper hand, as he made 88 starts in the outfield last season and hit .248/.321/.522 with 25 homers across 443 plate appearances (148 total games). That said, even if he does beat out Verdugo, Pederson's continued struggles against left-handed pitching make a platoon situation likely.

Reyes (knee) will enter spring training with no restrictions, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. "I don't anticipate we hold him back at all," manager Andy Green said.

Reyes has been cleared for full activity, though Green noted that the Padres may hold him out of some running drills early in camp as they ease him back into action following offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The 23-year-old, who hit .280/.340/.498 with 16 homers in 87 games as a rookie in 2018, will be fighting for a starting gig in San Diego's crowded outfield this spring.

Manager Brad Ausmus said the Angels are hopeful Ohtani (elbow) will be able to return in May, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports. "I'm not going to put a date on it, but we're thinking sometime in May," Ausmus said.

Ohtani has reportedly begun taking dry swings as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in October of 2018. That said, he's still a ways away, and a concrete timetable for his return likely won't come into focus until he progresses further in his recovery.

Jimenez (quadriceps) will make his MLB debut this season, but is not expected to start the season in Chicago, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

From a performance perspective, Jimenez appears ready -- he slashed .337/.384/.584 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI in 108 games at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte -- however, the White Sox can squeeze another year of contractual control over Jimenez by delaying his arrival to Chicago until sometime after April 12.

The Astros view Brantley as an ideal complement to their lineup, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The Astros have a right-handed-heavy lineup that includes Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, George Springer and Yuli Gurriel. As a team, Houston ranked a mediocre 14th with a .733 OPS against right-handers, so adding the left-handed-hitting Brantley into the mix makes perfect sense. "I think he brings a complement to the team we have and adds to a lineup that's going to be one of the best and deepest lineups in baseball next year," Astros president of baseball operations and general manager Jeff Luhnow said. Brantley authored an .889 OPS against right-handers last year, ranking 25th among players with at least 300 at-bats against righties. The 31-year-old outfielder figures to slot in at fifth in the order, between Carlos Correa and Yuli Gurriel, where RBI opportunities should be aplenty.

Ford received an invitation to Yankees' major-league spring training Friday.

Ford began 2018 with the Mariners as a Rule 5 selection, but was returned to the Yankees in late March and spent the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 26-year-old slashed .253/.327/.433 with 15 home runs in 410 plate appearances for the RailRiders last season and is likely to spend the bulk of his time there again in 2019.

Ohtani (elbow) has been cleared to begin "full strengthening" rehabilitation but hasn't started to swing a bat yet and won't be ready for Opening Day, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

While Ohtani's follow-up appointment with Dr. Neal ElAttache went well, the 24-year-old still has a long road ahead of him before being cleared to take the field. As expected, he certainly won't be ready to roll at the beginning of the 2019 campaign, and an exact timetable for his return likely won't become available until he's further along in the recovery process.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Ozuna (shoulder) will begin his throwing program in early February, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Ozuna was dogged by shoulder injuries throughout the 2018 campaign, though he still appeared in 148 games and hit a fine .280/.325/.433 with 23 homers. He opted for surgery at the end of October, and the Cardinals are apparently encouraged by the outfielder's progress thus far. Ozuna recently began taking batting practice and playing catch in the Dominican Republic, and Mozeliak noted that he's "looking strong." Barring any setbacks, the 28-year-old is on track to be 100 percent healthy heading into spring training.