MLB Player News

Gordon was scratched from Wednesday's intrasquad lineup for an undisclosed reason, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Gordon was initially scheduled to play left field and lead off in Wednesday's intrasquad game, but he'll be held out instead. It's unclear what is preventing the 28-year-old from taking the field, and whether he'll miss additional time remains to be seen. Gordon is expected to serve as depth for the Mariners this season, but his defensive versatility could give him a fair amount of playing time if he's healthy.

The Red Sox will formally add Downs to their 60-man roster pool Tuesday or Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The 21-year-old Downs is the Red Sox's top infield prospect, with most of his minor-league action to date coming at shortstop. With Xander Bogaerts entrenched at that position, however, Downs' most realistic path to a full-time role in the majors comes at second base, where Michael Chavis and Jose Peraza currently check in as the top options on the depth chart. Boston is likely content to proceed with that duo manning the position in 2020, but if Chavis, Peraza or Bogaerts ends up missing extensive time for whatever reason, Downs could get his first taste of the big leagues. Downs reached Double-A at the tail end of 2019 but spent most of the campaign in High-A, slashing .276/.362/.526 with 24 home runs and 24 stolen bases between both levels.

Manager Aaron Boone revealed Monday that Herrera is dealing with pain in both of his heels, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Herrera's heel issues started up at the end of spring training, but the problem has resurfaced and has kept him off the field since Thursday. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unclear. The 27-year-old impressed as a non-roster invitee during spring training this year, but he isn't expected to make much of an impact in the majors in 2020.

Manager Terry Francona said Sunday that he thinks Lindor will hit third, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Lindor batted almost exclusively from the leadoff spot last season, but he could improve his RBI potential if he indeed gets slotted into the third spot in the lineup. Francona said that Cesar Hernandez is a likely candidate to replace Lindor as the leadoff hitter. Lindor slashed .284/.335/.518 with 32 home runs and 74 RBI for Cleveland last season.

Anderson hit a pair of home runs in Sunday's intrasquad game and now has three total home runs during intrasquad play, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

There are no official statistics for intrasquad play, but Anderson is unofficially the league leader with three home runs in the early going. He is certainly seeing the ball well, which is encouraging after he hit .185 with a .214 OBP and zero home runs in 28 plate appearances during spring training.

Velazquez's chances of making the 30-man roster have improved with Richie Martin suffering a fractured wrist, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Velazquez had a decent chance to make the Opening Day roster even before Martin's injury. The 25-year-old utility player has a 44.4 percent strikeout rate in 36 MLB plate appearances and has a .260/.316/.415 slash line with 16 home runs and 32 steals (on 40 attempts) in 163 career games at Triple-A. While he doesn't project to be an impactful hitter in the majors, his ability to play up the middle and put his plus speed to work on the bases could lead to a part-time role in 2020.

Royals manager Mike Matheny said Sunday that Mondesi (shoulder) "looks fantastic" since joining Kansas City for summer camp, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports. "He's strong, moving well," Matheny said. "He took a live [batting practice Saturday] and took a couple pitches inside, and they were good pitches, and turned them around. Timing looks good."

After undergoing surgery in October on his left shoulder, Mondesi was eased into spring training and wasn't scheduled to make his Cactus League debut until March 12, but he ultimately didn't get the chance to play after MLB suspended its season that same day. Now nearly four months later, Mondesi has been able to take advantage of the shutdown to get back to full health, and Matheny's comments suggest the talented shortstop is back to 100 percent as the Royals prepare for a 60-game season. Given the scarcity of steals league-wide even in a full 162-game slate, Mondesi's ability to impact that category could be amplified in an abbreviated campaign. In 177 games over the past two seasons, Mondesi has gone 75-for-89 in stolen-base attempts.

Diaz (shoulder) is on the field for team workouts Sunday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old was absent from workouts the past two days due to shoulder soreness that cropped up from sleeping on his shoulder wrong, but his quick return confirms it to be a minor issue. Diaz will be the primary reserve option across all four infield spots for the Astros in 2020.

Gordon, who wasn't present for Friday's first summer camp workout, participated in Saturday's session and took live batting practice, Greg Johns of MLB.com

Gordon was part of the morning session and stepped into the box against Justin Dunn, whom he promptly lined a single against in his first at-bat. The veteran infielder is projected to serve in a reserve capacity behind Shed Long at second base during the shortened 2020 season, but his ability to also fill in at shortstop and even center field could potentially lead to a serviceable amount of playing time.

Diaz was held out of workouts Friday and Saturday with shoulder soreness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dusty Baker said Saturday that Diaz slept on his shoulder wrong, which led to his absence from workouts for several days. However, the 29-year-old is expected to resume activities within the coming days. Diaz will be the primary backup at all four infield positions if he can remain healthy heading into the regular season.