MLB Player News

Wendle participated in infield drills during the Rays' first workout of summer camp Friday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The valued utility man got back into the swing of things alongside his teammates in the Rays' largest team workout in nearly four months. Wendle is expected to once again fill in at a number of positions this coming season, and he focused on increasing his arm strength this past offseason in order to be more effective when manning shortstop and third base.

Herrera has been named to the Yankees' 60-man roster.

Herrera is not on the Yankees' 40-man roster, so he's unlikely to make much of a major-league impact this season. The 27-year-old did impress this spring, hitting .400 with four extra-base hits and four RBI in 25 at-bats.

Tejada will be a part of the Blue Jays' 60-man roster.

Tejada spent the majority of 2019 with Triple-A Syracuse, slashing .326/.404/.471 with six home runs and 42 RBI over 73 games before he was released by the Mets in late August. He was a non-roster invitee for the Blue Jays this spring and went 3-for-18 with five RBI and four runs. The team has young talent in their major-league middle infield heading into 2020, but Tejada could compete for a veteran role with the team once play resumes.

Smith will be a part of the Blue Jays' 60-man roster.

Smith progressed to Double-A in 2019, where he hit .206/.261/.396 with 19 home runs and 11 stolen bases, but he also had a 32.4 percent strikeout rate. He was invited to big-league camp this spring and went 4-for-26 with six RBI and 11 strikeouts. The 23-year-old will get a chance to develop with the 60-man roster once the 2020 season gets underway.

Mateo will report to Oakland when teams resume workouts this week after the Athletics announced Sunday that he would be part of their 60-man roster pool.

With no minor-league options remaining and with Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp ahead of him on the depth chart at second base at the time spring training was suspended in mid-March, Mateo wasn't considered a lock to break camp with the Athletics. However, MLB's decision to increase 40-man rosters to 60-man pools will allow the Athletics to keep the speedster in the fold in 2020 without having to risk exposing him to waivers. Oakland is still projected to open their 60-game slate in late July with Franklin Barreto and Tony Kemp as its primary options at the keystone, but Mateo -- who has stolen at least 20 bases in each of his past five minor-league seasons -- could receive ample use off the bench as a pinch runner.

Witt will be a part of the Royals' 60-man player pool this season, Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports.

Witt is the Royals' No. 1 prospect, but he is far from ready to handle MLB pitching. His numbers last year in the AZL don't jump off the page, but he hit .308/.352/.446 with his lone home run of the season over his final 15 games, so he may have figured something out down the stretch.

Allen is projected to be part of the 60-man player pool that will report to the Athletics' summer camp, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 2017 third-round pick made his way up to High-A Stockton last season, slashing an impressive .292/.363/.434 with 30 extra-base hits (22 doubles, five triples, and three home runs) and 25 RBI across 328 plate appearances. Allen complemented his best offensive season as a professional with continued stellar glove work, and Gallegos notes the 21-year-old is regarded by many as boasting the best defensive tools in the entire Athletics organization. Given the fact he's yet to even reach the middle level of the minors, Allen is unlikely to see any big-league regular-season action in 2020, but his development should benefit from a chance to participate in taxi squad intrasquad games, often versus more experienced players.

Puason is projected to be a part of the Athletics' 60-man player pool that will report to the team's summer camp, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Gallegos relays a report from MLB.com colleague Jesse Sanchez, who had a source confirm to him that the 17-year-old is slated to get his first taste of a big-league camp beginning July 1. Puason was considered one of the most talented members of the 2019 international signing class, and he secured an impressive $5.1 million bonus last summer. Puason may well be a bit wide-eyed alongside the large contingent of much more experienced, older players, but the fact the organization wants to invest a spot in the young Dominican underscores how talented a prospect he is.

Franco is expected to be part of the Rays' 60-man player pool that will report to the team's summer camp, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

The prize prospect's expected inclusion means he's expected to report to Port Charlotte, one of the two sites the Rays will use for their summer camp. The 19-year-old will therefore have a chance to continue his development despite the expected absence of a 2020 minor-league season, with the opportunity to play against big-league talent in intrasquad games projected as one of the biggest benefits of the move. That also leaves open the admittedly remote possibility Franco shows enough to earn a spot on the active roster at some point during the 60-game campaign, although the Rays continue to prioritize his continuing education as a player above all else. "We're not going to force anything. We're not going to throw any additional expectations on him," Rays general manager Erik Neander said in February. "We just want to make sure that we do right by him, progress him in all aspects of his development as best as we can, and prepare him for one day being a Major League player."

Marte will be a part of the Mariners' taxi squad this season, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

While prospects like Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez could get legitimate playing time in the majors as a part of Seattle's taxi squad, it seems unlikely Marte will get similar opportunities. He has never played stateside or above rookie ball, so while his future appears bright, his inclusion on the taxi squad is unlikely to result in notable playing time in the majors this season.