MLB Player News

Gordon (personal) is expected to report to the Mariners' camp Friday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Gordon's arrival to the Mariners' spring facility in Arizona has been delayed while he awaited the birth of his daughter, Demi. After taking the last few days off to spend time with his wife and the newborn, Gordon looks like he'll be ready to return to work over the weekend. The 31-year-old is expected to fill a super-utility role for Seattle in 2020 when the team is at full strength, though Mitch Haniger's (back/core muscle) expected absence for most of the first half of the season could open up regular reps for Gordon in the outfield.

Diaz will make $2.6 million this season after winning his arbitration case, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Diaz struggled to find a rhythm during his first season in Houston because of different trips to the injured list due to hamstring tightness and dizziness spells. The 29-year-old finished the year hitting .271/.356/.467 with 40 RBI and 36 runs scored throughout 247 plate appearances. Diaz is expected to open the season where he left off, namely, as a utility infielder who is a valuable pinch-hit option due to superior plate discipline that led to him drawing 26 walks while striking out just 28 times last season.

Urena was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Wednesday.

Urena was plucked off waivers from Toronto in late December but won't wind up making it to Opening Day on the Orioles' 40-man roster. Andrew Velazquez was claimed off waivers from Cleveland in a corresponding move.

Velazquez was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Wednesday.

In Baltimore, Velazquez seems to find himself in a situation where at-bats will be easier to come by than they were in Cleveland. That's not to say Velazquez is a favorite to play a significant role for his new club, or even to make the roster, as he's slashed .152/.222/.242 across just 36 big-league plate appearances to date. Richard Urena was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Mondesi (shoulder) will play in games this spring, but not in Friday's spring opener against the Rangers, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Mondesi underwent shoulder surgery at the end of last season, but he remains on track for Opening Day, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. If he suffers a setback, Nicky Lopez would likely start at shortstop to open the season.

Crawford spent the offseason working with strength and conditioning coach James Clifton and put on 10 pounds of muscle, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The 25-year-old frequently made a mockery of big-league pitching during a breakout June last season, slashing .338/.413/.569 with two home runs and 17 RBI across 16 games during the month. However, that surge was followed by a significant downturn over the last three months of the season, with Crawford hitting just .178 across his final 60 games and also missing some time due to a strained right hamstring. Both the extended slump and the injury pointed toward a need for Crawford to get stronger, hence his diligent offseason program aimed at achieving that goal. The promising shortstop, who flashed an improve glove last season, says he already feels the increased strength paying dividends in terms of both the exit velocity of his batted balls and his throws across the diamond.

Gordon won't join the Mariners on Tuesday for the team's first full-squad workout while he awaits the birth of his first child, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Expect Gordon to remain at home for most of the week to spend time with his expanding family. The 31-year-old shouldn't be too far behind his teammates once he eventually reports to camp, but his exact role for the upcoming season likely won't be fleshed out until closer to Opening Day. With Seattle eyeing Shed Long and J.P. Crawford for everyday jobs in the middle infield and a host of youngsters competing for regular reps in the outfield, Gordon could be in store for more of a utility gig in 2020.

Wendle said Sunday that he enters spring training with no restrictions after an injury-plagued 2019 season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Though Wendle ended the past season on the field, the Rays were cautious with his usage down the stretch after he required three stints on the injured list, all of which were at least three weeks in length. Complications from a broken wrist in particular sapped Wendle's power, with the 29-year-old finishing the campaign with a lowly .633 OPS, a 156-point decline from 2018. After a full offseason to rest up and strengthen the wrist, Wendle believes he'll be back in top form. Wendle may not have a regular spot in the lineup waiting for him, however, as he'll likely be ticketed for top backup duties at three infield spots if the Rays are at full strength heading into Opening Day.

Bichette is expected to begin the season hitting leadoff, followed by Cavan Biggio and Vlad Guerrero Jr., Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

It's a little unusual for a manager to be setting his regular-season batting order this early, but given the nature of the Jays roster it's no surprise that Charlie Montoyo plans to put his trio of talented youngsters right at the top. Hitting leadoff should afford Bichette plenty of stolen-base opportunities, but he'll need to improve on his 4-for-8 performance in the majors last year if he wants to see consistent green lights.

Fletcher could experience increased playing time in right field this season according to Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

With the Angels' offseason addition of Anthony Rendon and the return of Tommy La Stella, it is likely that Fletcher will be required to play the outfield more often. "The challenge is that I like Fletcher on the field as much as possible. The fact that David is versatile to play different positions is going to matter," said manager Joe Maddon. Right fielder Brian Goodwin hits left-handed but has reverse splits, with a significantly higher career OPS against southpaws compared to righties, so it's possible Fletcher begins the year in a platoon role alongside Goodwin. The 25-year-old will look to build upon a productive .290/.350/.384 slashline with 83 runs scored in 653 plate appearances in 2019.