MLB Player News

Bogaerts will be limited for the next few days due to a sore ankle, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old will get a slightly late start to spring training due to the ankle issue, but it's not expected to be a long-term concern. Bogaerts should return to action sometime this week and could be available for the beginning of Grapefruit League games Saturday.

The Blue Jays plan to give Bichette a heavy workload at shortstop in 2020, so much that they don't intend to carry a true shortstop as his backup, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.

Brandon Drury will be used as a super-utility player and represents Bichette's most likely backup. In addition to the full-time role he'll handle at shortstop, Bichette is projected to serve as the Blue Jays' leadoff man, as manager Charlie Montoyo tabbed him as the favorite for those duties Sunday, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet.

Velazquez was designated for assignment Friday.

The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly signed Domingo Santana. Velazquez is just 25 years old and can play both infield and outfield, which could entice a team to claim him off waivers, though he hasn't done much in the big leagues yet, hitting .152/.222/.242 in a small sample of 36 plate appearances.

Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Erik Neander said "we want Wander to be in our plans this year" during the team's Fan Fest last weekend, Mari Faiello of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

This is going to be a common topic for the Rays this spring and throughout the season, and the team's brass is not shying away from the notion that the game's top prospect could debut in his age-19 season. He walked almost twice as much as he struck out while slashing .339/.408/.464 at High-A as an 18-year-old, so he could make quick work of Double-A and Triple-A pitching. If Tampa is really serious about fast-tracking him, he could even skip one of those levels on his path to the majors. Given Willy Adames' defensive prowess at shortstop, Franco will likely debut at the keystone.

The Dodgers have agreed to send Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong, and Downs to the Red Sox in exchange for Mookie Betts and David Price, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Downs spent most of the 2019 season with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, hitting .269/.354/.507 with 19 home runs, 78 runs scored and 75 RBI in 479 plate appearances. The 21-year-old also stole 23 bases for the Quakes. Downs was considered expendable while playing below elite middle infield depth within the Dodgers' organization, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic. The change of scenery early in the shortstop's career may provide Downs with a more favorable opportunity to climb the minor league ladder during his next few seasons.

Herrera joined the Yankees as a non-roster invitee Monday.

Herrera has appeared in 149 career big-league games, spending time with the Reds, Royals and Marlins. He hasn't found much success at the plate, hitting .225/.286/.316 with three homers. His ability to play both middle infield spots and center field theoretically helps him toward earning a bench role, but his bat appears to be too weak for that to happen on a contending team.

Gordon is expected to play all over the diamond in 2020, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

With Shed Long expected to take over as Seattle's primary second baseman, it sounds like Gordon will fill more of a utility role during the 2020 campaign. Gordon spent most of his time at the keystone in 2019 but also has big-league experience at shortstop and center field. The 31-year-old, who hit .275/.304/.359 with three home runs and 22 stolen bases last season, could see time in the outfield to open the upcoming campaign with Mitch Haniger unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after undergoing core surgery.

Pena will take part in the Astros' big-league camp this spring, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Pena capped off a productive sophomore campaign for High-A Fayetteville by hitting .317/.378/.467 in 167 at-bats. The shortstop that's been praised for his defensive ability and speed has improved at the plate with every minor-league promotion thus far. The highly rated prospect will spend a few weeks with the big-league coaching staff but is still a few seasons away from actually contending for a roster spot.

Tejada signed a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to spring training with the Blue Jays on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The 30-year-old went hitless in nine plate appearances with the Mets last season, but he spent most of the year at Triple-A and performed well with a .326/.404/.471 slash line in 73 games. Toronto has its future middle infield in the majors with Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette, but Tejada could carve out a role as a veteran utilityman with a strong showing in spring training.

Nelson was traded from the Marlins to the Yankees along with cash considerations Wednesday in exchange for Stephen Tarpley.

Nelson spent the entirety of 2019 at High-A Jupiter but experienced very little success. In 121 games, he slashed .228/.279/.296 with just four home runs. That comes after he generated an even poorer .211/.262/.280 line in 62 games at the same level in 2018.