MLB Player News

Diaz could be the Astros' primary designated hitter against lefties at the start of the season, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

The spot was expected to belong to Yordan Alvarez, but he's still yet to arrive at camp for undisclosed reasons and has been placed on the injured list. That could open up starts for Kyle Tucker against righties, either as a designated hitter or in left field, giving veteran Michael Brantley the chance to rest his legs. As a right-handed hitter, Diaz makes more sense for the role against southpaws, though it's worth noting that he has some pretty significant reverse splits over the course of his four-year career, posting an 89 wRC+ with the platoon advantage and a 117 wRC+ without it. The Astros will reveal their plans for the job on Opening Day, as they'll face lefty Marco Gonzales.

Bogaerts left Sunday's intrasquad matchup with hamstring tightness, Andersen Pickard of MLBDailyDish.com reports.

Bogaerts battled ankle soreness during spring training but appeared to be healthy this summer. Although he was forced out of Sunday's matchup, manager Ron Roenicke doesn't believe that the injury is serious. Given Roenicke's optimism, it's possible the 27-year-old will be ready for Opening Day on Friday.

Camargo suffered a mild hamstring injury during Saturday's intrasquad game, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, but manager Brian Snitker wouldn't rule out a trip to the injured list given the timing of the injury. Camargo will take things easy for a couple days and attempt to be ready for Friday's season opener against the Mets.

Gordon (undisclosed) is batting second and starting in left field for Saturday's intrasquad contest, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

The 32-year-old was scratched from Wednesday's intrasquad game for unspecified reasons, but his return to the field Saturday answers any questions on his availability. Gordon is expected to operate in a super-utility role for the Mariners this season.

Mateo (illness) is unlikely to be part of the Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The Padres expected Mateo to contribute to the big-league club right away when they acquired him in a trade at the end of June, but the 25-year-old subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 and has yet to be cleared to return. With Opening Day less than a week away, Mateo is unlikely to have enough time to get ready for the season even if he returns soon, though manager Jayce Tingler didn't close the door on the possibility completely. "He's probably going to need some baseball work," Tingler said. "But at the same time, he brings a lot of speed to the game. If we want to use that asset of his game, can we use that right away? Probably. But we'll wait and see." Jake Cronenworth is the most likely candidate to fill Mateo's projected spot if the latter remains out.

Owings will begin the season on the Rockies' major-league roster.

Manager Bud Black speculated earlier in the week that Owings could be on the Rockies' Opening Day roster as a second utility player, and he was officially informed of the decision Friday. The 28-year-old appeared in 67 games with the Red Sox and Royals last season, slashing .139/.209/.233 with three home runs and five stolen bases. Owings should serve as depth for the team, but he's unlikely to play a significant role for Colorado this season.

Swanson took Mike Foltynewicz deep for an opposite-field, three-run home run in Wednesday's intrasquad game, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Swanson's blast proved to be the decisive hit of the contest before the game was halted in the third inning due to rain. The 26-year-old is locked in as the Braves' everyday shortstop for the 60-game season, and now that he's healthy again, he could be a sneaky late-round value in fantasy drafts. Swanson posted an .822 OPS to go with 17 home runs and seven stolen bases in the first half of the 2019 campaign, but he struggled to regain his form at the plate upon returning from a foot injury that cost him a good portion of the second half. He slashed just .204/.315/.254 and struck out in 29.7 percent of his plate appearances after the All-Star break.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said Thursday he couldn't comment on why Gordon (undisclosed) was withheld from the team's intrasquad game a day earlier, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Seattle penciled Gordon in as their leadoff man for Wednesday's contest before he was a surprise scratch shortly before the game. His unexplained absence and Servais' unwilling to offer any specifics on the matter will likely fuel speculation that Gordon tested positive for COVID-19, which would put his availability for the July 24 season opener in Houston in jeopardy. The Mariners are planning on deploying Gordon as a super-utility man in 2020.

Rojas jammed his left pinkie finger and wrist attempting to field a groundball during Tuesday's intrasquad game, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

The injuries aren't considered serious, and Rojas could be back in action Thursday. The shortstop slashed .284/.331/.379 through 132 games last season with a modest five homers and nine steals.

Owings has a pretty good chance to make the Rockies' Opening Day roster as a second utility player, along with Garrett Hampson, particularly with the 30-man roster for the first two weeks, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

An interesting aspect of manager Bud Black's comments about Owings is how he equates him with Hampson. "You have two weapons -- two good weapons," Black said. "You have the speed weapon. You've got a sneaky power weapon. You've got two guys that play the game the right way. They can be pests, per se, to the opposition. So it's nice to have two of them. As the game rolls on, whether they're both starting whether one of them starting whether they're both on the bench. With the 30-man roster, it's advantageous. ... And for a 26-man roster, they might be advantageous, also."