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M. Tanaka - SP

NYY

Masahiro Tanaka was released from the hospital Saturday evening, but he is expected to be entered into the MLB concussion protocol after taking a liner off his head Saturday.

Tanaka's concussion symptoms had dissipated since he arrived at the hospital, said Aaron Boone, and he reportedly checked out well following a battery of tests. Tanaka was down on the mound for several minutes this afternoon after being hit by a Giancarlo Stanton liner during a simulated game. "I appreciate all the support," Tanaka tweeted after being released. "I feel it a bit right now, but I’m all good. Going to try to get back on the mound ASAP! Thanks again for all the encouraging words!"

Added 7:43 pm (EST)

James Wagner on Twitter

N/A

L. Morrison - 1B

MIL

Logan Morrison told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that he's dropped 20-25 pounds since spring training was shut down.

Morrison began changing his diet over the offseason but said he didn't perfect it until late March or early April. LoMo was having a good spring training before things got shut down and the introduction of the designated hitter and larger rosters should give him a better chance of cracking the Brewers' Opening Day roster.

Added Yesterday 9:29 am (EST)

MLB.com

N/A

S. Torkelson - 3B

DET

The Tigers have agreed to terms with first-round pick Spencer Torkelson, according to MLB.com's Jim Callis.

Torkelson is getting $8,416,300, which is exactly $1,000 more than his slot value as the first overall pick in the draft. As Callis points out, this makes Torkelson the first No. 1 overall pick to actually sign at or above slot value since that "feature" was introduced in 2012. Torkelson is expected to begin his pro career at third base, even though he was primarily a first baseman in college.

Added Jun 30 3:22 pm (EST)

Jim Callis on Twitter

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C. Wilcox - SP

The Padres have signed third-round pick Cole Wilcox for $3.3 million, according to MLB.com's Jim Callis.

That's record money for a third-round pick. Wilcox would have been a first-round pick if not for the signability questions. The Georgia Bulldog had one of the best fastballs in the draft, and while there's good reason for optimism about him as a starter, he could also quickly become a force at the back of the bullpen.

Added Jun 30 3:17 pm (EST)

Jim Callis on Twitter

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I. Desmond - LF

COL

Ian Desmond announced on Instagram on Monday that he will not participate in MLB's planned 60-game season.

He is the fourth player to opt out, joining Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross of the Nationals and Mike Leake of the Diamondbacks. Desmond cited both the COVID-19 pandemic and racial issues inside and outside of baseball among his reasons for sitting this year. His wife is pregnant with the couple's fifth child. From a fantasy perspective, the absence of Desmond in Colorado could mean a better shot at an everyday role for sleeper Sam Hilliard. Garrett Hampson and Ryan McMahon also stand to benefit to some degree.

Added Jun 29 10:14 pm (EST)

Ian Desmond on Instagram

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A. Rizzo - 1B

CHI

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that Anthony Rizzo is "planning to play at this point."

Rizzo is a cancer survivor and would presumably still qualify for his full prorated salary if he chose to opt out of playing this season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but Heyman notes that the Cubs haven't heard from any player who is planning to sit out of MLB's planned 60-game campaign. Rizzo, 30, slashed .293/.405/.520 with 27 home runs, 94 RBI, and 89 runs scored over 146 games last year for Chicago.

Added Jun 29 3:46 pm (EST)

Jon Heyman on Twitter

N/A

R. Puason - SS

OAK

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports that Athletics SS prospect Robert Puason will be among the pool of players for the Athletics when the season begins.

Puason, 17, was signed by the A's to a $5.1 million bonus last July, and was widely considered one of the top prospects in the IFA class. It seems unlikely that the Athletics would consider him ready to use in games, but it gives them a chance to add him to the development team. It's also worth noting only players added to the 60-man pool can be traded during the season.

Added Jun 27 8:24 pm (EST)

Jesse Sanchez on Twitter

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G. Cole - SP

NYY

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Yankees and Nationals are one of the games planned for MLB's planned Opening Day on July 23.

If all goes as planned, it could be a face-off between Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole in his Yankees' debut. Of course, there's still a long way to go before July 23 and it's impossible to predict how COVID-19 could change things. Still, it's fun to think about at the very least. The union signed off on a 60-game schedule on Thursday, but MLB is still working on the final product before making an official announcement. That should happen soon.

Added Jun 27 1:30 pm (EST)

New York Post

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M. Meyer - SP

MIA

Max Meyer is a "strong" candidate to be included in the Marlins' 60-man player pool, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Meyer was selected third overall just a few weeks ago in the 2020 MLB Draft, but the Marlins feel he could be a fast riser, and making him part of the player pool will at least allow him to get some work in with other members of the organization this summer. It's not a sure thing that he would see live game action, though there is some chatter about Miami breaking him in as a reliever. Major League Baseball is asking all teams to submit their full 60-man player pools by Sunday evening.

Added Jun 26 3:04 pm (EST)

Jon Heyman on Twitter

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J. Rodriguez - CF

SEA

Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports that outfield prospect Julio Rodriguez will be part of the Mariners' 60-man player pool.

Sanchez also hears that Geraldo Perdomo (D-backs), Ivan Herrera (Cardinals) Noelvi Marte (Mariners), Marco Luciano (Giants), and George Valera (Indians) will be part of their respective teams' player pools. Rodriguez is easily the biggest name of the group as one of the better outfield prospects in the game.

Added Jun 25 9:58 pm (EST)

Jesse Sanchez on Twitter

N/A

Y. Céspedes - LF

NYM

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes that Yoenis Cespedes is one of the primary options for the Mets at designated hitter this summer.

As DiComo notes, the Mets are "uniquely qualified" for the implementation of the designated hitter this summer, and he notes three primary options: Cespedes, Dominic Smith, and J.D. Davis. Cespedes, of course, is coming off ankle and heel injuries that caused him to miss all of the 2019 season, and this is the easiest way to get his bat back in the lineup; assuming he's ready to play when the season starts in July, of course. Smith and Davis are both bat-first players that should get a chance to play in that role as well, but if Cespedes is healthy, he makes the most sense as the primary DH over the 60-game campaign.

Added Jun 25 12:30 pm (EST)

Mets.mlb.com

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K. Gibson - SP

TEX

Levi Weaver of The Athletic notes that Kyle Gibson has ulcerative colitis and is not required to participate in MLB's planned 60-game season.

Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune disorder, which makes Gibson a "high risk" individual amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There doesn't seem to be an exact deadline for players to decide whether they want to participate or not, but we should start hearing some buzz soon with MLB camps due to open this time next week. Gibson signed a three-year, $28 million free agent contract with the Rangers this past winter and was supposed to join Mike Minor, Lance Lynn, Corey Kluber, and Jordan Lyles in a stout Texas rotation.

Added Jun 24 9:19 am (EST)

The Athletic

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F. Hernández - SP

ATL

Felix Hernandez said he's decided to sit out the season because of concerns about COVID-19.

Hernandez was trying to win a spot in the Braves' rotation as a non-roster player, and he appeared to be in pretty good position this spring before the shutdown, though part of that was because Cole Hamels was sidelined. He'll probably give it another go next spring. With Hernandez out of the mix, the Braves should be looking at Sean Newcomb and Kyle Wright as possibilities at the back of the rotation.

Added 11:17 pm (EST)

Jon Heyman on Twitter

N/A

Ch. Briscoe - D

Chase Briscoe had been practicing on a simulator since February for Saturday and he survived a four-car battle for the lead in the final laps to win Saturday’s inaugural Xfinity race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The Indiana native scored his fifth series win in 13 races this season, becoming only the second driver in series history to win as many races in the same time frame. Sam Ard holds the record with six wins in the first 13 races of the season. Justin Haley, who also is from Indiana, finished second. Noah Gragson was third and followed by AJ Allmendinger and Austin Cindric.

Added 8:06 pm (EST)

NBCSports.com

N/A

M. Tanaka - SP

NYY

Masahiro Tanaka was released from the hospital Saturday evening, but he is expected to be entered into the MLB concussion protocol after taking a liner off his head Saturday.

Added 7:43 pm (EST)

James Wagner on Twitter

N/A

L. Cessa - RP

NYY

Luis Cessa tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating at home, the Yankees said.

Cessa has had mild symptoms, according to manager Aaron Boone. The right-hander is slated to again serve as a middle reliever for the Yankees when healthy.

Added 7:39 pm (EST)

James Wagner on Twitter

N/A

A. Nola - SP

PHI

A source told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Matt Breen that the Phillies have placed Aaron Nola, Adam Haseley and Christian Bethancourt on the COVID-19 Injured List.

There are no additional details about the condition of the players. If true, those three are joining teammates Scott Kingery, Hector Neris, Tommy Hunter and Ranger Suarez. Nola is the Phillies' ace, of course, and the club is going to have a difficult time filling out its roster if some or all seven players are absent at the start of the year.

Added 6:36 pm (EST)

Philadelphia Inquirer

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J. Urquidy - SP

HOU

Jose Urquidy isn't with the Astros because of an undisclosed "condition," manager Dusty Baker said.

Baker didn't have anything to say about it. Obviously, there's no telling when Urquidy, who is slated to be the Astros' fourth starter, might be back.

Added 5:14 pm (EST)

Chandler Rome on Twitter

N/A

D. Swift - RB

DET

Lions signed second-round RB D'Andre Swift to a four-year contract.

Swift (5’8"/212) averaged 7.8 yards per touch behind Nick Chubb and Sony Michel as a true freshman at Georgia before clearing 1,000 yards rushing and seven scores each of the past two years as starter. Swift’s combination of vision, patience and 63rd-percentile Adjusted SPARQ athleticism made him an efficient runner, averaging 6.6 yards per carry on 440 career totes. 20 percent of Swift’s 196 senior carries gained at least 10 yards, the best mark in this year’s draft class. A rugged runner with elite acceleration, Swift is also excellent at reading the first level of the defense. He is the fantasy pick over Kerryon Johnson, checking in as an upside FLEX with an easy path to every-week RB2 status.

Added 4:56 pm (EST)

N/A

A. Díaz - 2B

HOU

Aledmys Diaz hasn't been at Astros camp the last two days because of shoulder soreness.

Manager Dusty Baker said Diaz slept on the shoulder wrong. The infielder should be ready to play within the next few days.

Added 4:48 pm (EST)

Chandler Rome on Twitter

N/A

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