Encarnacion will likely act as the designated hitter more often than not in 2018, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Carlos Santana's departure in free agency led some to believe that Encarnacion would need to man first base more frequently this season, but the veteran slugger will be able to stay in the DH role more frequently now that Yonder Alonso is in the fold. That said, Alonso batted just .181 against lefties last season, so it wouldn't be too surprising to see Encarnacion slide over to first when a southpaw is on the mound for the opposition. The 35-year-old will look to continue his streak of six straight seasons of 35 or more home runs while bumping up his batting average after producing a sluggish .258 mark in 2017.