MLB Player News
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Ryan O'Hearn 1B | PIT
Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn: Takes seat versus lefty
O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals.
The lefty-hitting O'Hearn will sit for the third time in six games to begin the season, with all three of his absences coming against left-handed starting pitchers. With O'Hearn on the bench, the Orioles will give Adley Rutschman a day off behind the plate and deploy him as their designated hitter while James McCann forms a battery with starting pitcher Corbin Burnes.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Sits against lefty
Schanuel is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.
With southpaw A.J. Puk on the bump for Miami, the lefty-hitting Schanuel will head to the bench in the series finale. Miguel Sano will fill in at first base for Schanuel, who had started in each of the Halos' first five games while reaching base at a .400 clip and hitting a home run.
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Jared Walsh 1B | CHW
Rangers' Jared Walsh: Logs two hits in loss
Walsh went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Rays.
The lefty-batting Walsh made a fourth consecutive start at first base, including one against a lefty, and has hit safely in all four, going 7-for-18 with two extra-base hits, three RBI and five runs. The season started as a likely platoon of Walsh (against righties) and Ezequiel Duran (lefties) while primary first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (oblique) recovers. However, third baseman Josh Jung's wrist injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least six weeks, may require Duran to help fill that void.
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Nolan Schanuel 1B | LAA
Angels' Nolan Schanuel: Extends on-base streak with homer
Schanuel went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Monday's 7-4 victory versus the Marlins.
Schanuel hit the first of the Angels' back-to-back jacks in the sixth inning, with Mike Trout following with a massive blast of his own. Schanuel has quietly put together an impressive on-base streak of 33 games dating back to his MLB debut last season. Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com, it's the third-longest on-base streak to begin a career in league history.
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Josh Naylor 1B | SEA
Guardians' Josh Naylor: Hits homer Monday
Naylor went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Mariners.
Naylor's eighth-inning blast got the Guardians within a run, but the comeback fell short. He's hit safely in each of his first four games of the season, and he's knocked in a run in each of the last two. The first baseman is 6-for-16 with two doubles, a home run and three runs scored. Naylor may not get every start at first versus southpaws -- he's been in the lineup for one of the Guardians' two games versus a lefty starter, with David Fry taking first in the other.
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Spencer Torkelson 1B | DET
Tigers' Spencer Torkelson: Struggling to get going
Torkelson went 0-for-4 in Monday's 5-0 win over the Mets.
The season has just got started, so Torkelson's early struggles should be taken with a grain of salt. However, it is hard to ignore his 3-for-17 start to the year, a dreary line that's carried over from spring training. On a positive note, the 24-year-old has been making consistent contact, striking out just three times thus far. Torkelson went down on strikes 171 times in 684 plate appearances last year, and he should be able to build on a strong 2023 if he can dramatically lower that number while maintaining his power.
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Triston Casas 1B | BOS
Red Sox's Triston Casas: Picks up two hits in win
Casas went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a double in Monday's 9-0 win over Oakland.
With Justin Turner now in Toronto, Casas should pick up more starts against lefty arms this season. The 24-year-old first baseman has yet to display his power upside with no home runs through five games this season, but Casas should have a chance to build off his 24-homer campaign in 2023 with the additional opportunities he projects to see.
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Ryan Mountcastle 1B | BAL
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle: Hits homer, drives in three
Mountcastle went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Monday's win over the Royals.
Mountcastle crushed a two-run 408-foot home run off Michael Wacha in the fourth inning for his first of the season. The Orioles first baseman struggled in spring training with a .243/.256/.324 slash line and no homers, so this round-tripper was likely a welcome sight. Mountcastle will have to hit to keep his lineup spot in Baltimore with the bevy of young bats continuing to develop under general manager Mike Elias' watch.
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Jose Abreu 1B | HOU
Astros' Jose Abreu: Returns to lineup Monday
Abreu (hand) will start at first base and bat sixth in Monday's game versus the Blue Jays, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Abreu was out of the lineup Sunday due to lingering soreness in his hand as a result of a hit-by-pitch Saturday, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go Monday. The veteran first baseman has yet to pick up a base hit this season.
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Miguel Sano 3B | LAA
Angels' Miguel Sano: On bench for second straight game
Sano is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Marlins, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.
Sano served as the Angels' designated hitter for the first two games of the season, but he went just 1-for-6 with four strikeouts between those contests and now finds himself on the bench for the second straight day. Given that he's signed to a modest one-year, $1 million deal and offers no defensive utility, Sano could soon find himself off the roster if he doesn't pick up the pace at the plate in the near future. For now, Sano looks like he'll be part of a committee at DH rather than a clear everyday player.