MLB Player News

Olson went 2-for-3 with a walk, two home runs and three RBI in Saturday's 7-1 win over the Nationals.

The first baseman went back-to-back with Ronald Acuna in the first inning against Josiah Gray before launching a two-run shot off rookie Thad Ward in the seventh. Olson needed only two regular-season games to show that his spring power display was still in full effect. After posting two straight campaigns with at least 30 homers and 100 RBI, the 29-year-old could be gearing up for a career-best season.

Votto (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

Votto entered spring behind schedule as he worked his way back from August shoulder surgery. He evidently wasn't behind by a large margin, as he seemingly has a chance to return from the injured list when first eligible.

Flores will be on the bench Saturday against the Yankees.

Flores got the start at third base in the season opener, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. David Villar gets the start at the hot corner in the second game of the year.

Cronenworth and the Padres agreed to a seven-year, $80 million extension Friday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Cronenworth's contract won't start until 2024. Lin notes that the infielder has already passed his physical, and the deal is expected to be announced Saturday. The infielder struggled to a .239/.332/.390 slash in 2022, but he did hit 17 homers and drive in 88 runs while making the All-Star team for the second time in his career. Cronenworth should remain an everyday player for at least the next few years while seeing time at several defensive spots.

Cooper went 3-for-4 with a triple in Friday's 2-1 win over the Mets.

His three-bagger could easily have been ruled an error on Starling Marte, as the outfielder saw the ball glance off the tip of his glove and trickle into the right-field corner. Cooper's had a great start to the season, going 4-for-8 with a home run during Thursday's opener in addition to Friday's triple, and he should be a staple in the heart of the Marlins' order this season while splitting time between first base and DH.

Alonso went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Marlins.

All three runs in the game came on solo shots, with Alonso launching his first long ball of the season in the ninth inning off A.J. Puk. The slugging first baseman hit 40 homers in 2022 and is up to 147 through 532 games in his big-league career, and given that he already has a 53-homer campaign on his resume, it's not out of the question the 28-year-old will be chasing 200 late in the season.

Smith went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Thursday's loss to Atlanta.

Not much went right for the Nationals on Opening Day, and an argument could be made that the team's best offensive player was the Sun after Washington's first two hits came on pop-ups that got lost by Atlanta fielders. Smith is a credible alternative though, as he reached base three times in his Nats debut. The 27-year-old has seen more than 200 plate appearances in a season only once in his career, but he should get every chance to fulfill the promise he flashed on occasion as a Met after being a first-round pick in 2013.

Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 10-9 loss to the Blue Jays.

Goldschmidt's always had pretty good speed and instincts for a first baseman. He swiped seven bags over 151 contests last season, though his days of challenging for 20 thefts could be behind him despite MLB's offseason rule changes. The reigning NL MVP will look to follow up Thursday's performance with another strong campaign, and hitting in the heart of a strong lineup should help him produce in the standard roto categories.

Montero went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-2 victory over the Padres.

Montero put the icing on the cake for the Rockies in the seventh inning, slamming a solo homer for the final run in a 7-2 win. The third baseman went deep six times in 185 plate appearances in his rookie 2022 campaign, and he hit 28 homers between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021. He appears to be Colorado's primary third baseman, so he could have some sneaky fantasy appeal given that he plays half of his games at Coors Field.

Cron went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double and five total RBI in Thursday's 7-2 win against San Diego.

Cron was arguably the offensive standout of Opening Day, as he was the only player in the league to go deep twice. The veteran first baseman put the Rockies on the board with a first-inning single, gave the team a 4-2 lead with a fifth-inning three-run homer and went deep again with a solo shot in the seventh. Cron has hit 25-plut homers in each of his last four full seasons (excluding the shortened 2020 campaign), and he appears well on his way to putting up big power numbers again in 2023.