MLB Player News

Mountcastle went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in Friday's 3-0 win over the Red Sox.

The 24-year-old broke open a scoreless tie in the sixth inning by turning on a Matt Andriese pitch and rattling it off the Green Monster. Mountcastle had an impressive 35-game debut in 2020 and hit cleanup for the O's in their opener Friday, positioning him for a big first full season in the majors.

Vaughn will make his major-league debut Friday against the Angels, batting fifth and playing left field, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Vaughn didn't do anything but sit back and watch on Opening Day, as the White Sox started Leury Garcia in left field and Zack Collins as the designated hitter. It's possible that he's stuck on the short side of a platoon in left to begin the year, as he'll start against the left-handed Andrew Heaney after the switch-hitting Garcia started against the right-handed Bundy, though it will take a few more games to determine whether or not that's the case.

Flores went 2-for-5 with two doubles, one run and one RBI in Thursday's game against the Mariners.

Flores started at DH and batted sixth with lefty Marco Gonzales on the hill for Seattle. Flores will likely be back in the lineup Friday with another lefty, Yusei Kikuchi, on the mound for the Mariners, and he could carve out a sizable role this season against same-handed pitching as well.

Cron went 2-for-4 with two runs and a double in Thursday's 8-5 win over the Dodgers.

The first baseman was an offensive catalyst for Colorado, hitting a leadoff single in his team's go-ahead, two-run sixth inning. Cron struggled to stay healthy in 2020 with Detroit, but perhaps the change of scenery will restore his offensive value. Hitting fifth in the order behind Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon should position Cron for success in 2021, and playing half his games at Coors Field gives him a chance to surpass his career-high 30 homers from 2018 with the Rays.

Cronenworth went 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks and three runs scored in Thursday's 8-7 victory over Arizona.

After tying for second for the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year award, Cronenworth picked up where he left off by reaching base in all four of his trips to the plate. He scored the Padres' first run of the campaign after singling in the second inning and capped his day by scoring the game-deciding run following a triple in the seventh. Though he's expected to share time at second base with Ha-Seong Kim this season, Cronenworth's versatility should allow him to garner plenty of at-bats, and manager Jayce Tingler may be hard pressed to keep out of the lineup if he continues producing as he did Opening Day.

Guerrero went 1-for-2 with two walks in Thursday's win over the Yankees.

Hitting fifth in the Jays' Opening Day lineup, Guerrero smoked a single in the second inning that left his bat at 114.1 mph -- per MLB.com, that's the highest exit velocity on a base hit given up by Gerrit Cole since Statcast began tracking the category. If Guerrero can also maintain the improvements in his launch angle he showed this spring while slashing .421/.511/.737 through 47 plate appearances, the 22-year-old could become one of the breakout stars of 2021.

Lowe went 2-for-6 with a double, four RBI and a run scored in Thursday's 14-10 loss to the Royals.

Lowe, acquired from Tampa Bay in the offseason to be Texas' starting first baseman, fought off a challenge from Ronald Guzman in spring training. Rangers manager Chris Woodward stood by Lowe, who batted a mere .205 and struck out 15 times in 44 at-bats, and the manager's faith was rewarded Opening Day. Lowe slotted in fifth in the batting order, a potentially good spot for RBI opportunities.

Votto went 1-for-5 with an RBI in Thursday's Opening Day loss to the Cardinals; in the process, he hit two infield pop-outs in one game for the first time since his rookie season in 2008, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Votto only returned to Cactus League game action Friday of last week after being on the COVID list, so it's not surprising that he's a little off his game. Not only did he have the highly unusual pop-ups, but he also had trouble scooping two balls in the dirt. This isn't necessarily a harbinger of things to come for Votto, but at 37 years old, he's certainly well past his peak hitting seasons.

Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in the season opener Thursday against the Padres.

Cabrera came through with an RBI single in the first inning, and he continued to produce from there, clubbing a two-run homer to right field to end Yu Darvish's outing in the fifth frame. With Ketel Marte starting in center field in the absence of Kole Calhoun (knee), Cabrera could continue to rack up plate appearances at third base with Eduardo Escobar occupying second.

Goldschmidt went 4-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and three runs in Thursday's win over the Reds.

He powered St. Louis with four hits from the two hole (between Tommy Edman and Nolan Arenado) in a vintage performance. It's always nice to see a player locked in early. Goldschmidt will look to get on the board with his first long ball this weekend before the Cardinals leave the friendly confines of Great American Ball Park.