Caglianone, who is slashing .346/.406/.615 through six games with Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, hit an opposite-field single at 120.9 mph off the bat Thursday, Chris Clegg of The Dynasty Dugout reports.

As Clegg notes, the hardest-hit ball the Royals have ever had in the Statcast era was 118 mph off the bat of Eric Hosmer in 2017. Further, Caglianone's two homers this season have both traveled more than 460 feet, per Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star. While it's a stretch to think the Royals would jump their top prospect over Triple-A and straight the big-league level, that's not unheard of by any stretch. Kansas City is tied for dead last in the majors this season with only six home runs as a team.

Valdez is starting at second base and hitting leadoff in Friday's contest against the Reds.

Valdez becomes the sixth different leadoff hitter the Pirates have had in their first 14 games this season. The 26-year-old is also making his first start at second base for Pittsburgh, as each of his first five starts had all been at first base.

Mervis is out of the lineup for Friday's contest versus the Nationals.

Southpaw Mitchell Parker is on the bump for the Nationals, so the left-handed-hitting Mervis will begin the series opener on the bench. Mervis has homered three times over his last four games but remains in a strict platoon, with all nine of his starts coming against righties. Jonah Bride is at first base Friday.

Contreras is absent from the lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies.

It's a day off for the slumping Contreras, who is just 5-for-49 with 22 strikeouts in the early going. Alec Burleson is at first base for the Cardinals, and Jordan Walker has moved up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

France went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Royals.

France got the Twins on the board Thursday with a 411-foot blast off Michael Wacha in the second inning, his second homer this season. The veteran first baseman has been swinging the bat well of late, going 6-for-14 with four extra-base hits in his last four contests. Overall, France is slashing .261/.320/.457 with five RBI and seven runs scored through his first 50 plate appearances on the campaign.

Feduccia was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Feduccia was recalled to take the roster spot of Freddie Freeman (ankle), but he's logged only three plate appearances since March 4. Feduccia will be optioned to create space for Freeman to return Friday.

Toglia went 3-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Brewers.

Thursday marked just the second multi-hit effort of the year by Toglia, who plated a go-ahead run with a double into deep left-center field in the eighth inning. The switch-hitter has started each of Colorado's first 12 games at first base, but it's been a disappointing start to the season overall by Toglia, who smashed 25 home runs in just 116 outings in 2024. He's batting just .191 with zero home runs, a lone RBI and two walks over 50 plate appearances in 2025.

Guerrero is not in the lineup for Thursday's tilt in Boston.

It's the first day off this season for Guerrero, who is slashing .288/.367/.346 with no home runs in his first 13 contests. Will Wagner will cover first base and bat fifth for the Blue Jays in Thursday's series finale.

Hoskins is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies.

Hoskins will receive a breather during the day game after he started at first base and played all nine innings of the Brewers' 17-2 win Wednesday night while going 0-for-4 with an RBI. Jake Bauers will spell Hoskins at first base Thursday.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is weighing the possibility of moving the slumping Contreras down in the batting order, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Contreras has gotten off to a dreadful start this season, going 5-for-49 with 22 strikeouts, and he's done so while mostly batting second for St. Louis. The 32-year-old is a good bet to eventually get going offensively, but it's possible he'll be moved to a lower profile spot in the batting order while he's scuffling. If Marmol wants to continue alternating his lefty and righty hitters, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn would appear to be the most likely candidates to be elevated to the No. 2 spot, if Contreras is indeed dropped lower in the lineup.