MLB Player News

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.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Vaughn is merely resting Friday night against the Astros, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Vaughn dealt with minor back tightness toward the end of spring training and the White Sox don't want to push him too hard out of the gate. He should be a regular presence at first base throughout the 2023 campaign, health permitting. Gavin Sheets is covering first and batting sixth Friday at Houston.

Vaughn is not in the White Sox starting lineup Friday against the Astros.

Gavin Sheets, a left-handed hitter, will start at first base and bat sixth against Houston right-hander Cristian Javier. The right-handed-hitting Vaughn will ride the pine, with Eloy Jimenez serving as the DH and cleanup man. Vaughn should be Chicago's primary first baseman throughout the 2023 season, but he might sit here and there versus tougher righties.

Manzardo is opening the year at Triple-A Durham, MLB.com reports.

While Manzardo is widely considered to be one of the best hitters in the minors, the Rays had cover to send him back to Double-A for a month or two since he only played 30 games there last season, but they didn't mess around with this assignment. Manzardo's Triple-A teammate Curtis Mead is on the 40-man roster already and likely ahead in the promotion hierarchy, but it's possible Manzardo kicks the door down sometime this summer.

The Tigers acquired Paulson from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations Friday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

It's the second time he's been traded, as Paulson also went from the Dodgers to the Rays back in December of 2020 as part of a three-team deal which sent Jose Alvarado to the Phillies. The 25-year-old Paulson hasn't played much the last two seasons due to an ACL tear.

Guerrero went 2-for-4 with three RBI in a wild 10-9 Opening Day win over the Cardinals on Thursday.

The first baseman did all of his damage late -- Guerrero drove home two with a single to right field in the eighth inning on a 102.9 mph fastball from Jordan Hicks, setting the stage for a dramatic ninth-inning at-bat against St. Louis closer Ryan Helsley that resulted in a game-winning sacrifice fly. Guerrero came three RBI short of 100 in 2022 after bringing home 111 the year before, but the 24-year-old could easily top those numbers this season given his talent and the stacked lineup around him.

France went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in Thursday's 3-0 victory over the Guardians.

The Mariners and Guardians were locked in a scoreless tie until France punched one to the opposite field and over the right-field wall in the bottom of the eighth inning. He also had a single and a double earlier in the game and was the only player on either side with multiple hits. France struggled in the second half last season while battling through a nagging wrist injury, but he's healthy now and should be a good source for batting average with decent power from the middle of Seattle's lineup.

Casas went 0-for-2 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's 10-9 loss to Baltimore.

Casas had a pair of productive outs -- a groundout and sacrifice fly -- while batting sixth for Boston. The 23-year-old is expected to be the team's primary first baseman, meaning he'll start against both lefties and righties, but he could slip further down the order against southpaws.

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.