MLB Player News

Ortiz is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Orioles on Thursday versus the Tigers in his major-league debut.

Ortiz was recalled earlier Thursday and will be thrown right into the mix. The 24-year-old could see a little action at multiple infield spots for the Orioles but wouldn't seem to be in line for everyday playing time.

Caballero is starting at second base and batting eighth for the Mariners on Thursday against the Phillies, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.

The 26-year-old has been serving on the short side of a platoon at second base with Kolten Wong of late. Caballero will go up against left-hander Matt Strahm in the series finale at Philadelphia.

Ortiz was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk by the Orioles on Thursday, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Ortiz finished strong at Norfolk last season, and it has carried over into 2023 with a .359/.389/.500 slash line. The 24-year-old is a strong defender and has experience at all infield positions other than first base. While a good prospect, Ortiz might not play enough to provide much fantasy value in his first taste of the big leagues.

Merrifield went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a steal in Wednesday's win over the White Sox.

Merrifield saw his 10-game hitting streak end Tuesday but got back on track Wednesday, hitting a pair of singles and swiping his fourth bag in a win over the White Sox. The 34-year-old Merrifield has gotten off to a fast start this year following a down 2022 season. He's now slashing .313/.377/.403 with 10 RBI and nine runs scored through 77 plate appearances.

Arroyo (hamstring) went 0-for-2 in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Baltimore.

Arroyo, who nursed a hamstring injury and was held out of the starting lineup, entered the game as a pinch hitter for starting second baseman Enmanuel Valdez and stayed in the game at the keystone. The Red Sox are off Thursday, and Arroyo is expected to be available Friday when Boston kicks off a three-game set at Fenway Park versus the Guardians.

Drury went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two runs and three RBI in an 11-3 rout of the Athletics on Wednesday.

Drury put the Angels on the board with his run-scoring double to right field in the second inning, and he smacked a two-run blast to center in the fifth. The infielder was slashing a miserable .179/.208/.269 coming into the series against Oakland, but he's boosted that line to .238/.267/.463 over the past three games. During that span, Drury has gone 7-for-13 with three homers, six runs and nine RBI.

Rosario went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Rockies.

Since returning from a back injury, Rosario has gone 7-for-21 (.333) with two steals over six contests. The shortstop had a slow start to the campaign, but his bat is coming around. He's now slashing .250/.286/.369 with five steals, five RBI, one home run and 12 runs scored through 91 plate appearances.

Espinal went 3-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and a steal in Wednesday's 8-0 win over the White Sox.

Espinal made an impact in his first game since suffering a wrist contusion on April 22, hitting three singles while stealing his first bag of the season. The 28-year-old infielder had gotten off to a sluggish start to the season, going just 4-for-35 before the injury. Following the three-hit performance, Espinal is slashing .179/.238/.256 with one homer, five RBI and five runs scored through 42 plate appearances. He'll likely continue filling a utility role off the bench for Toronto.

Kemp is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels.

Kemp has gone 2-for-7 with a pair of walks over the first two games of the series against the Angels. The 31-year-old will take a seat with Jordan Diaz starting at second base and hitting second against Patrick Sandoval and the Angels.

Torres went 2-for-5 with a double, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 12-6 win over the Twins.

After getting a day off Tuesday, Torres returned to the lineup Wednesday and extended his hit steak to four games. He led off the Yankees' five-run second inning with a double and scored on a single by Willie Calhoun. Torres extended the lead to 11-1 in the fourth with a two-run homer, marking his third long ball of the season and first since April 3. The 26-year-old has appeared in 23 of New York's 25 games, so barring the occasional rest day, he's locked in as the team's everyday second baseman.