MLB Player News

The Rangers selected Forsythe's contract Thursday and will include him on the Opening Day roster.

Forsythe was one of three non-roster invitees to break camp with the Rangers, joining reliever Jeanmar Gomez and outfielder Hunter Pence. The 32-year-old is projected to serve as a utility infielder for Texas this season.

Torres will start at shortstop and hit eighth Thursday in the Yankees' season opener against the Orioles.

The low placement in the batting order isn't ideal for Torres, but in a New York lineup packed with talent from top to bottom, it certainly won't be a death blow to the youngster's fantasy value. While occupying a spot in the bottom half of the order for most of his rookie season, Torres still managed 77 RBI and 54 runs in 123 games.

Lowe will serve as the Rays' designated hitter and bat out of the cleanup spot in Thursday's Opening Day game against the Astros, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe's role was somewhat uncertain heading into the spring, but the Rays' decision to sign him to a six-year, $24 million contract indicates the team plans to deploy the versatile 24-year-old in at least a pseudo-everyday role this season. Though he'll settle in at DH in the opener, Lowe is a candidate to see action at first and second base as well as the corner-outfield spots, which aids his chances of gaining multi-position eligibility. It's less certain if he'll be a regular fixture in the cleanup spot, but if that ends up being the case, it would undoubtedly help Lowe's run-producing opportunities.

Barreto will likely open the season in the minors after the A's acquired Kendrys Morales from the Blue Jays, Julian McWilliams of The Athletic reports.

Barreto was poised to break camp with the A's before Wednesday's trade. Now Morales will cover first base in Matt Olson's (hand) absence, pushing Jurickson Profar back to everyday duties at the keystone and leaving no playing time for the 23-year-old Barreto, who will head to Triple-A for everyday opportunities for the time being.

Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey said the Twins have "every expectation" that Polanco (arm) will be ready to go for Thursday's season opener against the Indians, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Polanco has been battling arm fatigue recently, but it doesn't sound like the issue will force him to miss any time to start the season. The shortstop hit .303/.343/.394 with four RBI and a stolen base in 11 spring games.

Polanco (arm) served as the designated hitter in a minor-league game Tuesday, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco has been battling arm fatigue, but he's been able to take at-bats in minor-league games each of the past two days. The shortstop also took part in some fielding drills Tuesday, which bodes well for his status for Thursday's season opener against the Indians. That said, the Twins will reevaluate Polanco on Thursday before determining his availability for the start of the season.

Polanco (arm) isn't included in the lineup for the Twins' exhibition finale Tuesday versus the Rockies.

Ehire Adrianza will step in at shortstop while Polanco tends to arm fatigue. Polanco was at least able to take at-bats as a designated hitter in a minor-league game Monday, which should be taken as a positive sign with regards to his status for Thursday's regular-season opener versus the Indians. The Twins may want to see how Polanco's arm responds to fielding and throwing drills first before clearing him to rejoin the lineup.

Kemp started in center field and went 1-for-1 with a double and two walks in Monday's game against the Pirates.

With Josh Reddick (back) unavailable, manager AJ Hinch had George Springer move to right field and Kemp took Springer's spot in center. Reddick returned to action Tuesday, so it appears Kemp is ticketed for a reserve role to begin the regular season.

Polanco is dealing with some arm fatigue, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Specifics regarding the issue are not yet known, though Polanco is still scheduled to DH in a minor-league intrasquad game Monday, suggesting he may not be dealing with anything overly serious. More should be known after Monday's minor-league contest; It will be worth keeping an eye on the shortstop's status with Opening Day just a few days away.

Barreto is slated to occasionally fill in at second base when Jurickson Profar shifts over to first during Matt Olson's (hand) absence, Chris Haft of MLB.com reports.

Barreto logged time at second base, shortstop and designated hitter in 2018, but the keystone is where he spent the most time. Therefore, he's a natural fill-in for Profar on occasions the latter mans the corner infield spot, although manager Bob Melvin also indicated Saturday that Chad Pinder would slot in at second base periodically during Olson's projected multi-week absence.