MLB Player News
-
Luis Urias 2B | ATH
Brewers' Luis Urias: Not in Saturday's lineup
Urias will not start Saturday against the Twins.
Urias, Travis Shaw and Orlando Arcia are expected to share starts on the left side of the Brewers' infield this season, with Shaw handling third, Urias handling short and Arcia filling in frequently for both players. Shaw has found himself in the lineup for both of the team's first two games, while Urias got the nod at shortstop on Opening Day before sitting in favor of Arcia on Saturday. It will take a bit more time to figure out exactly what the playing-time breakdown looks like among the trio.
-
Ha-seong Kim 2B | ATL
Padres' Ha-Seong Kim: Making first career start
Kim will make his first career major-league start Saturday against the Diamondbacks, batting sixth and playing second base.
Kim sat for both of the Padres' first two games, finding himself on the bench against both a lefty and a righty. Just how often he'll get into the lineup this season may take some time to figure out. He may make most of his starts early on against southpaws like Saturday's starter Caleb Smith. Jake Cronenworth will slide to first base to make room for him Saturday, with Eric Hosmer getting the day off.
-
Gavin Lux SS | TB
Dodgers' Gavin Lux: Collects two hits Friday
Lux went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's win over Colorado.
Lux's fifth-inning triple was the second of his career and accounted for his second RBI of the campaign. After a disappointing 2020 season that didn't end with a Rookie of the Year coronation as many expected, Lux appears to have secured a near-everyday role as Los Angeles' starting second baseman. The 23-year-old is off to a strong start, going 4-for-9 through his first two games.
-
Ketel Marte 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Slugs second homer
Marte went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a double in a loss to the Padres on Friday.
Marte supplied both of the Diamondbacks' runs in the loss, taking Craig Stammen deep for a two-run blast in the seventh inning. Through two games, the center fielder has collected six hits in 10 at-bats, going deep twice and driving in three.
-
Ha-seong Kim 2B | ATL
Padres' Ha-Seong Kim: Remains on bench
Kim will sit Friday against the Diamondbacks, just as he did in Thursday's season opener.
The Padres gave Kim $28 million in December, suggesting that they saw him as capable of playing a fairly important role at the MLB level. So far, he's found himself on the bench both against lefty Madison Bumgarner and righty Merrill Kelly, a pitcher he squared off against for four seasons in Korea. Kim was expected to battle for at-bats as a utility man with Jake Cronenworth and Jurickson Profar, but the Padres will trot out Cronenworth at second base and Profar in left field in both of their first two games. Kim will surely find himself in the lineup eventually, but it doesn't look like he's in line for a significant role right out of the gate.
-
Jonathan India 2B | KC
Reds' Jonathan India: Two hits in big-league debut
India went 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout in a loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.
The 24-year-old forced his way onto the Opening Day roster with a stellar spring and got the nod at second base in his MLB debut, forcing Mike Moustakas to third and Eugenio Suarez to shortstop. Suarez at short seems doomed to fail, but the Reds appear intent on getting India playing time. The fifth overall pick in 2018 has some speed to go with a little pop, which puts him in the mix as an injury-replacement option in mixed leagues.
-
Ketel Marte 2B | ARI
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Collects four hits Thursday
Marte went 4-for-5 with a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Thursday's 8-7 loss to San Diego.
Marte, who started in center field and batted second, mashed during spring training and kept it going Opening Day. He posted a 1.181 OPS in Cactus League play, with 10 of his 14 spring hits going for extra bases. Center field may be his primary home in 2021 after he played mostly at second base in 2020.
-
Josh Rojas 3B | CHW
Diamondbacks' Josh Rojas: Starts at shortstop
Rojas filled in for Nick Ahmed (knee) at shortstop and went 0-for-5 in Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Padres.
Rojas is coming off a productive spring and is expected to see a lot of time at second base when Ahmed is healthy. Manager Torey Lovullo left open the possibility that Ahmed plays Friday but sounded far from certain, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
-
Adam Frazier 2B | LAA
Pirates' Adam Frazier: Reaches base four times
Frazier went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two walks and a run scored during Thursday's win over the Cubs.
Frazier created havoc at the top of the order, reaching base in four of his six trips to the dish. He posted impressive numbers during spring training, slashing .488/.511/.860 in 45 plate appearances, and he's expected to serve as the Pirates' leadoff hitter against right-handed pitching.
-
Brendan Rodgers 2B | BOS
Rockies' Brendan Rodgers: Lands on 10-day IL
Rodgers (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Kyle Newman of The Denver Post reports.
Rodgers is slated to miss about a month after he suffered a right hamstring strain in mid-March, and he'll officially begin the year on the injured list. Ryan McMahon and Garrett Hampson should see most of the playing time at second base in Rodgers' absence, while Josh Fuentes could see an uptick in playing time at the hot corner.