MLB Player News

Frazier will bat leadoff and serve as the designated hitter Saturday in Detroit.

He went 3-for-7 with a double and two runs Friday. Frazier also struck out three times, well above his 2017 strikeout rate (12.6 percent). The 26-year-old stole 21 bases in 2016 and will likely look to run as the team's table-setter this weekend.

Marte was ejected during the sixth inning of Friday's game against the Rockies, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Marte slammed his bat on the ground after taking a called third strike and was promptly tossed from the game. The 24-year-old was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts prior to the ejection, but the incident didn't seem likely to be worthy of a suspension.

Franklin will start seeing action at catcher with Double-A Biloxi, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Franklin was originally expected to be headed for Triple-A Colorado Springs, but will instead move down a level for the catching experiment. Positional versatility was already the 27-year-old's best attribute, and adding catcher to his portfolio would only accentuate that, but his career slash line of .214/.285/.360 in 921 major-league appearances is a significant limiting factor to his fantasy value if he does make it back up to the bigs.

Rosario went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in Thursday's 9-4 win over the Cardinals.

Hitting ninth behind the pitcher's spot, the young shortstop was able to deliver solid fantasy value thanks to the Mets' productivity up and down the lineup. Rosario likely won't produce eye-popping fantasy numbers this season, but if he can continue delivering when he gets his chances, the 22-year-old could work his way up into a better spot in the lineup in the second half.

Albies went 1-for-5 with a home run, one run scored, one RBI, and one strikeout Thursday against the Phillies.

Albies is one of the youngest and most exciting players in the league, and he began his age 21 season with a home run. Offering a power and speed combination sometimes likened to Jose Altuve, Albies showed only his ability to steal bases for much of his minor-league career. That changed in 2017, however, as he combined to hit 15 home runs across Triple-A and the major-league level. He flashed that power again on Opening Day, which will do nothing to slow the excitement surrounding his potential.

Rosario will hit ninth, with pitcher Noah Syndergaard hitting eighth, in the Mets' Opening Day lineup, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

This actually counts as a bit of good news for the young shortstop's fantasy value, as hitting in front of Brandon Nimmo -- and, eventually, Michael Conforto (shoulder) -- should allow Rosario to see better pitches and give him more opportunities to use his speed. The 22-year-old didn't produce much offense in his big-league debut last season, but his .328/.367/.466 slash line with seven homers and 19 steals in 94 games for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2017 gives a glimpse of his upside.

Manager Clint Hurdle revealed Tuesday that Frazier would serve as the Pirates' designated hitter and leadoff man in the team's season opener Thursday in Detroit, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Frazier, who will reprise the super-utility role he filled last season, is expected to be deployed at the top of the order in most of his starts this season. Playing time may be a little more difficult to come by when the Pirates are at full strength and don't have the DH spot available, but Frazier's multi-position versatility should at least afford him two or three starts per week.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that Tomlinson claimed a spot on the Opening Day roster as a utility man, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Tomlinson faced competition from Josh Rutledge for the utility role during spring training, but the former entered camp as the heavy favorite for those duties and never relinquished his early edge in the job battle. With left-handed hitters in Brandon Belt, Joe Panik and Brandon Crawford atop the depth chart at three of the four infield spots, Tomlinson projects to receive regular starts against southpaws early on in the season.

General manager Neal Huntington said Sunday that Frazier will likely bat leadoff whenever he's slated to start, AT&T SportsNet reports.

Huntington made his comments during Monday's television broadcast. Frazier, who will begin 2018 as a backup to both second base and left field, is expected to serve as the team's designated hitter for the season's first three games in Detroit. He may be Pittsburgh's best pure hitter, but he'll have to wait for injuries to strike to see regular playing time (aside from interleague play).

Marte and the Diamondbacks agreed to an extension Monday, Robert Murray of FanRagSports.com reports.

The extension is for five years and $24 million and includes two option years worth a total of $22 million, bringing the potential total value to seven years and $46 million. The extension demonstrates the team's commitment to Marte, who appears to be in line for an everyday second base role. The 24-year-old has a .265/.319/.361 slash line in 249 career games, with eight homers and 22 steals. His fantasy appeal is limited by his lack of power, though he makes a lot of hard contact on the ground and could be in line for a breakout if some of those hard grounders become hard flyballs.