MLB Player News

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.

Merrifield went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored during Thursday's Opening Day win over the Rangers.

Merrifield made his at-bats count and kept Kansas City's lead alive with a solo home run against Kolby Allard in the eighth inning. It looks like the 32-year-old is set for another season as a reliable fantasy producer in every category.

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.

Arraez went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a walk during Thursday's extra-inning loss against the Brewers.

Arraez is expected to work as Minnesota's leadoff hitter in most games this season, and he certainly lived up to the role in the opener, reaching base in three of his six plate appearances. He's posted an on-base percentage north of .360 in each of his first two big-league seasons, so Arraez is a solid fit for the role despite his lack of speed.

Arraez will lead off and play left field in Thursday's season opener against the Brewers.

Arraez has spent the majority of his career in the infield, but he's no stranger to the outfield, having started 18 games in left in 2019. Per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, he's expected to fill the leadoff spot regularly this season, pushing Max Kepler (who's batting fifth Thursday) into the heart of the order. Arraez doesn't steal like a traditional leadoff man, as he's swiped just two bags in 124 major-league games, but his .390 on-base percentage fits well at the top of the order.

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.

Haggerty has made the Mariners' Opening Day roster, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The versatile 26-year-old flashed potential in his first Mariners season in 2020 with a .260/.315/.400 slash over 13 games. Despite the fact that he followed it up with just a .239 average this spring, his experience playing every position in the field except catcher and first base made him too valuable not to stick.

Frazier will bat leadoff and play second base in Thursday's opener at Wrigley Field.

He's 10-for-22 in his career with two doubles and two homers against the Cubs' Opening Day starter, Kyle Hendricks. Frazier also put together an amazing spring, slashing .488/.511/.860 in 45 spring plate appearances. As a result, fantasy owners might want to consider streaming Frazier on Opening Day.

Rosario is out of the lineup for Thursday's season opener versus the Tigers.

With southpaw Matthew Boyd on the hill for the Tigers, Cleveland will roll with the right-handed Jordan Luplow in center field. Cleveland's plans for that position remain less clear versus right-handed pitching, but the lefty-hitting Ben Gamel could have the edge for those starts over Rosario, who is right-handed like Luplow. If that's the case, Rosario would have to settle for a utility role to begin the season, limiting his overall playing-time outlook.

Barreto (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

The 25-year-old was shut down for 4-to-6 weeks March 22 with right elbow inflammation, and the move to the 60-day IL will guarantee he misses the first two months of the season. Barreto was competing for a utility role in camp and likely won't return until June.