MLB Player News

Lowe isn't in the lineup for Friday's season opener against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 26-year-old will begin the season on the bench with southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu on the bump for the Blue Jays, while Mike Brosseau receives the start at the keystone. Lowe likely will be in the lineup Saturday against right-hander Matt Shoemaker.

Rojas made the active roster despite going hitless in summer camp, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Rojas' versatility won out over his struggles at the plate during camp, when he went 0-for-27 with four walks. He was marginally better in spring training, going 5-for-34. Rojas, who batted .217 in 138 at-bats for the Diamondbacks last season, plays the infield base positions and corner outfield spots.

Hernandez went 4-for-5 with a solo home run, five RBI and two runs scored during Thursday's win against the Giants.

Hernandez got the Dodgers on the board with an RBI single in the fourth inning off Johnny Cueto. He later extended the Dodgers' lead with a two-run single off Tyler Rogers in the seventh before smacking his first homer of the season with a solo shot off Conner Menez. The 28-year-old, who hit 17 long balls across 130 games last year, was named the starting second baseman for Opening Day following the demotion of Gavin Lux this week and is expected to share duties with Chris Taylor.

Arauz made the Red Sox's Opening Day roster, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

The Red Sox opted to keep Arauz, a Rule 5 selection in the offseason, instead of more established infielders and prospects the organization has cultivated. The Red Sox must maintain Arauz on the active roster (barring injury) for the entire season or offer him back to the Astros. It's easy enough to carry Arauz the first two weeks, when rosters are expanded to 30 players. The team will be challenged to keep him when rosters are trimmed to 28 on Aug. 6, then down to 26 on Aug. 20.

Rengifo (hamstring/undisclosed) is not on the Angels' 30-man roster.

Rengifo missed most of summer camp for undisclosed reasons and then tweaked his hamstring after reporting in mid-July. His timeline for returning to action remains unclear.

Jones is not included on the Angels' 30-man roster.

Jones has yet to play beyond the Double-A level, so his exclusion from the Opening Day roster is no surprise. The 22-year-old was expected to start the campaign with Triple-A Salt Lake before spring training was suspended, but he'll instead head to the team's alternate training site.

Mayfield has been named to Houston's 30-man roster, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

With Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve entrenched in the middle of Houston's infield, Mayfield will fill a reserve role in 2020. The 29-year-old struggled in his big-league debut last season, slashing .156/.169/.328 in 26 games.

Manager Dave Roberts said in an appearance Thursday on the "Off Air with Joe and Orel" podcast that Hernandez will start at second base in the Dodgers' Opening Day game against the Giants, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Following the surprise demotion of Gavin Lux earlier this week, the Dodgers' plans for the everyday second base job aren't fully known, but Hernandez looks poised to get the first chance to handle the keystone. Chris Taylor should get opportunities at second base, too, but since both he and Hernandez are right-handed hitters, a pure platoon arrangement won't be an option.

Wong was designated for assignment by the Giants on Thursday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

The Giants scooped Wong off waivers in November, though the infielder was never expected to open the season with the big club. He should report to the team's alternative came site if he passes through waivers untouched.

The Mets named Gimenez to their Opening Day roster Thursday. Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

In a surprise move, the 21-year-old will bypass the Triple-A level entirely and open the 60-game season with the big club as a reserve infielder. Expect Gimenez to serve as the top backup at shortstop and second base behind Amed Rosario and Robinson Cano, a role that may only translate to a couple starts per week. Gimenez may provide most of his impact as a late-inning defensive replacement or as a pinch runner, given his above-average speed.