MLB Player News

Donaldson (dead arm) will serve as the Blue Jays' designated hitter for the next few games until his throwing shoulder improves, MLB Network Radio reports.

The good news is that it sounds like Donaldson won't lose out on significant at-bats while he deals with this dead arm phase. Instead, Kendrys Morales will lose out on playing time with Donaldson getting starts at DH, while Yangervis Solarte serves as the team's third baseman. Manager John Gibbons noted that structurally, everything is fine with Donaldson's arm/shoulder.

Duffy went 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a run in Thursday's 6-4 Opening Day victory over the Red Sox.

The oft-injured 27-year-old got the Rays' comeback from a 4-0 deficit started with his timely two-bagger in the eighth inning that plated Daniel Robertson. Duffy made it through spring without any notable health issues and did so in fine fashion, hitting .327 over 53 plate appearances. Slated for a healthy dose of leadoff work in 2018, Duffy could be poised for an above-average season in runs scored thanks to a solid group of hitters behind him.

Manager John Gibbons said after Thursday's loss that Donaldson is dealing with a 'dead arm,' Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Donaldson simply didn't look like himself on several throws across the diamond Thursday. He had already sat out of Toronto's exhibition games in Montreal for maintenance purposes, but it's clear that his arm still isn't 100 percent. Gibbons said that this is a case of dead arm rather than any sort of injury for Donaldson. It'll be worth monitoring whether the Blue Jays opt to deploy him as the designated hitter until his arm is back to full strength.

Bregman will start at third base and hit second in Thursday's season opener against the Rangers, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Bregman opened last season as the club's No. 2 hitter, but a slow start at the dish eventually dropped him to the lower third of the lineup. Manager A.J. Hinch moved the infielder back up to the two hole in mid-August once Bregman started to heat up at the plate, and the 23-year-old never relinquished that spot after continuing to produce during Houston's run to the World Series. Without the World Baseball Classic occupying most his training time this spring, Bregman should enter the 2018 campaign fresher than he did a season ago, which should aid his chances of a breakout.

Urshela (hamstring) will begin the season on the 10-day disabled list, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Urshela was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain last week. He should be able to return to the fold once he's eligible to come off the DL, as this injury was only expected to hamper him for 10-to-14 days. Upon his activation, the 26-year-old will likely serve as a reserve infielder.

Duffy will hit leadoff and play third base for Thursday's Opening Day contest against Boston.

Though manager Kevin Cash said that Denard Span and Carlos Gomez are likely to share time atop the Rays' order this season, he elected to place Duffy in that role against Chris Sale on Opening Day. In 2016, Duffy appeared in 91 games split between Tampa Bay and San Francisco, hitting .258/.310/.357 with five home runs, 28 RBI and eight stolen bases, but he was limited to three minor-league rehab games in 2017 due to complications with a heel injury.

Alvarez will bat seventh out of the DH spot for Thursday's game against the Twins.

Alvarez officially earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and will likely serve as the team's designated hitter until Mark Trumbo returns from a quadriceps injury. The 31-year-old may not remain with the major-league team once Trumbo is activated from the 10-day DL, so this first week may be important in Alvarez's bid to stick around longer than expected.

Manager Terry Francona said Ramirez (finger) is expected to be in the Indians' Opening Day lineup, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Ramirez cut his finger on a metal bat rack in the dugout during Tuesday's spring game, prompting his removal in the second inning. Fortunately, the issue isn't anything serious and his removal was deemed precautionary, with Francona adding that Ramirez could have played through the issue if necessary. Look for him to reclaim his spot at the hot corner for Thursday's Opening Day showdown against the Mariners.

Ramirez exited Tuesday's spring game with a left middle finger laceration, Zack Meisel of The Athletic Cleveland reports.

Ramirez apparently suffered the injury in the dugout during the first inning and was subsequently replaced by Erik Gonzalez prior to the second frame. The Indians are currently listing him as day-to-day, but with Opening Day on Thursday, this will be something to keep an eye on. More should be known about the situation following the conclusion of Tuesday's game.

Devers (knee) will play Thursday against the Rays, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.

Devers bruised his knee in a collision with Cubs catcher Victor Caratini on Monday and remains out of the lineup Tuesday. He appears to have been held out as a precaution and his manager Alex Cora has little doubt that he'll be in the lineup Thursday.