MLB Player News

Rendon is batting second and playing third base Friday against the Reds.

Rendon batted second on nine occasions for the Nationals last season, but former manager Dusty Baker's old-school lineups saw Rendon bat sixth more often than any other spot (73 times). New manager Dave Martinez appears to be favoring on-base percentage at the top, with Adam Eaton leading off and Rendon batting second. The 27-year-old had the best offensive season of his career in 2017, hitting .301/.403/.533 with 25 homers in 147 games. If Friday's lineup is a preview of things to come and Rendon sticks in the second spot, expect a shift from RBI to runs, which won't effect his overall fantasy value much. The more significant effect will be an increase in his total number of plate appearances, which should slightly boost all of his counting stats.

Anderson went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and two RBI in Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Cubs.

Not much went right for the Marlins on Opening Day, but Anderson's performance was a rare bright spot. There are questions about the 24-year-old's ultimate fantasy upside given that his stroke seems more geared to line drives than homers, which likely restricts his utility to deep mixed and NL-only formats, but the rebuilding franchise will give Anderson every chance to prove himself in 2018.

Asuaje batted fifth and started at second base Thursday, going 1-for-3 with a walk in an Opening Day loss to the Brewers.

Asuaje was in a heated battle with Cory Spangenberg for the starting job at the keystone this spring, and his presence in the Padres' first official lineup confirms that he is the victor. The 26-year-old slashed .270/.334/.362 in 343 plate appearances last season, so he likely won't be anything more than an empty batting average from a fantasy standpoint.

Arenado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

Arenado hit 16 homers in just 150 at-bats against lefties last season and continued his onslaught against southpaws in his 2018 debut, homering off Patrick Corbin. The 26-year-old is averaging 40 homers and 131 RBI over the past three seasons and there's little reason to believe he won't approach those marks yet again.

LeMahieu went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

This was nice to see from LeMahieu, who has reached double-digit homers just once in his career, finishing with eight a season ago. Hopefully he adds to his total sooner than he did in 2017 -- LeMahieu didn't hit his second until May 21 last year. He's in his final season before free agency.

Anderson will start at third base and bat fifth in Thursday's season opener against the Cubs, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

It became apparent Anderson would break camp as the Marlins' primary third baseman once Martin Prado (knee) incurred a setback in mid-March that ultimately resulted in the veteran opening the season on the disabled list. Prado is tentatively in line to rejoin the Marlins around mid-April, but his ability to play the corner outfield could allow Anderson to hang on to an everyday role if the 24-year-old's performance warrants it. Anderson doesn't offer much power from the corner infield, but he displayed a solid hit tool throughout his minor-league career and during his brief time with the Marlins last season, which could allow him to maintain a serviceable batting average.

The Marlins selected Rivera's contract from Triple-A New Orleans on Thursday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Rivera slashed .304/.373/.457 through 51 plate appearances this spring, but the short sample was enough for the non-roster invitee to catch on with the big club as a reserve infielder. The 25-year-old will provide organizational depth on a team that is currently down two infielders in J.T. Riddle (shoulder) and Martin Prado (knee). To make room on the 40-man roster, Austin Nola was designated for assignment, and Brett Graves was moved to the 60-day disabled list.

McMahon will be on the Rockies' Opening Day roster, Nick Groke of The Denver Post reports.

It's something of a surprise move, as reports suggested after the Rockies signed Carlos Gonzalez that McMahon would have to start the season in Triple-A. The 23-year-old infielder has impressed this spring, hitting .328/.375/.537 in 29 games. He dominated the Triple-A level last year, hitting .374/.411/.612 in 70 games for Albuquerque, so he had little left to prove in the minors. McMahon's exact role for the Rockies is unclear -- he can fill in at first, second and third base. First base may be his spot against righties, while the bench may be his home against lefties. He could return good value for his draft price, as anyone with a decent bat who plays half of his games at Coors Field is a potentially significant fantasy asset.

The Nationals optioned Reynolds to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday, Jamal Collier of MLB.com reports.

Reynolds joined the Nationals in February after being designated for assignment by the Mets and was aiming to crack the Opening Day roster as a utility infielder. The 25-year-old could earn a promotion to the majors if he can replicate his Triple-A slash line of .320/.396/.484 from last season, as Wilmer Difo will fill the super-utility role for Washington.

Rendon went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

Tony Two-Bags is still looking for his first homer of the spring, but he's otherwise had little difficulty getting locked in at the plate, going 10-for-28 through 13 games. New Nats manager Dave Martinez seems to have Rendon ticketed for the cleanup spot in the lineup, and hitting behind Trea Turner and Bryce Harper on a regular basis should give him more than enough opportunities to post his second consecutive 100-RBI campaign.