MLB Player News

Farmer is starting at second base and batting seventh for the Twins in Thursday's opener versus the Royals.

Farmer gets the nod at the keystone with the Royals starting southpaw Cole Ragans. The 33-year-old utility player had a .781 OPS against left-handed pitching last season for Minnesota.

The Rays placed Walls (hip) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Walls is working his way back from last October's surgery to repair a labral tear in his right hip. According to MLB.com, Walls has been hitting in the batting cage, fielding grounders and throwing during spring training, and he's set to meet with a doctor Monday to get a gauge of where he stands in his recovery from surgery. Since he'll need to go through a spring training-esque progression that likely includes a minor-league rehab assignment once he's cleared to intensify his baseball activities, Walls might not be ready to make his season debut until late April or early May.

Bride could now make the Marlins' Opening Day roster following the trade of Jon Berti, Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports.

Bride was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville earlier this month, but with an ability to handle multiple infield positions he makes for a natural replacement for Berti. However, the Marlins already have utility options Nick Gordon and Vidal Brujan on the roster, so they may not feel the need to add a third. The 28-year-old Bride was acquired from the Athletics in February.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday that Shenton has made the Rays' Opening Day roster, Steve Carney of StPeteNine.com reports.

Shenton was optioned to minor-league camp earlier this month, but injuries to other players created another opportunity and he wound up making the team. The 26-year-old can handle the corner-infield and corner-outfield spots and could also be an option at designated hitter while Jonathan Aranda (finger) opens the season on the injured list. Shenton will be making his major-league debut whenever he gets into a game.

Vargas appears set as the Nationals' primary utility infielder to begin the season.

A big spring from prospect Trey Lipscomb created some drama toward the end of camp as to who would claim the final roster spots, but Vargas' job seems secure after Lipscomb was reassigned to minor-league camp Tuesday. With Luis Garcia and Nick Senzel both question marks at second base and third base, Vargas could see more playing time than expected in the early going, but he offers little fantasy upside after slashing .252/.304/.363 over 286 plate appearances for the Nats in 2023.

Senzel batted .231 (9-for-39) over 15 Grapefruit League games with a 4:13 BB:K and only two extra-base hits, both doubles.

The former Red signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Nationals in December, and Senzel's new team is hoping it has the same success reviving his career that it did with Jeimer Candelario in 2023. Senzel showed little this spring to indicate he's headed for a breakout season though, and while he'll be the Nats' Opening Day starter at third base, he may need to hit the ground running to keep the job with Trey Lipscomb making a big impression in camp and Brady House potentially ready to push for a spot in the majors as well.

The Mariners released Anderson on Sunday.

Anderson put together a solid spring, slashing .250/.344/.536 with two homers and six RBI across 32 plate appearances, but he ultimately ended up not making the Mariners' Opening Day roster. The 30-year-old utility man will now attempt to latch on with another club and should have little trouble securing at least a minor-league deal.

The Nationals reassigned Lipscomb to minor-league camp Tuesday.

The 23-year-old made a strong push for a roster spot during spring training with a .995 OPS in 55 plate appearances, but he'll still end up beginning the campaign in the minors. Luis Garcia retains a tenuous grip on the starting job at second base, but Lipscomb's strong spring puts him in prime position for an early-season promotion should Garcia have a poor start to the campaign.

The Orioles designated Maton for assignment Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

The 27-year-old was acquired from Detroit in February but wasn't going to be included on Baltimore's Opening Day roster, so the club removed him from the 40-man roster. Maton played in 93 games for the Tigers last season and had a .593 OPS with eight home runs and 32 RBI.

Jung started at third base and went 0-for-3 in Monday's exhibition game against the Red Sox.

Jung, who missed much of the Cactus League with a calf issue, increased his activity following Sunday's spring debut. After playing three innings and getting two at-bats Sunday, Jung was in the field for six innings and had three at-bats Monday. He's expected to play Tuesday, when these same two teams meet, and could be in line for a full nine innings.