MLB Player News

Buxton went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double in Saturday's victory over Royals.

Buxton has picked up extra-base hits in each of his first two games, as he tripled Opening Day and laced a double off Jordan Lyles on Saturday. Over nine at-bats to open the season, he's now hitting .444 with a .778 slugging percentage. Buxton has been the designated hitter in the first two games for Minnesota, and it's allowed the 29-year-old to make an immediate impact with the bat without the physical toll of playing in the field.

Ramirez will be on the bench Saturday against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Ramirez went hitless in his two at-bats on Opening Day. Luke Raley will take over at designated hitter Saturday.

Winker is not in the lineup against lefty Justin Steele and the Cubs on Saturday.

Winker served as the designated hitter on Opening Day and hit second, but he finished the day 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Given that his career wRC+ against righties (136) is nearly 50 points higher than his mark against lefties (87), it's likely he won't receive many starts against opposing southpaws. Luke Voit will be the DH on Saturday.

Miller will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth Saturday against the Phillies.

Miller, who started at DH in Thursday's opener against Aaron Nola, slots in against another right-hander, Zack Wheeler. The lefty-hitting Miller popped a home run Thursday off reliever Connor Brogdon and should be a lineup regular against right-handers.

Lewis hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning off Alex Vesia to account for all of Arizona's offense in a 2-1 win over the Dodgers on Friday.

The 27-year-old was on the bench to begin the game with Dustin May on the mound for Los Angeles. Lewis delivered in a big way when he got a chance to pinch hit, erasing a one-run deficit with a blast to left field for his first hit as a Diamondback. He is expected to see the bulk of his action this season against left-handed pitching, but he could push his way into the regular mix at DH if he continues to come through in the clutch.

Hummel went 0-for-3 with a run scored and his first stolen base of the season in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Guardians.

After getting hit by a Hunter Gaddis pitch with one out in the fourth inning, Hummel stole second and came home on a Julio Rodriguez double. The former Diamondback has never been a big running threat in his career, but his 88th percentile sprint speed last season per Statcast suggests he has some untapped potential on that front. Hummel will first need to show he can hit enough to earn semi-consistent playing time as a utility player on the Seattle bench. The .581 OPS he managed in 66 games for Arizona in 2022 paled in comparison to the .969 OPS he's amassed at Triple-A over 125 games.

Blackmon went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Padres.

Blackmon followed up his three-hit Opening Day with another multi-hit performance. His two-run shot off Nick Martinez in the fifth inning was the Rockies' lone extra-base hit of the contest. Blackmon is 5-for-9 with two extra-base hits and two strikeouts to begin the season.

Jimenez went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored in Friday's loss to Houston.

The 26-year-old slugger knocked two RBI doubles off Cristian Javier, one in the first inning and another in the sixth. Jimenez bounced back quickly after an 0-for-5, two-strikeout performance Opening Day. Both of his hits Friday were recorded at over 105 mph off the bat.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a three-run double and a walk in Friday's victory over the White Sox.

Alvarez drilled a go-ahead, bases-clearing double in the seventh inning to lift the Astros to their first win of 2023. The star slugger has already driven in four runs with a pair of extra-base hits in two games. He's also struck out three times.

Soler went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-1 win over the Mets.

Getting the start in right field and hitting fifth against lefty David Peterson, Soler opened the scoring in the second inning with his first homer of the year. He also made a couple run-saving catches, an impressive defensive showing for a player who didn't play a single game in right field in 2022. The Marlins' rotation between the corner outfield spots and designated hitter is still in flux, so Soler could earn consistent work in the field as the season unfolds. It should be noted the 31-year-old was replaced by Bryan De La Cruz in the top of the ninth, so manager Skip Schumaker doesn't yet view Soler as part of his best defensive alignment.