Cruz is starting at shortstop and batting sixth in Thursday's opener in Miami.

Cruz was a fixture atop the Pirates' batting order this spring when he walloped seven Grapefruit League home runs. However, with left-hander Jesus Luzardo on the bump for the Marlins, he'll slide down to the six spot for Opening Day while Connor Joe bats leadoff. Cruz should be the regular leadoff man against right-handers.

Alexander made the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Alexander made a strong case for the Opening Day roster during spring training, slashing .400/.431/.655 with two homers and eight RBI across 58 plate appearances. The 24-year-old infield prospect will likely grab a seat on the bench while with Arizona, but he could make an occasional start in order to give one of the regular starters a breather.

The Giants optioned Luciano to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday.

Luciano came into spring training as the favorite to win the Giants' shortstop job, but he missed some time with an injury and the club eventually signed Nick Ahmed, who ended up claiming the job. The 22-year-old could still eventually push to take over at shortstop with the big club this season, but for now, he'll go to Sacramento.

De La Cruz will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Thursday's season opener against the Nationals.

De La Cruz hit second often for the Reds this spring and manager David Bell had indicated that's where he was leaning toward putting the youngster. However, the skipper ultimately settled on Will Benson in the two hole and De La Cruz lower in the batting order. It's not great news for De La Cruz's immediate fantasy prospects, but he's certainly capable of hitting his way up higher in the lineup.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Rojas will get some starts at shortstop against left-handed pitchers, but he won't be part of a strict platoon, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rojas got the bulk of playing time at shortstop last year after Gavin Lux tore his ACL in spring training and was lost for the season, and he finished the campaign with a .236/.290/.322 slash line along with five homers, 31 RBI, 49 runs and eight steals. With Lux back in the fold for 2024, Rojas is slated to work in a reserve role, with Lux starting at second base and Mookie Betts taking over at shortstop. When the Dodgers go up against southpaws, Betts will sometimes slide over to second while Rojas gets an opportunity at shortstop, but Roberts' comments make it clear that this won't be more than an occasional lineup change.

The Reds placed McLain (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

McLain underwent surgery on his left shoulder Tuesday and a timetable for his return remains unclear. Although it is still possible he plays this year, fantasy managers shouldn't expect the 24-year-old to return to the field until at least the second half of the season. Jonathan India will likely assume the role as Cincinnati's primary second baseman while McLain is out.

Diamondbacks farm director Shaun Larkin said that Lawlar will undergo surgery Thursday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and could have a "full return to baseball activity in 8-to-10 weeks," Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Lawlar, the organization's top prospect, was optioned to Triple-A Reno on March 10, but he could have put himself on the radar for an early-season call-up if he had gotten off to a hot start at the plate during the Pacific Coast League season. However, after jamming his thumb and tearing a ligament while trying to field a ball off the ground with his throwing hand during a minor-league spring training game Sunday, Lawlar now looks like he'll be sidelined until at least early June while he recovers from surgery. The injury shouldn't dramatically alter Lawlar's long-term outlook in dynasty leagues, but it makes him a tough player to stash in redraft formats since he'll be headed for a multi-month absence to begin the season.

Nunez is expected to begin the season on the 26-man roster after Trey Lipscomb was reassigned to minor-league camp Tuesday.

A Rule 5 pick from the Marlins, Nunez was a favorite to win a bench role when camp began, but Lipscomb's big spring created some uncertainty on how the Nationals would configure their infield. The 23-year-old Nunez stole 52 bases in 59 attempts at Double-A last season but slashed only .224/.341/.286, so he'll likely be limited to pinch-running duties in 2024 if he's able to stick on the big-league roster all year rather than being offered back to Miami.

McLain underwent surgery Tuesday to repair cartilage damage and the labrum in his left shoulder, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said that while the team hopes to get McLain back at some point this season, the timetable for this type of surgery has a wide range of possibilities. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues that had stashed McLain with the hope of a quick return from the injured list probably shouldn't be counting on him being a major contributor this season and may be better off using his roster spot elsewhere. With McLain out indefinitely, Jonathan India is once again poised to be Cincinnati's regular second baseman.

Adames went 5-for-7 (.714) with three home runs, six RBI, six runs and a walk over his last two spring games.

Adames recorded at least one hit in all but four of the 15 games he appeared in this spring, and he capped off the exhibition season in fine fashion with a three-homer game and another multi-hit effort. Adames is locked in as Milwaukee's starting shortstop and figures to occupy a spot in the middle third of the batting order.