MLB Player News

Seager is not in the Dodgers' lineup Friday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Though he has played strongly early on, the Dodgers apparently want to rest Seager against a left-handed pitcher (Kyle Freeland) and manage his recent oblique injury. Enrique Hernandez is playing shortstop in his place. Expect Seager to return to the mix Saturday.

Seager reached base four times Thursday, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI and his first steal of the season in a win over the Padres.

The star shortstop's concerning back injury during spring training seems like a distant memory after his strong start to the regular season (.313 with a homer and five RBI through four games). If Seager can build on his impressive rookie campaign, he should have no problem finishing the year as one of the game's top fantasy shortstops.

Rojas is batting second and playing third base in the Marlins' lineup Thursday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Rojas takes Derek Dietrich's place facing left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez. Rojas will remain the likely starter at the hot corner against southpaws as long as Martin Prado (hamstring) is on the DL.

Owings got on base four times in five plate appearances Wednesday, knocking a single and a double to go with two walks, two steals, an RBI and a run against the Giants.

He's opened the season in impressive fashion, going 5-for-14 in the first three games of this four-game set with San Francisco. Owings is a burner who looks like he's going to get chances to play consistently at a number of different positions again this year, and he hasn't cooled off after posting great stats in spring training. He's a must-own player in deeper formats because of that speed and position eligibility, but it may still be too soon to scoop Owings up in standard 12-team formats.

Manager Bruce Bochy said that Crawford will bat cleanup when Buster Posey isn't in the lineup, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Crawford has drawn high praise from Bochy, who also said he believes the shortstop has become such a good hitter that he has a chance to hit 25 homers this season. The former number eight hitter has solidified himself in the five-hole this season and will continue to climb up in the order when Posey takes a day off. The 30-year-old is 4-for-10 with one homer through two games this season.

Owings is starting in right field and batting second Wednesday against the Giants, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports.

The Diamondbacks are showcasing what could be their go-to configuration against lefties, as they take on Matt Moore at home. The righty-hitting Owings, who hit seventh Tuesday against right-hander Johnny Cueto, moves into a more favorable spot in the order against the southpaw, with David Peralta hitting the pine and Nick Ahmed getting the start at shortstop. Owings has a career .244/.284/.381 slash line against lefties, but the Diamondbacks still have faith in the 25-year-old developing into at least an average hitter against opposite-handed pitching.

Cecchini is expected to log playing time at shortstop every 10-to-12 days and possibly even third base this season, Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

The Mets' Triple-A affiliate appears to be putting a large focus on versatility this season, so even a top prospect like Cecchini will get looks at other positions. The 23-year-old will still likely be brought up as a second baseman with fellow prospect Amed Rosario slated to man shortstop in the future, but the versatility certainly won't hurt as Cecchini looks to land a job with the Mets later in the season.

Story went 1-for-2 with three walks, a steal and a pair of runs in Tuesday's 6-5 win over the Brewers.

It's nowhere near the start Story got off to last season, but Story is continuing to be a force in the middle of the Rockies lineup. Although he hasn't logged an RBI yet through two games, one major positive is the plate discipline the 24-year-old has shown through two games. He only struck out once in the first game of the season and didn't whiff a single time Tuesday, leaving his K:BB at 1:3 heading into Wednesday's bout. It's early, but Story's improved approach at the plate could help him amass an even better season than his stellar rookie campaign.

Abreu will begin the season with Double-A Harrisburg.

He's got solid plate discipline and has shown a little speed during his minor-league career, swiping 30 bases in 123 games for Low-A Hagerstown in 2015, but Abreu's defensive profile and somewhat suspect hit tool mark him as a future utility player in the majors, at best. A solid performance at Double-A this year could have the 22-year-old climbing the Nats' prospect rankings, however.

Baez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Ben Zobrist will return to second base Wednesday, pushing Baez to the bench. The 24-year-old Baez has gone 1-for-7 with an RBI and two strikeouts through two games. He figures to continue in only a semi-regular role, at least for the time being, sitting two or three times per week.