MLB Player News

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.

Lindor went 0-for-3 with a walk and struck out once while stranding four baserunners in Tuesday's matchup against the Rangers.

It was another day of missed opportunities for Lindor. He's now left nine runners on base in just six at-bats while going hitless through the first two games. The youngster hit second in the order for 87 percent of his at-bats in 2015 (his rookie season), but slotted in the two-hole for only one game last year. It's too early to assume Lindor will need an adjustment period to handle his new spot in the order, but if things don't improve, it's certainly possible that manager Terry Francona will shuffle the lineup to help his shortstop get rolling.

Crawford went 2-for-5 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Tuesday's 8-4 win over Arizona.

He could have had a much bigger day, as Crawford was credited with six stranded baserunners. Still, he's opened the season by going 4-for-10 with three extra-base hits, and fantasy owners aren't about to look that gift horse in its mouth. Crawford's been improving steadily, and he's already proven to be a quality source of RBI. The question now for fantasy owners is whether he can continue last year's uptick in batting average and/or regain the power stroke he showed two seasons ago.

Owings will start at shortstop and bat seventh against the Giants on Tuesday.

With right-hander Johnny Cueto taking the mound Tuesday, Torey Lovullo will shy away from his Opening Day lineup that stacked right-handed bats in the top three spots. Instead, Owings will slide down to seventh in the order while left-handed swinging David Peralta will jump up to the two spot. It seems this might be common against right-handed starters, but only time will tell.

Arcia went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in the Brewers' season-opening loss to the Rockies.

Arcia hit eighth in the Brewers' Opening Day batting order and figures to slot in there often at the beginning of the regular season, but he is one of the Brewers' most promising youngsters, and figures to play nearly every day at shortstop.