MLB Player News

Owings is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies.

Owings received the Opening Day start with lefty Jorge De La Rosa on the bump for Colorado, but the utility man will head to the bench with right-hander Chad Bettis pitching Tuesday. Socrates Brito will take his place in center field.

Diaz will get the start at shortstop for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Jim Hayes of Fox Sports Midwest reports.

With the Cardinals facing a left-hander in Pittsburgh's Jon Niese on Tuesday, manager Mike Matheny will play the platoon advantage and plug Diaz in at shortstop. Diaz will be starting over Greg Garcia at short while Jedd Gyorko will start at second. If Diaz is able to perform ably in the field and at the dish, he could push for regular playing time given the Cardinals' current lack of depth at short. Diaz will bat eighth in the order Tuesday.

Story mashed a pair of home runs in Monday's win over the Diamondbacks as he finished 2-for-6 with four RBI.

Both home runs came off new Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke as Story became the first player in history to hit two home runs in his MLB debut on Opening Day. At just 23 years old, Story's addition to the roster at shortstop was something of a surprise even considering Jose Reyes's suspension. After a monster spring training (.378, six home runs) and now this debut, it's easy to see why some peg Story as Colorado's shortstop of the future.

Mier had a productive spring, posting a .317/.349/.488 slash line in 41 at-bats.

Mier is coming off his best year yet and still has some promise as a prospect for the Blue Jays. He had a slash line of .258/.350/.372 with 56 RBI in Double-A New Hampshire last year and will begin 2016 at Triple-A Buffalo after a hot-hitting spring. The 25-year-old needs to improve his power if he hopes to be called up; he had just five extra-base hits this spring. Expect him to be on the Blue Jays' radar if an infield spot opens up.

Owings is starting in center field in Monday's season opener versus the Rockies.

After A.J. Pollock (elbow) went down, Owings was tested out in center field and apparently put together a good enough showing to get the start in center on Opening Day. It's unclear how often he'll appear there, but it could increase how frequently he gets into the lineup over the season and potentially expand his position eligibility.

Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Monday to take Tommy Pham's (oblique) spot on the roster, MLB.com reports.

Diaz will push Jedd Gyorko for playing time at shortstop. The Cardinals signed Diaz to a four-year, $8 million deal in 2014, so he'll likely get some chances to show what he can do while Ruben Tejada and Jhonny Peralta are on the disabled list.

The Indians designated Walters for assignment on Sunday, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

Walters' removal from the 40-man roster opens up a spot for Marlon Byrd, who is expected to share right field duties with Collin Cowgill or Rajai Davis until Lonnie Chisenhall (forearm) returns from the DL. While Walters once held some promise a power-hitting utility man, his extreme issues with making contact made it too difficulty for the Indians to justify keeping him on the roster.

Baez (thumb) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Baez is dealing with a thumb contusion, though it isn't thought to be a long-term concern. Look for the utility infielder with power upside to rejoin the Cubs shortly after the 15-day minimum.

Tejada (quadriceps) was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Tejada was the frontrunner to open the season as the starting shortstop in place of the injured Jhonny Peralta (thumb), but will be placed on the shelf after suffering a left quadriceps strain in Thursday's Grapefruit League game. As a result, look for Jedd Gyorko to serve as the Cardinals' primary shortstop until Tejada is cleared to return.

Navarro was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports.

The Angels made their final roster trim down in advance of Opening Day on Saturday, optioning Navarro and others down to Triple-A. Navarro had a decent spring with a .257 batting average to go with two doubles and eight RBI, but his inability to get on base (.263 OBP) was problematic. He'll start the year in the infield at Salt Lake.