MLB Player News

With a tough matchup against Dodgers starter Zach Greinke on tap, the Diamondbacks rested both outfielder Mark Trumbo and second baseman Aaron Hill on Sunday. 

Trumbo, who has five hits in 20 at-bats so far this season, will be replaced by Ender Inciarte in right field, while Hill will sit in favor of Cliff Pennington. Pennington is hitless in 11 career at-bats against Greinke. 

The Diamondbacks (+135) are underdogs in the series finale, per VegasInsider.com

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.

Calhoun went 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and three RBI Saturday. The Angels will use shortstop Erick Aybar as the leadoff man with Calhoun on the bench, and Collin Cowgill will play right field and bat seventh Sunday. The Angels are also starting Taylor Featherston over Johnny Giavotella at second base.

The Angels are favorites (-115) against the Royals Sunday.

Mets center fielder Juan Lagares has been moved to the leadoff spot for Sunday's game against the Braves.

Lagares will get the leadoff role with Curtis Granderson being replaced by John Mayberry in Sunday's lineup. The Mets are also giving second baseman Daniel Murphy and catcher Travis d'Arnaud a break from starting Sunday, with Ruben Tejada and Anthony Recker set to start against the Braves.

Manager Terry Collins indicated that while Murphy is fatigued, "his legs are fine," ESPNNewYork.com reports. Tejada was initially set to start ahead of Wilmer Flores Sunday but instead will spell Murphy at second base.

The Mets are underdogs (+104) against the Braves Sunday, per VegasInsider.com.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts went 3 for 4 with three RBI in his team's 6-2 win over the Phillies Thursday.

''It's looking like the extra work he's doing is giving him some traction,'' manager John Farrell said of Bogaerts after the game, per the Associated Press. ''He's a little bit more balanced, a little more patient, trying to get a pitch he can handle.''

Bogaerts, who also drew a walk in the win, collected all three RBI on a bases-clearing triple in the third inning, which featured all eight of the runs on either side in the game. He has been spending more time with hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez.

"The more patient you are, the better," Bogaerts said. "Timing has been a problem for me, but it's simple: See the ball, hit the ball."

The shortstop is 4 for 11 with four RBI in his first three games.

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale is going with Cliff Pennington at shortstop Wednesday over Nick Ahmed, the team announced.

Pennington will make his first start of the season despite making one plate appearance in the first two games of the year. He is hitting .275 with two triples and eight RBI in 116 plate appearances in his career against the Giants.

The Diamondbacks are the favorites (-108) against the Giants.

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford homered during a 7-6 loss Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Crawford connected for a solo home run off Rubby De La Rosa in the sixth inning for his only hit in four at-bats. He is batting .375 (3 for 8) with one home run and two RBI through two games.

During spring training, Crawford hit .262 with no home runs, one triple, five doubles and five RBI in 22 games.

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale will make sure to give the team's reserve position players plenty of work. 

Hale believes in matchups, and he pinch hit for Chris Owings and Nick Ahmed on Opening Day. 

Well, you know what, we've got a lot of guys who are starters on this team, so I have to figure out a way to get them all at-bats," Hale said, per MLB.com. "We don't have a DH in this league, so I have to mix and match. It's going to be tough on them at times. We've already made that clear to them that if they're not starting, they're going to get a chance to play late in the game and win the game for us

Braves infielder Pedro Ciriaco was in line to win the final spot on the major-league bench this season, but after the team acquired Cameron Maybin on Sunday, manager Fredi Gonzalez had to tell Ciriaco that he wouldn't be on the Opening Day roster, the Atlanta Journal-Consitution reports.

"You guys see it at the top level with (Craig) Kimbrel, but you didn’t see it with Ciriaco. That was tough," Gonzalez said. “Here’s a guy on Saturday, you bring him into the office and he’s scared to death, because he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. And I say, congratulations, you made the team, barring anything crazy. And he starts crying. He had expected to be sent down. I tell him he had a hell of a spring and all the reasons we’re going to go with him, and he starts crying and he goes, 'It’s the first time I’ve made an Opening Day roster.' Well, (expletive), 12 hours later he’s not on the Opening Day roster, and you’ve got to have that conversation. I mean, it’s tough sometimes."

Ciriaco, who was reassigned to Triple-A Gwinett in the wake of the Kimbrel-Maybin trade, hit .373/.387/.492 in 59 spring at-bats.

Diamondbacks starting second baseman Chris Owings was held out of the starting lineup Tuesday against the Giants in favor of veteran infielder Aaron Hill.

Owings and Hill both started in Monday's season opener. Owings was at second base, while Hill was at third base.

Owings, who won the starting job in spring training, went 0 for 3 with one strikeout, while Hill went 2 for 4 with one run and one strikeout.

Taylor Featherston is not likely to see a ton of playing time as a bench option for the Angels. The rookie admits he is still adjusting to his new role, per The Orange County Register.

“I’m definitely talking to Collin Cowgill and the guys who have been (bench players) before,” Featherston said.

Featherston has been working at second base, third base and shortstop. Although his role is not clearly defined, manager Mike Scioscia is looking forward to using Featherston when needed.

“What he lacks in experience, his athleticism and talent will make up for,” Scioscia said. “We’re not going to be afraid to use him.”

As a Rule 5 pick, the Angels must keep Featherston on the 25-man roster or disabled list all season. If they don't, then they have to offer him back to the Rockies.