MLB Player News

Smith started at shortstop and went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Rays.

Smith filled in for Corey Seager, who served as the designated hitter Wednesday. Smith is also expected to get starts at third base while Josh Jung (wrist) takes 8-to-10 weeks to recover following surgery.

Duran started at third base and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 4-1 win over Tampa Bay.

The Rangers have used Duran and Josh Smith at third base following Josh Jung's wrist injury and subsequent surgery. His recovery time was pushed out Wednesday from six weeks to eight-to-10 weeks. Justin Foscue was called up and could get time at the hot corner as well.

Alexander started at second base and went 1-for-2 with a walk and solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Yankees.

Alexander got the start against a lefty -- no surprise there -- and gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead in the second inning with his first MLB homer. The right-handed hitting infielder was later removed in the ninth inning for pinch-hitter Jace Peterson against a righty reliever. Alexander could be needed in the coming days, as shortstop Geraldo Perdomo sustained a knee injury during the 10th inning and is day-to-day. The Diamondbacks are off Thursday and will travel to Atlanta for a weekend series. Right-hander Spencer Strider is the scheduled starter for Atlanta, which means if Perdomo isn't ready, then Arizona manager Torey Lovullo may turn to Peterson for a start.

Rojas went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional RBI against San Francisco in a 5-4 win Wednesday.

Rojas put the Dodgers on the board with a run-scoring groundout in the second inning, then gave the team a four-run lead with a solo shot in the fourth. The long ball was his second through nine plate appearances this season -- a surprising development given that he hasn't posted double-digit homers in any campaign since going deep a career-high 11 times in 2018. With that in mind, it's not logical to expect Rojas to continue to flash power, especially since he typically starts only when Los Angeles faces a lefty starter.

Pena went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in an 8-0 victory versus Toronto on Wednesday.

Pena knocked an RBI single in the fifth inning, then went deep with a two-run blast in the seventh. The long ball was the second across the shortstop's past three games, and he's knocked in six runs over that stretch. Pena has four multi-hit games on the campaign and is slashing .400/.444/.680 through 27 plate appearances.

Manager Torey Lovullo said after Wednesday's loss that Perdomo is day-to-day with right knee discomfort, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Perdomo injured his knee rounding first base after reaching on an error during the bottom of the 10th inning. The team doesn't seem to be very concerned about his injury, and having a scheduled day off Thursday may allow the 24-year-old infielder to play again Friday against Atlanta without missing any games.

Perdomo was removed from Wednesday's game against the Yankees with an apparent knee injury, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Perdomo reached base on an error during the bottom of the 10th inning but was limping as he ran toward second base. The Diamondbacks will take him into the clubhouse for a closer look and should have more information on his status after Wednesday's contest.

Seager went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over the Rays.

Leading off the sixth inning, Seager snapped a scoreless tie with a long ball that just snuck inside the right-field foul pole for his first home run of the campaign. The 29-year-old Seager has shown few signs of rust despite being limited by injuries during spring training -- he's now 8-for-22 (.364 average) with four runs scored and three RBI to start the season after slashing .327/.390/.623 with 33 homers and 96 RBI in 2023.

Kessinger (hamstring) grounded out in his lone plate appearance in Monday's 10-0 loss to the Blue Jays.

Kessinger didn't see make any Grapefruit League or exhibition appearances after March 18 while he recovered from a right hamstring strain, but he showcased enough improvement last week to be included on the Astros' Opening Day roster as a reserve infielder. With the Astros building a 10-run lead after seven innings, Kessinger got the chance to make his season debut in the bottom of the eighth as a pinch hitter for designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. He's still waiting to make his debut in the field, but Kessinger at least looks to be healthy now.

Cruz will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

The Pirates faced five straight southpaws to begin the season, and the left-handed-hitting Cruz hit sixth twice, seventh twice and had one day off in those contests. With right-hander Trevor Williams taking the ball Wednesday, Cruz will be elevated to the top of the batting order.